5 Reasons to Invest in TruBlue Total House Care

TruBlue Total House Care, the 70-unit home maintenance franchise, has carved out a lucrative niche as the only franchise brand focused on providing maintenance services for seniors aging in place and busy families. TruBlue believes that aging in place starts with a safe home, and the company offers ongoing in-home support to help seniors remain at home for as long as possible. Now, with the senior population growing and the demand for home services skyrocketing post-COVID, the brand is preparing for widespread growth throughout the country, aiming to more than triple its size to 225 franchise units by the end of 2025.

“As a country, we are experiencing a change in how and where people want to grow old,” said Sean Fitzgerald, TruBlue’s president. “Plenty of companies have identified the growing desire from seniors to remain at home and, as a result, these companies have started offering more advanced in-home care services that address the medical needs that come with aging at home. However, almost no one is offering home maintenance specifically for seniors, despite staggering demand. We’re virtually alone in this segment, and we’ve seen tremendous growth as a result.”

Here are five reasons why franchisees continue to invest in TruBlue Total House Care in 2022.

The Booming Senior Market

A so-called “silver tsunami” of Baby Boomers is already hitting retirement age, and the senior population is growing fast. According to the National Council on Aging, 90% of those seniors say they plan to remain in their homes for the next 5–10 years, and Fitzgerald says that trend shows no signs of slowing down.

“Medical technology is helping people live longer, healthier lives, and as a result, the senior population is only going to continue to grow year after year,” said Fitzgerald. “As we saw with COVID, people are using their homes in much more versatile ways than they used to, and seniors are looking to age in place in the home that they’ve had for decades.” 

This is leading to one major challenge, Fitzgerald says: how do people age in place successfully? 

“Aging in place starts with the home,” he said. “The home needs to be well-maintained and set up properly. As seniors age, they can’t tackle the tasks that need to be done to keep the home safe and in shape. That is where we come in.” 

TruBlue addresses that problem head-on by performing thorough safety assessments for each home before modifying the space accordingly to make it safer and more comfortable for seniors, reducing the risk of falls and other health hazards. And while most at-home senior care services focus on light housekeeping, bathing and meal prep, TruBlue offers support both inside and outside of the home to help seniors age safely in place for longer. Whether that means changing a lightbulb, raking leaves or making large-scale adjustments to the home in order to ensure senior safety, TruBlue provides house care services that both seniors and busy families can trust. 

A Differentiated and Meaningful Consumer Offering

For TruBlue franchisees, the brand’s differentiated consumer offering translates to a loyal and repeat customer base, as well as a robust pool of referrals. 

“There is a high demand for quality home services and the industry is notorious for poor customer service,” he said. “That alone makes us stand out. Our handymen are background checked and are trained on providing the best ongoing help and support for seniors living at home.” 

While this does mean stronger returns, Fitzgerald said most TruBlue owners say the greatest joy of the business is knowing they are making a difference. 

“This is a business with a purpose,” he said. “Our franchisees really enjoy helping people. Not too many businesses allow you to be passionate, do great work and feel really good about it. We believe with TruBlue, we are not only enhancing the lives of seniors, we are also potentially saving lives.”

Mark and Julie Odell, the Colorado-based couple who own two TruBlue locations in the Aurora area, for example, have a deep passion for supporting the elderly, as well as one for home remodeling and entrepreneurship. Prior to franchising, Julie sold advertising to several print publications, while Mark worked in financial services with a specific niche of offering financial planning to seniors. When the couple decided to invest in a business of their own, they were familiar with TruBlue because of Mark’s experience in the senior sector and understood the brand’s uniquely strong position in the marketplace because of personal experience.

“We lost both of Julie’s parents to cancer. They left too early, and I felt we had an obligation to give back to our community and help other people who may be going through what we went through,” said Mark. “There’s such a huge need for these services and the demand is only continuing to grow. There's no other franchise that is set up to do what TruBlue does while fulfilling the need for a reputable company with a growing presence around the country.”

A Uniquely Lucrative Revenue Model

Because seniors require ongoing help around the house, maintenance is not simply a matter of installing a few key modifications and moving on to the next job. That’s where TruBlue’s recurring service offering, House Care Plus, provides a key differentiator from other brands in the home services industry. For TruBlue’s growing roster of franchise owners, House Care Plus offers a lucrative recurring revenue model, offering maintenance services and reminders about routine maintenance that are scheduled regularly throughout the year. 

“Most handyman companies come in, do a quick assessment of the home and then make the necessary modifications, but that’s where the work stops,” Fitzgerald explained. “With House Care Plus, we schedule regular visits in advance to check air filters, clean, do yard work — all sorts of things that seniors can’t easily do themselves.” 

Additionally, Fitzgerald says many busy adults have similar needs because they don’t have the time to regularly maintain their homes. 

“Busy families are running around with their kids, going to soccer games and dance recitals,” he said. “Their weekends are packed, and that leads to the home being neglected. With our help, families can stay on top of routine work in order to avoid larger and more costly problems down the road. We provide a network of certified, reliable professionals who families can trust in their homes.”

And Julie notes that this demand is also growing following the pandemic and the booming real estate market. 

“We saw a huge increase in people working from home, wanting to change wall color, make renovations,” she said. “Typically, the home is a person’s largest investment, which is why we will be busy for the rest of our careers with TruBlue.”

A Streamlined Model with Low Costs and High Margins

TruBlue’s low startup costs — ranging from $65,000 to $91,000 — and simplified operational model, which requires no brick-and-mortar location, is also a major selling point for incoming franchise owners. 

“We are a high-margin business that requires a very low cost of materials,” said Fitzgerald. “When you have low cost of operations monthly, with a high demand and high margins, that's a great formula for success. Every location is fully scalable — there’s no limit to the amount of in-home services a franchise owner can provide, so you don’t have to open a second location in order to grow.”

The Odells are a perfect example of how TruBlue positions owners for quick and scalable growth. After opening their first location in February 2021, in the midst of the pandemic, the two broke the brand’s first month sales record. 

“With this offering, the sky’s the limit,” said Mark. “We can do handyman work, home remodel work, landscaping and yard maintenance, maid service, ceiling fan installments, garbage disposals and full basement finishings. The real question is: what can’t we do? If you break it, we can fix it; if you dream it, you can build it. No one can offer all the things that we can at the level we are doing it.” 

A Strategic Growth Plan

Looking ahead, Fitzgerald says the TruBlue team is gearing up for major franchise expansion, with plans to reach 225 units by 2025. As awareness around the importance of aging in place continues to increase, TruBlue is emerging as a leading franchise in the space due to a wave of national partnerships and a steadily growing footprint.

“I really believe everyone should look into the business because once you look at the metrics and lifestyle benefits, it is really exciting in terms of where we are going,” said Fitzgerald. “Plus, it is not a difficult business to run. It requires passion and determination, but you don’t need to know how to build a wheelchair ramp to run the company, making it one of the few entryways into the massive senior care industry that doesn’t require a medical background or specialized training.”

As a TruBlue franchisee, Mark says he has had everything he needed to thrive since day one. 

“We have the processes, the marketing, the preferred vendors and a direct cell number to the president of the company,” he said. “I talk to a lot of potential new owners and the number one question they ask is: would you do this again if you could go back? Absolutely. It is a dream career. We are learning new lessons everyday, but we always have that confidence because we know we have the backing of a proven brand behind us.”

TruBlue is actively seeking new franchise owners in markets across the country and has identified Orlando, Miami, Jacksonville and Naples, Florida, as well as Dallas and Austin, Texas, as key development markets.

The total investment estimate for a TruBlue Total House Care franchise ranges from $65,050–$91,400. To learn more about franchising with TruBlue, please visit https://trubluefranchise.com/.