Lightbridge Academy

Since its founding in 1997,&nbsp;<a href="https://lightbridgeacademyfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-lightbridge-academy-helps-franchisees-achieve-multi-unit-operational-excellence-2719949" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Lightbridge Academy®</a>, the thriving early education and child care center with a footprint of over 140 centers open, under construction or in development, has established itself as&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/why-lightbridge-academyr-is-one-of-franchisings-most-exciting-opportunities-2717444">a leading multi-unit franchise opportunity</a> in the child care segment. When it comes to brand growth, many businesses falter because they don’t have the necessary support in place, with about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.moyak.com/papers/franchising-failures.html?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-lightbridge-academy-helps-franchisees-achieve-multi-unit-operational-excellence-2719949" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">50% of franchise systems failing</a> over a period of 10 years. This is often reflected in franchisee satisfaction surveys, where training and support are typically some of the lowest-scoring areas. Lightbridge Academy believes that the whole idea of the franchise model is based on the concept that the franchisees should receive the support they need to be successful business owners without having to go it alone.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajparkash?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-lightbridge-academy-helps-franchisees-achieve-multi-unit-operational-excellence-2719949" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Raj</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/veenu-parkash-036a0717?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-lightbridge-academy-helps-franchisees-achieve-multi-unit-operational-excellence-2719949" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Veenu Parkash</a> have been with the brand for 15 years and are the proud owners of four Lightbridge Academy&nbsp;centers in New Jersey. The couple, who just purchased an existing location in the same region as their others, say Lightbridge Academy has provided them with all of the support, training and infrastructure needed to achieve operational excellence across multiple locations.&nbsp;“Most people think of child care as a simple business, but this is a specialized field,” said Raj. “It requires a lot of professionalism and support to succeed, from the moment you select a site to long after your opening. Lightbridge Academy makes the process easy and efficient every step of the way.”&nbsp;To start, Raj says Lightbridge Academy helps&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/lightbridgeacademy/how-lightbridge-academy-provides-franchisees-with-a-recipe-for-repeated-year-over-year-success-2708064#stories">identify premium real estate locations</a> that fit the ideal demographic profile. The corporate team uses strict criteria for their site approval process, and franchisees know that their best interests are always at heart. Together, they carefully analyze sites, conduct market research and work with developers to ensure the highest quality construction and brand representation in the market.&nbsp;“The team helps you select the right site and guides you through the construction process,” Raj said. “You need to develop a pro-forma and optimize how many children you can have in the center, for example. You can’t just sign a lease and go through construction without knowing the numbers. If you can only have 160 instead of 180 children, that leaves a big gap in revenue at the end of the year. The real estate support you get from Lightbridge Academy in terms of optimization is really the start of the entire business.”In addition to working closely with the development team to find the best real estate solution, franchisees also spend time learning all areas of the business, completing training and beginning community outreach. When it comes time to open, Raj notes that the marketing department creates advertising campaigns to help franchisees get the word out and that support continues for the duration of the franchise relationship.&nbsp;“I remember when we started planning for our first center, we were doing print and word-of-mouth marketing — now it is all digital marketing,” Raj said. “We couldn’t do those things on our own; we are not specialized in that department. The marketing team at Lightbridge Academy creates strategic relationships that work with us to help us effectively reach our target audience, generate leads and we just have to convert them into enrollment.”&nbsp;But it's not just about getting families through the door. The actual child care and educational experience needs to be top-notch for everyone in the&nbsp;<a href="https://lightbridgeacademy.com/vision?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-lightbridge-academy-helps-franchisees-achieve-multi-unit-operational-excellence-2719949" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Lightbridge Academy Circle of Care®</a>. A major part of this process is also finding and training the staff that will spend their days interacting with the children and families in each center. “We owe everything to our employees, and Lightbridge Academy provided us with all the tools we needed to train and coach them,” said Veenu. “We have treated each of them as family and given them all the support they need to thrive in their career. We are very proud that we have several employees who have been with us for over 15 years.”With the necessary support in place to provide a strong and consistent customer experience, franchisees like the Parkashs have the opportunity to build an unparalleled brand reputation in their local community, which then lends itself to&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/lightbridgeacademy/why-lightbridge-academy-franchisees-continue-to-invest-in-the-brand-2715361#franchisee">multi-unit development</a> down the road.&nbsp;As Lightbridge Academy franchisees expand their business, Veenu notes that the corporate support never slows down. “We have an amazing business coach who has really taught us to walk from A to Z,” she said. “They are always there to support you. We have audits three times a year, which help us understand where we can improve. Everything is clearly laid out. And as the industry changes over time, the corporate team is there to listen to your feedback and adapt. It is really an amazing partnership.”That level of ongoing support has allowed the Parkashs to scale their portfolio to four centers and maintain solid performance across all locations.“The support certainly helps keep everything consistent, whether it is operational, financial, marketing or staffing,” said Raj. “The business coaches and the corporate team really take the time to observe where the support is required — sometimes you don’t know which area you need help. Everyone on the team is there to help.”Now, Raj and Veenu say they are excited to continue growing their family-owned legacy with Lightbridge Academy and building general wealth with a strong portfolio of successful centers. Their daughter Sanya, who was originally enrolled in Lightbridge Academy as a student over 20 years ago, is now the director of their center in Edison, New Jersey.&nbsp;“She was nervous at first because she didn’t have experience in the child care industry, but after she went through the training and came onboard, she felt so much more comfortable,” said Veenu. “Whether it was marketing, educational or operational training, she was provided with the information she needed. That gave her the confidence to make her decision and join the family business, which we are very grateful for. Today, she loves the business so much that she is pursuing a master’s degree in education!”The executive team at Lightbridge Academy is thrilled to see the Parkashs expand their family-owned business.&nbsp;“Lightbridge Academy is proud to have the Parkashes as part of our franchise family. They have been an integral and increasingly important part of this brand and are caring multi-unit franchise owners who embody our core values,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gigischweikert?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-lightbridge-academy-helps-franchisees-achieve-multi-unit-operational-excellence-2719949" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Gigi Schweikert</a>, CEO. “Having them continually reinvest in our model and build their portfolio shows how our franchise brings compounding success that entire families can enjoy.”Now, after signing several new franchisees and growing with existing franchisees over the past year, the brand is excited to continue supporting franchisees across its system to achieve their entrepreneurial dreams.For more information on multi-unit franchising opportunities with Lightbridge Academy, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://lightbridgeacademyfranchise.com/multi-unit/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-lightbridge-academy-helps-franchisees-achieve-multi-unit-operational-excellence-2719949" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://lightbridgeacademyfranchise.com/multi-unit/</a>.

How Lightbridge Academy Helps Franchisees Achieve Multi-Unit Operational Excellence 

1851 Franchise

Raj and Veenu Parkash, 15-year veterans with Lightbridge Academy, say the brand’s corporate support and training have allowed them to build a legacy and make their investment a ‘family affair’ with their daughter operating one of their four centers.

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