Under what circumstances must a new Brightstar Care franchisee participate in the BrightStart Program?
Brightstar_Care Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
You (or, if you are a legal entity ("Entity"), your owners and/or other required personnel) must complete all New Owner and Boot Camp training tracks (Clinical, Operations, and Sales) within 180 days from signing this Agreement and prior to opening your Agency, provided however, your DON must complete clinical Boot Camp training within ninety (90) days after employment begins.
- 3.1.7 If the Agency operated under this Agreement is your first Agency and is not acquired through a transfer, you (or, if you are an Entity, your owners and/or other required personnel) must participate in, and comply with all of the requirements of, the "BrightStart" Program.
The BrightStart program is designed to assist new owners in opening their new business as well as focus on the core competencies of the BrightStar business.
If the Agency operated under this Agreement is acquired through a transfer, and it is your first Agency, you, (or, if you are an Entity, your owners and/or other required personnel) must participate in and comply with all of the requirements of the "ReStart" Program.
The ReStart program is designed to assist new owners via transfers with onboarding as well as focus on the core competencies of the BrightStar business.
BrightStart includes a pre-determined education plan, including pre-opening checklists (typically around 3 months) and post-opening coaching for the first 24 months of BrightStar Ownership.
This process and support model can be understood as a 27-month plan to learn the foundations of the model and ensure that the model is being executed in your local market.
ReStart is condensed based on timing to 12 months and will be a validation and assessment process for the new owner to ensure the business is operating up to current standards and processes.
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD pages 117–118)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Brightstar Care's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, if a franchisee is opening their first agency and the agency was not acquired through a transfer, the franchisee (or their owners/required personnel if the franchisee is a legal entity) must participate in the BrightStart Program. This program is designed to assist new owners in opening their business and focuses on the core competencies of the BrightStar Care business model.
The BrightStart program includes a pre-determined education plan with pre-opening checklists, typically spanning around 3 months, and post-opening coaching for the first 24 months of BrightStar Care ownership. This support model is structured as a 27-month plan to ensure franchisees learn the foundations of the business model and properly execute it in their local market.
In contrast, if the agency is acquired through a transfer and it is the new owner's first agency, they must participate in the ReStart Program. The ReStart program is a condensed 12-month validation and assessment process designed to ensure the new owner operates the business up to current standards and processes. Therefore, the BrightStart program is specifically for new Brightstar Care franchisees who are developing their first agency from the ground up, not acquiring an existing one.