A Better Solution In Home Care Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $127K – $235K
- Disclosed sales
- $811K
- gross sales, not profit
- SBA charge-off
- Limited · 15 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
A Better Solution In Home Care is a senior care franchise providing non-medical in-home care and companionship. Franchisees run local agencies, recruiting caregivers and managing scheduling, client care, and billing.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A A Better Solution In Home Care franchise requires a total initial investment of $127K – $235K, including a $55K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2026 FDD, average unit revenue was $811K[2]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: low - issued within the last 12 months
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✓ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored8 of 8 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $127K – $235K
- 73rd pct Senior Care
- Avg gross sales
- $811K
- 10th pct Senior Care
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 5th pct Senior Care
- Units
- 30
- 55th pct Senior Care
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Senior Care · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Senior Care median · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $127K – $235K including a $55K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $811K/year (median $595K).
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 70/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHPositive: net +1 franchised outlets in the latest year (3 opened, 2 closed); 2 signed but not yet open (Item 20).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- ABS Franchise Services, Inc.
- CEO title
- CEO & Founder
- Lillia Smith-Pratt
- Incorporated in
- California
- HQ
- 8929 Complex Drive, San Diego, California 92123
- Auditor
- CASHUK, WISEMAN, GOLDBERG, BIRNBAUM AND SALEM, LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.1M
- vs $1.1M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Lillia Smith-Pratt
- Headquarters
- California
- Founded
- 2014
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 15
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 33% above the typical senior care franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown21 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Feenot refundable | $55K | $55K | |
| Travel & Living Expenses While Attending Initial Trainingnot refundable | $3K | $5K | |
| Office & Real Estate Improvementsnot refundable | $0 | $2K | |
| Lease/Rent & Security Deposit (3 Months)not refundable | $3K | $8K | |
| Equipmentnot refundable | $2K | $9K | |
| Enhanced Support Servicesnot refundable | $0 | $5K | |
| Signagenot refundable | $500 | $4K | |
| Professional & General Liability Insurancenot refundable | $3K | $7K | |
| Employment Practices Liability Insurancenot refundable | $3K | $7K | |
| Fidelity Bond Coveragenot refundable | $0 | $500 | |
| Workers Compensation Depositnot refundable | $2K | $5K | |
| Business Licensesnot refundable | $50 | $3K | |
| Home Care Organization Licensing Fee (if required)not refundable | $500 | $6K | |
| Licensing Assistance By Approved Vendornot refundable | $4K | $6K | |
| Medicaid Credentialingnot refundable | $2K | $9K | |
| Legal Feesnot refundable | $500 | $8K | |
| Opening Inventory of Office Suppliesnot refundable | $2K | $3K | |
| Initial Marketing Materialsnot refundable | $3K | $5K | |
| Websitenot refundable | $2K | $2K | |
| Start-up Digital Marketing Package (6 months)not refundable | $19K | $25K | |
| Total initial investment | $127K | $235K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $127K – $235K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $26K – $65K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $55K – $55K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- Set by a formula · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 6.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $299 |
| Transfer fee | $8K |
| Renewal fee | $14K |
| Inventory (initial) | $2K – $3K |
| Total fee load | 6.0% of rev |
A 6.0% total fee load is unusually lean. More of each revenue dollar stays with the franchisee.
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 24% below the senior care norm.
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
Single-unit · not modelled
Returns at a glance
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit, and the operating costs that turn one into the other are in no filing. We publish no modelled return for A Better Solution In Home Care until someone supplies them — yours, in the models below.
—
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
Total invested capital · disclosed
$227K
Item 7 initial investment plus working capital, as filed — the one figure here that needs no assumption.
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit, read against the 30–60% reference band · Yale SOM, Post-MBA Path Exhibit 2 (2023). Below that band a passive index fund likely outperforms; above it the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses, and it is the top line only — gross sales are not profit. No FDD discloses the operating costs that turn one into the other, so those fields start empty and nothing is modelled until you supply them from your own lease quote, labor market and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one A Better Solution In Home Care unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
A 25-unit return is built on a per-unit EBITDA. Fill in the operating costs in Model A above and this model runs on that figure, or take the whole scenario to the full ROI workbench, where the portfolio and LBO models accept your own per-unit economics directly.
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $811K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $595K
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- gross sales
- Sample size
- 23 outlets
- vs category median 22
- Range (low → high)
- $187K→$2.3MCited, not corroborated — printed on page 41 of the 2026 FDD. Nothing else in our record independently restates or re-derives it.
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2025
- Transparency
- 9 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · above
Compared against 79 Senior Care brands
Revenue is 4.5x the investment midpoint. At typical franchise margins, this suggests a payback under 3 years.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $811K/year in gross sales. Median is $595K — top performers pull the average up, so a typical unit earns less. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 4.5x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 6.0% (near the Senior Care median).
Disclosure
Transparency score 9/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System expanding at 12.0% CAGR over 3 years across 30 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Senior Care medians
How A Better Solution In Home Care Compares
Category median of published Senior Care brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 30
- Opened
- 3
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 2
- Terminated
- 1
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 6.7%
- Company-owned
- 2
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 93%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +12.0%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +12.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 1
- Signed, not yet open
- 2
- 0.07 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 13
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 14 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
Available to sell in · Item 12
- Washington
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
23 current owners across 14 states.
- CA 6
- TX 4
- FL 2
- CO 1
- ID 1
- IL 1
- KS 1
- MI 1
- NC 1
- NV 1
- OH 1
- SC 1
- +2 more states
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 15
- Loan volume
- $2.6M
- Median loan
- $150K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- Limited · 15 loans
- Limited SBA coverage: 15 loans, rate hidden until 10 have resolved and loans reach 2% of franchised units
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- Limited · 15 loans
- 5-yr charge-off
- Limited · 15 loans
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 5
- Defaults
- 1
- Typical loan rate
- 7.2%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 7.5%
- n=1,624 loans
- Jobs supported
- 181
- 7.0 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 73%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 80% went to startups / new businesses, 20% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in home health care services, franchised businesses charge off at 7.5% vs 11.5% for independents — franchising is associated with 35% lower SBA default risk in this category.
Top lenders financing A Better Solution In Home Care franchisees
Showing 3 of 5 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Lender network · 7(a) + 504
SBA Lending Report
Full lending analysis for A Better Solution In Home Care from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Principal loss rate
- 4.9%
- Avg SBA guarantee
- 84%
- Avg interest rate
- 7.23%
- Avg chargeoff amount
- $127K
- Lender concentration
- 73.3%
- Job velocity
- 7.0 per $100K
- NAICS benchmark
- 5.7%
- NAICS 621610
- Jobs supported
- 181
Top SBA lendersTop lender holds 73% of loans
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Midwest Savings Bank National Association | 11 | $1.6M | 25.0% |
| 2 | First Commonwealth Bank | 1 | $276K | N/A |
| 3 | First Command Bank | 1 | $205K | N/A |
| 4 | INTRUST Bank, National Association | 1 | $170K | N/A |
| 5 | U.S. Bank, National Association | 1 | $350K | N/A |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| CACalifornia | 3 | 0 | -- |
| TXTexas | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| COColorado | 2 | 0 | -- |
| FLFlorida | 2 | 0 | -- |
| AZArizona | 1 | 1 | 100.0% |
| GAGeorgia | 1 | 0 | -- |
| KSKansas | 1 | 0 | -- |
| NCNorth Carolina | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| VAVirginia | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
SBA 7(a) lending trend
Borrower profile
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
One pending action: Day Venture Enterprises, LLC, Pamela Day and Kenneth Day v. A Better Solution in Home Care, Inc., et al. (San Diego Superior Court, Case No. 37-2024-00025405). Nashville, TN franchisees allege fraudulent/negligent inducement, breach of contract, false advertising, and related claims tied to an alleged 100% passive business model; seek rescission and damages. Trial set October 2026.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · CASHUK, WISEMAN, GOLDBERG, BIRNBAUM AND SALEM, LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Franchisor (ABS Franchise Services, Inc.) total revenue of $1,153,193 for FY ending Dec 31, 2025 is disclosed in Item 8, not from the Item 21 audited statements. The Exhibit A audited financial statements (FYE 2023/2024/2025) are image-based/not OCR-readable in this text, so balance-sheet figures (assets, liabilities, net worth), net income, auditor name, and prior-year revenue could not be extracted.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 70 / 100 verdict
- 01HIGHActive litigation from Nashville franchisees alleging fraud and misrepresentation regarding '100% passive business model' claims
- 02MINORAnemic unit growth of 3.7% YoY suggests system stagnation or contraction despite 30-unit base
- 03MINORHigh initial investment ($126,890-$235,350) paired with modest average net income ($542,813.50 across all units) creates long payback period and ROI risk
- 04HIGHPending litigation creates liability exposure and suggests marketing claims may have been overstated to franchisees
- 05MINOR5% royalty on gross revenues provides minimal margin cushion in home care industry with tight labor economics
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 6.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Exclusive territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory population | 300,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | No |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 20 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | California |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | California |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
One pending action: Day Venture Enterprises, LLC, Pamela Day and Kenneth Day v. A Better Solution in Home Care, Inc., et al. (San Diego Superior Court, Case No. 37-2024-00025405). Nashville, TN franchisees allege fraudulent/negligent inducement, breach of contract, false advertising, and related claims tied to an alleged 100% passive business model; seek rescission and damages. Trial set October 2026.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 40 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 40 hrs
- Training location
- Online or San Diego, CA (and franchise territory/offices)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 6 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- SwyftOps
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: SwyftOps
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
23 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a A Better Solution In Home Care franchise?
The total investment to open a A Better Solution In Home Care franchise ranges from $127K – $235K, with an initial franchise fee of $55K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do A Better Solution In Home Care franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the A Better Solution In Home Care FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $811K. The median is $595K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
Who owns A Better Solution In Home Care?
A Better Solution In Home Care is franchised by ABS Franchise Services, Inc.. Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
What is Item 19 in the A Better Solution In Home Care FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the A Better Solution In Home Care FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is A Better Solution In Home Care's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for A Better Solution In Home Care (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many A Better Solution In Home Care franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, A Better Solution In Home Care has 30 total units in the United States, including 28 franchised units and 2 company-owned units. 3 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is A Better Solution In Home Care a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates A Better Solution In Home Care as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 70 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.