We are here to answer any questions you may have about joining the Success On The Spectrum franchise.
Success On The Spectrum is a national Autism Treatment franchise that started in 2015. SOS has become the fastest growing ABA franchise in the U.S.
An innovative leader in the growing ABA industry, Success On The Spectrum leverages its proprietary technology to provide a low-cost business model that makes it easy to manage and operate.
Success On The Spectrum is a learning center for children with developmental delays. Unlike typical school classrooms, our centers are designed to be sensory friendly. Our child to “teacher” ratio is one-to-one, so our clients make the most progress possible in a short amount of time.
Success On The Spectrum’s ABA program gives specialized instruction to children who are not currently learning like their peers. We teach children HOW to learn, then gradually reduce or eliminate the individualized support.
SUCCESS ON THE SPECTRUM OFFERS SEVERAL TREATMENT SERVICES:
ABA Therapy: specialized instruction that helps children acquire new skills and reduce problem behavior.
Speech Therapy: helps improve verbal, nonverbal, and social communication.
Occupational Therapy: helps children to become more independent and participate in a wide range of activities.
Social Skills Group Classes: promotes growth in social connections and friendship skills.
SOS Franchising will train franchisees how to operate a SOS Center. The CEOs typically work 30 hours per week and are very involved in daily operations.
SOS CEOs interview and hire staff, do performance reviews, any needed disciplinary action, and payroll. CEOs are also responsible for local marketing and community outreach events.
We are looking for individuals with a passion for helping children with autism. If you have the desire, have business and administrative skills, and are financially qualified, we want to talk with you.
A franchise owner does not need ABA experience, any kind of degree, or license. In fact, our founder had no experience when she opened the first center. The majority of existing franchisees are Autism parents, with no formal degree or training in ABA.
SOS Franchising will train you and your key employees to run a SOS center. We will share all of our knowledge and experience to help you avoid expensive mistakes.
A franchise owner must have leadership skills. A CEO’s job is to empower and encourage their staff to do their best. They will monitor each staff member’s KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and make individual goals for improvement.
A franchise owner must have strong people skills. Newly diagnosed children come with anxious parents. Forming personal bonds and trust with your client’s parents will ensure your business’s success.
A franchise owner must be actively involved. CEOs are not required to work in the center full-time, but statistics show the more present an owner is, the more successful the business becomes. SOS Franchising will not sell a franchise to a “silent” owner.
This is the easy part! The demand for services is so high, that clients will find YOU!
The SOS Training and Support Team will teach you all of our client acquisition strategies. After you sign the Franchise Agreement, we will create a Google Maps Listing, Facebook page, and Webpage for you. We will guide you in placing your location in Autism Treatment Directories online. We will also provide you with pre-made ads, in both picture and video formats.
Success On The Spectrum also engages in community outreach efforts to enhance public knowledge about autism and reduce stigmas associated with the disorder. Each location hosts events and workshops, not just for the clients they serve, but for community at large, dedicated to supporting autism education and creating social opportunities.
Since we start advertising early, you will likely have a waiting list of a few client before you open. Most of our franchisees acquired an average of 2 full-time clients per month (depending on how much they advertised).
A 6,000sqft facility will hold about of 24 full-time clients. If you get a larger space, you can fit more! We do not limit you!
The “tuition” for a child to attend SOS full-time averages $10,000 per month.
When a child is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, their health insurance will pay for ABA Therapy to treat symptoms. Each week, SOS will send an invoice (aka claim) to the insurance for all time spent with a child. The insurance companies usually direct deposit the money into the SOS bank account within 30 days.
If a school has a child that is not successful in a special needs classroom (no medical diagnosis needed), they seek alternative placement. Schools will pay SOS centers cash to provide an environment that is suitable for their style of learning..
The majority of our clients are between the ages of 3 years old – 7 years old. Most children attend full-time (40 hours per week). Our clients stay enrolled in our program for an average or 3-5 years.
The overwhelming majority of clients use their health insurance to pay for services. The SOS Training and Support Team will assist you in acquiring in-network contracts. Each insurance carrier that you become in-network with will individually negotiate reimbursement rates with you. Each region of the country is paid differently based on plan type and availability of services… but we have seen numbers as low as $8,000 per month to as high as $15,000 per month.
Each SOS location is granted a protected territory. You can choose whichever area you like, as long as it doesn’t conflict with an existing territory. You can check our territory map by CLICKING HERE.
SOS Franchising will assist you in choosing a territory that will fit your needs!
The SOS Support and Training Team will teach you all of our staff acquisition strategies. We assist you in posting the job, interviewing candidates, and sending Offer Letters. SOS Franchising also establishes national partnerships with universities to ensure a steady selection of qualified staff are at your disposal.
Before you open, you will need to hire one Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and an Office Manager. Once you and those two employees complete the Initial Training program at our corporate headquarters, you will need to hire one Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) for each client.
The SOS Training and Support Team will teach you all of our staff retention strategies. We will also train you on crisis preparation.
One MAJOR benefit of belonging to a franchise is that you can temporarily contract staff members from sister locations. If your BCBA goes on vacation or on maternity leave, you can “borrow” the BCBA from a nearby SOS Franchisee (and vice versa. We are a family that supports each other).
Simply put, there is no real competition.
Demand for ABA Therapy is super high because there are far more children diagnosed with Autism than there are places that treat them. We encourage you to call the ABA centers near you and ask about their waiting list. You’ll see that there are simply not enough ABA centers out there.
Success On The Spectrum was the first ABA franchise in the country. There are many “Mom-And-Pop” clinics out there, but without support, they make expensive mistakes and struggle hard during economic crises (like COVID). There are also large private equity corporations gobbling up smaller clinics, but usually the administration is out of touch with the daily struggles of a center which results in dwindling quality of care.
The term of our agreement is five years. At the end of the 5 years, you have the option to sell or to renew for another 5 years.
Our Franchise Development Team will help you understand the contract, refer you to our trusted real estate and start-up loan partners, and give you training on how to form a business. We provide the business plan template, financial projections template, site buildout guidance and so much more.
Our Training Team will provide two weeks of hands-on training for you and your key employees at our corporate center in Houston, TX. Once your center opens, we provide on-site grand opening assistance. Plus, we provide ongoing training and access to our confidential operations manual.
Our Marketing Team will give you a main company email account, set up your center’s webpage, and set up your Google Maps listing. They also provide you with advertising strategies and help you establish a social media presence.
Our Quality Assurance Team will do audits to ensure that your employees are following protocols and upholding our high quality standards.
Depending on what part of the country you are in, you will need about $500,000 – this includes initial start up expenses and 6 months of working capital.
Most franchisees obtained a start-up loan through the Small Business Association. SOS is already approved and listed on the SBA registry. SBA loans are partially backed by the government and typically have relatively low interest rates.
Once you sign the Franchise Agreement, we will provide you with a business plan template and financial projection template to submit to your financing institution.