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Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Bates Motor Home Rental Network Inc. vs Wheelchair Getaways including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
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Investment | $33,800 - $250,000 | $40,000 - $112,000 |
Franchise Fee | $17,000 - $35,000 | $17,500 |
Royalty Fee | 8% | $550/van/yr. |
Advertising Fee | - | - |
Year Founded | 1973 | 1988 |
Year Franchised | 1995 | 1989 |
Term Of Agreement | 10 years | 10 years |
Term Of Agreement | 10 years | 10 years |
Renewal Fee | $1K | $5K |
Business Experience Requirements |
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Experience | - | |
Financing Options |
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In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party | |
Franchise Fees | Yes/No | No/No |
Start-up Costs | Yes/No | No/No |
Equipment | Yes/No | No/No |
Inventory | Yes/No | No/No |
Receivables | Yes/No | No/No |
Payroll | Yes/No | No/No |
Training & Support |
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Training | - | - |
Support | Newsletter, Meetings, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Purchasing cooperatives | Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Internet, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives |
Marketing | Co-op advertising | Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, National media, Regional advertising |
Operations |
Franchise can be run from home. 0% of all franchisees own more than one unit
Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. |
Franchise can be run from home. 25% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 3 Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators) |
Expansion Plans |
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US Expansion | - | Yes |
Canada Expansion | No | No |
International Expansion | Yes | Yes |
The international presence of the Bates Motor Home Rental Network will continue to be a trendsetter in its appeal to consumers. The access to state-of-the-art vehicles, backed by competent technical support and customer service is the key to capitalize fully on these trends and opportunities.
As large rental companies expand customer awareness through diverse
marketing, all quality rental operators benefit. Demand for commercial
RV rentals will continue to accelerate at a faster rate than the supply
of rental RVs. The reason for this phenomenal growth in demand is due to
the Baby Boom Generation.
In 1921 the Pennsylvania-based Van Artsdalen Express was a successful freight company. By 1972, it had been restructured to operate school buses instead of trucks. While working for the company, J. Edward Van Artsdalen noticed that people using wheelchairs were some of the most poorly served individuals in the transportation market. Motivated by this discovery, Van Artsdalen founded Wheelchair Getaways Inc. in 1988. The company rents wheelchair-accessible vans to individuals and groups. The company began franchising in 1989 and was purchased by J. Stewart and Jean Gatewood in 1994. Wheelchair Getaways is now based in Versailles, Kentucky and owned by Richard Gatewood and Moon Ko.