Miracle-Ear vs American Family Care Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Miracle-Ear vs American Family Care including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Miracle-Ear Franchise
American Family Care Franchise
Investment $119,000 - $352,500$114,500 - $1,441,500
Franchise Fee $30,000$60,000
Royalty Fee $48.80/aid6%
Advertising Fee $75/aid1%
Year Founded 19481982
Year Franchised 19831985
Term Of Agreement 5 years-
Term Of Agreement 5 years-
Renewal Fee $2K-10K-


Business Experience Requirements

 
Miracle-Ear Franchise
American Family Care Franchise
Experience
  • General business experience
  • Marketing skills
  • *A motivated, self-starter *Totally focused and 100% committed to the business *A people person *Communicative – they reach out and ask for advice *Understands and executes marketing *Follows the system *Supportive of other franchisees – team player *Passion for helping others *Have family and friends that support their business

    Financing Options

     
    Miracle-Ear Franchise
    American Family Care Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/No-/-
    Start-up Costs No/No-/Yes
    Equipment No/No-/Yes
    Inventory No/No-/Yes
    Receivables No/No-/-
    Payroll No/No-/-

    Training & Support

     
    Miracle-Ear Franchise
    American Family Care Franchise
    Training Ongoing training as neededAmerican Family Care will provide a multi-day detailed training session prior to the time of your opening plus on-site assistance as you initiate operations. There is no additional charge for this training service but you must pay any travel and living expenses while attending the training at our offices. On-The-Job Training: 86 hours Classroom Training: 24 hours Additional Training: At master locations
    Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperativesWe will continue to provide ongoing support services to you by phone, email, and periodic on-site visits to your location. We will also provide you with access to our online support website. Plus, we regularly update our operations manual with new procedures and other information designed to improve operations for all franchisees. There is support and training available for your operations, medical, marketing and other personnel. Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Franchisee Intranet Platform
    Marketing Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, National media, Regional advertisingCo-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Social media Loyalty program/app
    Operations 80% of all franchisees own more than one unit

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 3

    Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed.

    Absentee Ownership Allowed Number of Employees Required to Run: 8

    Expansion Plans

     
    Miracle-Ear Franchise
    American Family Care Franchise
    US Expansion YesYes
    Canada Expansion No-
    International Expansion No-

    Company Overviews

    About Miracle-Ear

    Kenneth Dahlberg started Dahlberg Electronics in 1948 and began manufacturing the first Miracle-Ear hearing aids. Today, Miracle-Ear is a subsidiary of Italian hearing aid distributor Amplifon, with U.S. headquarters in Plymouth, Minnesota. Miracle-Ear's retail locations offer free hearing tests and consultations and offer service, warranty and after-care packages with their hearing aids.

    Ken Dahlberg, a World War II aviator turned electronic inventor, created the pillow radio for hospital patients' private listening. Ken's employer rejected the idea, and this inspired the founding of Dahlberg, Inc., which became the foundation of Miracle-Ear. A few short years later, we were the first to offer an in-the-ear hearing aid. Since then, Miracle-Ear has continued to introduce innovative technology to remove the barriers of hearing loss. We've taken the size of hearing aids down to models that fit entirely in the ear canal. We've made technological improvements that allow us to customize a hearing solution to your individual hearing loss profile. And we've developed customer service practices to help ensure that you are completely satisfied with the products and support you receive from your Miracle-Ear representatives nationwide.

    The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Miracle-Ear® franchise is from $119,000 to $352,500. This includes from $35,000 to $45,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or an affiliate for an exclusive territory of up to 250,000 persons. This amount may be higher if the size (population) of your exclusive territory is larger.
    Veteran Incentives 
    10% off franchise fee

    "Entrepreneur

    #98 in Franchise 500 for 2020.
    #84 in Franchise 500 for 2021.




    About American Family Care

    ""

    The first American Family Care Clinic (AFC) was opened in 1982 by D. Bruce Irwin, M.D. Since then, our model of “putting the patient first” and providing an alternative, non-emergency room option for urgent care has made us an industry leader and a patient favorite at our clinics throughout the country. All AFC centers provide access to primary care, urgent care, minor emergency treatment, and occupational medicine.The demand for comprehensive and convenient health care services increases every year.
    People want and need access to health care on their terms - without endless waiting in hospital emergency rooms or staggering bills.
    Healthcare franchises have rapidly become a popular alternative to traditional means of seeking urgent care and primary care medical services. The United States public health care system is increasingly strained by factors such as a rapidly aging population, the rising costs of insurance, and an increasing percentage of the population without adequate health insurance or convenient access to medical care. Private healthcare franchises address these issues by creating an affordable and convenient healthcare option which patients can turn to without an appointment, a long wait, an unaffordable bill, or a lengthy commute.

    The total initial investment necessary to begin operation of a franchised business (in which you are not converting an existing urgent care business), ranges from $1,008,000 - $1,441,500. This includes $190,000 - $210,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or its affiliates.
    If you are converting an existing urgent care facility to be an American Family Care center that you will manage, the total initial investment necessary to begin operation of a franchised business ranges from $114,500 - $480,500. This includes $45,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or affiliate. If you sign an Area Development Agreement to develop a certain number of franchised businesses, you must pay the franchisor a development fee of $60,000 for your first franchise and a non-refundable deposit of $10,000 for each additional franchise to be developed. The number of units for an Area Development Agreement will be negotiated between the parties but will be no less than 2. The initial franchise fee for subsequent franchises under the Area Development Agreement is $45,000.

    Seeking new franchise units throughout the U.S.,  Africa, Asia, Australia/New Zealand, Canada, Central America, Eastern Europe, Middle East, Mexico, Philippines, South America and Western Europe 

    #82 in Franchise 500 for 2021.  Not on Franchise 500 for 2020