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Unlocking 900+ Locations for Senior Care Franchising
An interview with J.J. Sorrenti at Best Life Brands
Bryan Shankman
September 23, 2025
Welcome to this week’s edition of The Workbench, a resource-rich weekly newsletter and podcast for home services entrepreneurs.
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This week, I had the pleasure of speaking with JJ Sorrenti, CEO of Best Life Brands—an innovative platform of senior care franchise companies across the U.S. and Canada. JJ has 35 years of franchising experience and oversees a dynamic portfolio spanning in-home care, estate sales, accessibility modifications, and more.
We dove deep into what truly drives value for franchisees, identifying the right business models, leveraging synergy across brands, and why now is such a pivotal moment for senior services.
The 7 Key Takeaways
Below are the most essential insights from my conversation that you can apply to your home services business today.
1. Power of Franchising for Entrepreneurs
For aspiring business owners, joining a franchise system isn’t just about avoiding rookie mistakes—it’s about gaining immediate access to a refined playbook, ongoing support, and the recognition that comes with an established brand. JJ explains how franchise fees are best seen as bundled value rather than as a pure cost.
“You get a brand, sometimes a really powerful brand, an operating system that's been tried and perfected, and ongoing support. Some people see the fees as an expense, but I see it as value that the customer pays for embedded in the price. When you combine the systems, support, and local drive of a franchisee, that opportunity becomes extremely powerful.”
2. Choosing Synergistic Brands
Best Life Brands stands out for intentionally aligning multiple brands that serve seniors at each critical phase of their journey—from in-home care and estate sales to accessibility solutions. JJ reveals how this strategy was built from the ground up to meet market needs and create long-term value through cross-brand referrals.
“It was intentional. If you look across the senior care continuum, there are 20 or 30 more spaces we can get into. Our brands are designed to support people as they go from living at home, to needing specialized care, to possibly moving, to accessing home modifications, and liquidating assets. We want to help people all the way through, and we’re still getting even better at creating those synergies.”
3. Finding the Right Franchisees
Not everyone is the right fit for a sensitive, service-oriented franchise like senior care. JJ describes how his team carefully screens and supports franchisees who are motivated not just by profit, but by mission and the willingness to work within a proven structure.
“You have to go through a bunch of door-closing processes with candidates. Do they want to be in business for themselves? Do they want to be in franchising? Do they want senior care? Then our specific brand. We keep qualifying at every step because not everybody wants to work within a structured system—and you have to love what you do.”
4. Supporting Existing Franchisees and Growing New Ones
Growth isn’t always about relentless expansion; sometimes, it’s about helping owners run their locations more efficiently, or respecting an operator’s personal goals. JJ explains how Best Life Brands balances supporting veteran franchisees, adding new ones, and strategically acquiring new brands.
“You have to be good at helping people achieve their individual goals—sometimes they just want to do more efficiently, not necessarily get bigger. We put more pins on the map so our strong services are available to more people. And we’re always evaluating new brands that could create a full-circle solution for our clients.”
5. Picking the Next Market
Deciding where to grow isn’t just about data. While advanced analytics help, success always comes down to the entrepreneurial drive of local operators. JJ shares the realities of modeling locations and why people play such a key role.
“You try to find the right demographics or psychographics, but one territory can outperform another with the same stats—because of differences between franchisees. We built regression models, but at best, predictability was 55%. Life gets in the way; sometimes, things change for an operator. So, people are the biggest factor even with the best analytics.”
6. AI’s Role in Home Services
With technology transforming every industry, many operators wonder if AI can—or should—replace personal service. JJ, a self-confessed tech geek, sees a place for AI, but only as a tool to complement the human touch that’s critical in senior care.
“It needs to be technology that’s complementary—very personal and human is still the center of what we do. In estate sales, we use tech that can identify what a piece of furniture is really worth across the internet, making our franchisees better at pricing. There’s potential in AI for us, but I don’t think it will replace what we do. It should enhance, not substitute, our service.”
7. Addressing the Labor Challenge
As demand for senior services skyrockets, the labor shortage becomes an acute bottleneck. JJ highlights why finding and retaining caregivers is vital to serving more families—and why it’s currently a key hurdle for growth.
“There’s just so much demand—it’s hard to keep up. The hardest part for us, especially in home care, will be finding caregivers and making sure we have enough people to support the demand that’s coming.”
Looking Ahead
With 900 territories already operating, JJ is focused on three priorities: ensuring veteran operators achieve their goals, recruiting new franchisees, and adding synergistic brands. He also envisions elevating select brands to become official national partners with major industry players.
“We want to make sure those 900 franchisees keep achieving their goals while we look for more brands and expand nationally. If we can become the national estate sales representative for the biggest real estate agencies—nobody else can do what we do in 38 states. There's huge opportunity, and the market’s needs are only increasing.”
Wow! You made it to the end; thanks for sticking with us.
The full interview is available on YouTube below, Spotify here, and Apple Podcasts here.