What is the nature of the specifications for services necessary to operate a Caring Transitions franchise?
Caring_Transitions Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
s matter will be final.
(2) Provide written specifications and a list of suppliers for all equipment, products, services, and supplies necessary to operate your franchise. (Franchise Agreement § 6.1). You may purchase certain marketing and promotional materials from the Caring Transitions national branding fund. See Item 8 for a more detailed explanation of the requirements for purchasing equipment and supplies.
(3) Provide you with access (via our intranet Web site) to a number of digital advertisements, layouts and images for use in various media, and a set of templates for business cards and stationery. (Franchise Agreement § 6.1).
(4) Make available to you one copy of our operations manual, which contains mandatory and suggested specifications, standards, and procedures. (Franchise Agreement § 6.1). The manual is confidential and remains our property. You will receive digital access to the manual when you begin the initial training program. We have the right to modify the manual from time to time, but the modification cannot alter your status and rights under the franchise agreement. (Franchise Agreement § 9.3). The total number of pages in the operations manual is 266 (including 84 pages for operations, 81 pages for administration, and 98 pages for marketing and sales). The table of contents of the manual is attached to this disclosure document as Exhibit L.
(5) Provide you with electronic access to the forms you will use to report your sales, order supplies, and otherwise communicate with us. (Franchise Agreement § 6.2).
(6) Provide an initial training program for you and your manager. (Franchise Agreement § 6.1).
During the operation of the franchised business, we will:
- (1) Provide you with assistance via telephone, email, office visits, and Web-based programs to the extent we deem necessary. (Franchise Agreement § 6.1).
- (2) Provide you with such other materials, information and assistance as we may deem necessary. (Franchise Agreement § 6.1).
A "buyer's premium" is a fee paid by winning bidders for items won on our online auction website, www.CTBids.com. The buyer's premium defrays our costs in providing, operating, and maintaining CTBids.com and the franchisee's costs in conducting the auction, but there are no specific restrictions on its use. It is calculated as a percentage of the winning bid. For example, if an auction is won for $50 and the buyer's premium is 18%, the winning bidder will pay a buyer's premium of $9 (that is, 18% of $50). From the buyer's premium, (a) we will receive an amount equal to 3% of the winning bid ($1.50 in the above example) during a franchisee's first two years of operation and the franchisee will receive the balance of the buyer's premium ($7.50 in the above example); (b) we will receive 4% of the winning bid during the third year of operation and the franchisee will receive the balance; (c) we will receive 5% of the winning bid during the fourth year of operation and the franchisee will receive the balance; and (d) we will receive 6% of the winning bid during the sixth through tenth years of operation and the franchisee will receive the balance. Note: this is an example only and is not to be construed as a projection or estimate of actual or potential earnings, sales or receipts. We have the right, in our sole discretion, to establish a maximum and minimum buyer's premium.
Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND TRAINING (FDD pages 22–29)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Caring Transitions Franchise Disclosure Document, Caring Transitions will provide franchisees with written specifications and a list of suppliers for all equipment, products, services, and supplies necessary to operate the franchise. These specifications are also found in the operations manual, which contains both mandatory and suggested guidelines. The operations manual is accessible digitally once the initial training program begins and contains 266 pages, including sections for operations, administration, and marketing and sales.
Caring Transitions requires franchisees to have a telephone line for incoming calls that are answered by a live person or routed to an approved central call center. The franchisee must use the central call center number in advertising and business cards. Calls are then re-routed to a local telephone line maintained by the franchisee, which is used for outgoing calls.
Franchisees must also obtain computer hardware and software that comply with Caring Transitions' specifications, including hardware components, telephone lines, modems, printers, and other accessories. A high-speed internet connection is required. Caring Transitions also recommends specific mobile device performance standards, such as the latest iOS operating system, 4 GB RAM, and 64GB storage. Franchisees are contractually required to upgrade their computer systems if Caring Transitions requires it. While Caring Transitions will provide the names of potential vendors, they are not obligated to assist in obtaining the computer system. The use of certain data management reporting software is also required, costing $600 for the first year, which is included in the initial costs outlined in Item 7.