Lightbridge Academy

Early education and childcare
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Franchise 500 2023
2024 Franchise 500 Rank
#210 Ranked #192 last year
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Initial investment
$621K - $5.2M
Units as of 2023
69 Increase 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. 

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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 Information Circle
$40,000
Initial Investment Information Circle
$621,233 - $5,202,500
Net Worth Requirement Information Circle
$1,000,000
Cash Requirement Information Circle
$200,000
Veteran Incentives Information Circle
10% off franchise fee
Royalty Fee Information Circle
7%
Ad Royalty Fee Information Circle
2%
Term of Agreement Information Circle
15 years
Is franchise term renewable? Yes
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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? Information Circle
No
Can this franchise be run part time? Information Circle
No
# of employees required to run 32
Are exclusive territories available? Information Circle
Yes
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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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Disclaimer
The information on this page is not intended as an endorsement or recommendation of any particular franchise or business opportunity by Entrepreneur Media. Our listings and rankings are solely research tools you can use to compare opportunities. Entrepreneur stresses that you should always conduct your own independent investigation before investing in a franchise or business opportunity. That should include reviewing the company's legal documents, consulting with an attorney and an accountant, and talking to former and current franchisees/licensees/dealers.
Updated: December 12th, 2022