- 2024 Franchise 500 Rank
-
#210 Ranked #192 last year
- Initial investment
-
$621K - $5.2M
- Units as of 2023
-
69 46.8% over 3 years
Lightbridge Academy, which was founded in 1997 and began franchising in 2011, is an educational child care center. There are dozens of franchised and company-owned locations throughout the U.S. The brand tries to create genuine, caring relationships with every family member as they ensure the education and well-being of each child.
You may not need experience with children and childcare to run a Lightbridge Academy franchise. The brand generally helps you hire a team equipped to care for the kids. The perfect candidate for a Lightbridge Academy franchisee possesses integrity and shares Lightbridge Academy's core values.
Why You May Want to Start a Lightbridge Academy Franchise
Lightbridge Academy built its philosophy and culture on family values. These values are applied to the children, parents, teachers, and franchisees who are a part of the company. When you join Lightbridge Academy as a franchisee, you will most likely become part of a family who cares, supports, and encourages each other.
If you love the idea of helping educate and mold children, then a Lightbridge Academy franchise might be for you. The brand looks to positively impact the lives of thousands of children and parents daily. They may have the vision to transform the lives of families by treating them as one of their own.
Lightbridge Academy offers many added features to their facilities such as increased health and safety, extended evening hours, nutritious snacks and meal plans, extracurricular activities, and even occasional evening babysitting. With these services, your franchise might be able to ease the stresses of busy, working parents.
What Might Make a Lightbridge Academy Franchise a Good Choice?
To be part of the Lightbridge Academy team, you should make sure you're financially ready for an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. In addition, you should prepare yourself for ongoing fees that will include advertising, royalty, and potential renewal fees. Franchisees will also need to meet the company's set net worth and liquid capital requirements.
To showcase their excellence, Lightbridge Academy has been ranked in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 for multiple years in the past few years. This is based on an evaluation of more than 150 data points in the areas of costs and fees, size and growth, franchisee support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability.
Lightbridge Academy has developed industry-leading programs, including ParentView® internet monitoring and an e-Communication app. The e-Communication app provides a real-time and ongoing connection between the parent and child throughout the day. This exemplary and unique experience typically earns the trust of parents.
How Do You Open a Lightbridge Academy Franchise?
If you are interested in opening a Lightbridge Academy franchise, you may need to submit a franchise request form. A franchise development team member may reach out to you through an introductory call so they can get to know you and see how you align with the brand.
From there, you may receive an initial franchise packet to provide you with information on the brand, the franchise cost, and more. If you are chosen to continue the franchising process, you will usually attend a Lightbridge Academy discovery day in Iselin, New Jersey to meet the franchise development team and current franchisees.
Company Overview
About Lightbridge Academy
| Industry | Children's Businesses |
|---|---|
| Related Categories | Childcare, Tutoring, Miscellaneous Children's Businesses, Children's Education/Enrichment |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Parent Company | Lightbridge Franchise Co. LLC |
| Leadership | Gigi Schweikert Schweikert, CEO |
| Corporate Address |
116 Grand St., 2nd Fl. Iselin, NJ 08830 |
| Social | Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube |
Business Overview
| Franchising Since | 2011 (13 years) |
|---|---|
| # of employees at HQ | 44 |
| Where seeking |
This company is offering new franchises throughout the US. |
| # of Units | 69 (as of 2023) |
|
|
|
Information for Franchisees
Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Lightbridge Academy franchise.
Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees
Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.
|
Initial Franchise Fee
|
$40,000 |
|---|---|
|
Initial Investment
|
$621,233 - $5,202,500 |
|
Net Worth Requirement
|
$1,000,000 |
|
Cash Requirement
|
$200,000 |
|
Veteran Incentives
|
10% off franchise fee |
|
Royalty Fee
|
7% |
|
Ad Royalty Fee
|
2% |
|
Term of Agreement
|
15 years |
| Is franchise term renewable? | Yes |
Financing Options
Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.
| Third Party Financing | Lightbridge Academy has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, payroll |
|---|
Training & Support Offered
Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.
| On-The-Job Training | 90 hours |
|---|---|
| Classroom Training | 87 hours |
| Ongoing Support |
Purchasing Co-ops
Newsletter
Meetings & Conventions
Toll-Free Line
Grand Opening
Online Support
Security & Safety Procedures
Lease Negotiation
Field Operations
Site Selection
Proprietary Software
Franchisee Intranet Platform
|
| Marketing Support |
Co-op Advertising
Ad Templates
National Media
Regional Advertising
Social Media
SEO
Website Development
Email Marketing
Loyalty Program/App
|
Operations
Additional details about running this franchise.
| Is absentee ownership allowed? | No |
|---|---|
|
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit?
|
No |
|
Can this franchise be run part time?
|
No |
| # of employees required to run | 32 |
|
Are exclusive territories available?
|
Yes |
Franchise 500 Ranking History
Compare where Lightbridge Academy landed on this year's Franchise 500 Ranking versus previous years.
Additional Rankings
Curious to know where Lightbridge Academy ranked on other franchise lists? Find out below.
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