Top Franchise Development Executives of 2024: Scott Oaks, VP of Development, Comfort Keepers

In the early 2000s, Scott Oaks found himself at a crossroads. After more than a decade in the workforce, primarily in the manufacturing industry, but like so many candidates he speaks with today, he found himself at a crossroads when a recession led to the elimination of his middle management role. Scott wanted to find a career where he could make a meaningful impact. He received a life-changing call from a brand that was seeking someone fresh to franchising, who didn’t come in with any preconceived notions of franchise development to join its team. Oaks quickly realized that franchise development wasn’t just about sales — it was about recruiting the right people to fulfill the role of a franchisee. What captivated him most was the opportunity to help people achieve the American dream of business ownership. 

Today, as Vice President of Franchise Development at Comfort Keepers, Oaks is focused on fostering meaningful growth for the brand. He emphasizes the importance of quality over quantity when it comes to franchisees, as Comfort Keepers aims to provide top-notch care for seniors through a dedicated network of owner-operators.

1851 Franchise spoke with Oaks to learn more about his story, as well as to gain insights into common mistakes he sees franchisors making in today’s industry.

1851 Franchise: Tell us about your brand.

Scott Oaks: Comfort Keepers was one of the first home care franchises in the industry. We’ve been in business for 26 years. We have over 650 locations and another 35+ in Canada. We specialize in non-medical home care, focusing on companion and personal care services. It’s an owner-operator model, and we prefer franchisees to be actively involved in the business. Our job is to help take care of seniors, family members, grandparents — adding some additional care and support that will allow folks to stay in their homes longer. That is where seniors want to stay for as long as they can, and families can have peace of mind knowing that mom and dad are being taken care of. Our brand focused on positivity and possibility, which are so important to help seniors thrive no matter their circumstances

1851: How did you get into franchising?

Oaks: I’ve been in franchising for 21 years, all in franchise development. I was in my late 20s, had been working full time for over 10 years, and was in the manufacturing industry in the early 2000s. There was the dot-com bust, and all of a sudden, there was a lot of consolidation. I found myself in a middle management position that got eliminated. When I was looking for what to do next, I wanted to find something that would allow me to make an impact. I got contacted by a Vice President of Development at Handyman Connection who was looking for someone outside of franchising who didn’t have any "bad habits" already. I completely understood the brand from the consumer end, and the more I learned about what they were doing on the franchise development side, I realized that while it felt like sales, it was a lot more about recruiting. We needed the right person to fill the job description of the franchisee. 

What really appealed to me was helping folks achieve the American dream of becoming a small business owner. That was something that could fill that need of making an impact I’ve helped a lot of people get into small business for the first time. I love watching folks be successful with a brand, especially those that you helped along the way. And now working with Comfort Keepers, I am helping those with a passion for helping others do just that.

1851: Are there any keys to consistent franchise growth?

Oaks: Franchise growth really starts with the system’s success in terms of unit-level economics of franchisees. If you don’t have that, it's going to be very hard for you to build an effective franchise development program and bring people in. Before you go out and spend over hundreds of thousands  on advertising, make sure your recipe is working. Do you have happy franchisees? Do you need to focus on unit-level economics? Do you have the training and support in place? At that point, it’s a lot easier to pour gasoline on a good fire.

1851: What are the biggest hurdles to successful franchise growth right now?

Scott Oaks: Lead generation is always going to be a challenge — people are always trying to figure out where they can get the best quality leads for potential franchisees. At the end of the day, there isn’t a silver bullet. I haven’t found one in 20 years. The way people consume information has changed so dramatically in the last five years, even more over the last 10 years. You need to ensure you are really dialed in to how people are getting that information so you can get the right messaging out to the right people at the right time in the right places. 

One of the big benefits of all the data we have today is that we can determine our sweet spot in terms of a target audience, and how to find that audience. You have to have a really multi-faceted approach to not only lead generation but also communication throughout the process. Candidates are just as interested in making an impact as they are with revenue potential, for example. So your messaging has to speak to both motivations.

1851: Are there any common mistakes you see franchisors making when trying to grow?

Scott Oaks: Having reasonable expectations and understanding as an organization what success looks like short term and long term to ensure a sustainable business. How many signings will generate the necessary royalty revenue for you for the next 20 years? If the signings aren’t becoming openings, then it’s a disservice to the franchisee and the brand, and it’s a really short-term approach to growth. You need to have that understanding of what you want both short-term and long-term. 

You also need to have a clear understanding of all the questions prospects will have — make sure you have answers and resources to all of the questions. You don’t want to give them too much complexity too soon, but you want to ensure you have enough info and data in your process to fulfill the due diligence needs.

1851: What is your number one goal at the moment?

Scott Oaks: I’ve come to Comfort Keepers to rekindle franchise development efforts which is exciting.  There is so much opportunity out there.. Our  goal is to create a process where we bring in really good quality franchisees. For us, the quality of the franchisee  is just as important as how many we are bringing in. It’s a balancing act. Our goal is to not only take care of our clients but also create an environment where they are having a positive experience every day. We have to be focused on making sure we have the right people and franchisees who really value their caregivers and employees.

Every great franchisee had help buying a franchise. Want to learn more about how 1851 helps franchisees find the right franchise opportunity? Visit www.1851growthclub.com and start your journey.