Assisted living centers play a vital role in caring for the elderly and the disabled. These facilities house senior citizens and others in need of help due to mental or physical problems. Assisted living facilities provide a communal environment for patients to live in and enjoy. In many instances, such patients are unable to take care of themselves at home so they choose to live in an assisted living facility where they can obtain assistance from professional caregivers around the clock.
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Start an assisted living facility by following these 10 steps:
- Plan your Assisted Living Facility
- Form your Assisted Living Facility into a Legal Entity
- Register your Assisted Living Facility for Taxes
- Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
- Set up Accounting for your Assisted Living Facility
- Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Assisted Living Facility
- Get Assisted Living Facility Insurance
- Define your Assisted Living Facility Brand
- Create your Assisted Living Facility Website
- Set up your Business Phone System
We have put together this simple guide to starting your assisted living facility. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.
Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.
STEP 1: Plan your business
A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:
- What will you name your business?
- What are the startup and ongoing costs?
- Who is your target market?
- How much can you charge customers?
Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.
What will you name your business?
Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Assisted Living Facility Name Generator
If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.
When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:
- Your state’s business records
- Federal and state trademark records
- Social media platforms
- Web domain availability
It’s very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.
What are the costs involved in opening an assisted living facility?
The facility must be constructed. Though some facilities can be rented, the majority are either purchased or built by the entrepreneur. Additional costs include employee wages, utilities, internet, nurse call buttons, security cameras, computer hardware, food and drink for patients, bedding, and medical equipment. You might also decide it is prudent to purchase software designed to ameliorate the challenges of assisted living facility businesses.
What are the ongoing expenses for an assisted living facility?
Ongoing expenses include overhead costs like employee wages, utilities, high-speed Internet, insurance, medical supplies, and rent/payments toward debt owed on the property. A state-licensed assisted living facility manager will likely command a salary between $35,000 and $75,000 or more. If you do not want to handle advertising efforts, a marketing director will be necessary. Expect to pay such a professional between $40,000 and $70,000 per year. Nursing staff will likely demand a salary in the range of $30,000 to $50,000. Administrative staff will cost between $10 and $15 per hour. Kitchen/food prep staff will cost between $10 and $12 per hour. The cost of food and beverages hinges on quality. Expect to spend several thousand dollars per month on sustenance for your residents. The cost of utilities depends on the size of the facility. In general, utilities cost a couple hundred dollars per month. Medical supplies and bedding must be replenished/replaced as time progresses. Plan to spend at least $500-$1,000 per month for these supplies and adjust your budget accordingly as you get a better gauge of your clientele’s needs and demands.
Who is the target market?
Most assisted living facilities house as many in need as they can reasonably accommodate. However, younger patients can be ideal, as younger patients are more likely to remain in the facility for years to come. The passing of a patient can be extremely difficult emotionally, and an extended stay in the facility is a consistent source of income.
How does an assisted living facility make money?
Assisted living facilities make money by charging residents a fee for staying in the facility. This cost is applied on a per-month or per-year basis.
How much can you charge customers?
In general, assisted living facilities can charge between $2,000 and $4,000 per resident per month. However, the exact cost depends on the location and the quality of the facility.
How much profit can an assisted living facility make?
Profit level depends on the size of the facility as well as its amenities. If you have a large facility with top-notch amenities and maintain full capacity, profits have the potential to reach the six-figure mark or higher. If you build a true brand and open additional assisted living facilities at new locations, it is possible to make millions of dollars in profit.
How can you make your business more profitable?
You can boost profitability by offering auxiliary services on-site. It is possible to charge residents additional fees for optional niceties like cable TV packages, nuanced dining options, on-site entertainment events, specialized care, and so on. If your facility reaches full capacity, it might be possible to receive financial kickbacks for referring prospective residents to other facilities with available space.
Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC’s free Small Business Startup Guide – a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!
STEP 2: Form a legal entity
One crucial aspect that cannot be overlooked when starting your assisted living facility is the importance of establishing a solid business foundation. While sole proprietorships and partnerships are the most common entity types for small businesses, they’re a far less stable and advantageous option than LLCs.
This is because unincorporated business structures (i.e., sole proprietorships and partnerships) expose you as an owner to personal liability for your business’s debts and legal actions, while LLCs protect you by keeping your personal assets separate from your business’s liabilities.
In practice, this means that if your assisted living facility were to face a lawsuit or incur any debts, your savings, home, and other personal assets could not be used to cover these costs. On top of this, forming your business as an LLC also helps it to appear more legitimate and trustworthy.
Ready to Turn Your Business Idea Into a Reality?
Tailor Brands is our top recommendation because it guides you through every step of the formation process with hands-on support — from paperwork and compliance to devising a detailed plan to help you achieve your business goals.
Note: If you’re interested in more information before getting started, we recommend having a look at our state-specific How to Start an LLC guide (DIY) or our in-depth Best LLC Services review (for those opting for a professional service).
STEP 3: Register for taxes
You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.
In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It’s really easy and free!
You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website. If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?
There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.
STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card
Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.
When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.
Open a business bank account
Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:
- Separates your personal assets from your company’s assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
- Makes accounting and tax filing easier.
Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.
Get a business credit card
Getting a business credit card helps you:
- Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business’ expenses all in one place.
- Build your company’s credit history, which can be useful to raise money later on.
Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.
STEP 5: Set up business accounting
Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.
Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.
STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses
Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.
State & Local Business Licensing Requirements
Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate an assisted living home. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.
Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses.
Certificate of Occupancy
An assisted living home is usually run out of a large, hotel-like space. Businesses operating out of a physical location typically require a Certificate of Occupancy (CO). A CO confirms that all building codes, zoning laws and government regulations have been met.
- If you plan to lease a space:
- It is generally the landlord’s responsibility to obtain a CO.
- Before leasing, confirm that your landlord has or can obtain a valid CO that is applicable to an assisted living home.
- After a major renovation, a new CO often needs to be issued. If your place of business will be renovated before opening, it is recommended to include language in your lease agreement stating that lease payments will not commence until a valid CO is issued.
- If you plan to purchase or build a space:
- You will be responsible for obtaining a valid CO from a local government authority.
- Review all building codes and zoning requirements for you business’ location to ensure your assisted living home will be in compliance and able to obtain a CO.
STEP 7: Get business insurance
Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.
There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.
Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers’ Compensation Coverage.
Find out what types of insurance your Assisted Living Facility needs and how much it will cost you by reading our guide Business Insurance for Assisted Living Facility.
STEP 8: Define your brand
Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.
If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator. Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.
How to promote & market an assisted living facility
The best way to build this business is to please current residents. They will spread the word to fellow seniors and disabled individuals. It also helps to market the assisted living facility in local newspapers, magazines, radio spots, and TV ads. Get the facility’s name in the spotlight and customers will seek out more information. A strong web presence will also help. Though many seniors do not use the internet at a high frequency, their family members likely do. Bolster your website’s search engine optimization (SEO) and it will be that much easier for prospective customers and their family members to find your business on the first page or two of search engine results.
How to keep customers coming back
One of the best ways to attract customers is to offer a competitive price for a room at the facility. Match or beat competitors’ prices and you will enjoy a steady stream of customers. Please your customers and they will inevitably recommend your facility to fellow seniors and disabled individuals who are looking for an assisted living facility. Employ true medical professionals who would not dare abuse or neglect residents and your customer retention rate will be more than acceptable.
STEP 9: Create your business website
After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.
While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.
Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:
- All legitimate businesses have websites – full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
- Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
- Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.
Recommended: Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders.
Other popular website builders are: WordPress, WIX, Weebly, Squarespace, and Shopify.
STEP 10: Set up your business phone system
Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.
There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2024 to find the best phone service for your small business.
Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com
Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it’s fair pricing.
Is this Business Right For You?
This business is ideal for those who are interested in medicine, caregiving, and generally improving the human condition. If you are especially compassionate toward the disabled and elderly, opening and operating an assisted living facility will prove to be quite rewarding.
Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?
Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!
What happens during a typical day at an assisted living facility?
Assisted living facility owners perform a wide range of duties each day. They do everything from ordering medical supplies to ensuring compliance standards are met, interviewing job candidates, and reviewing applications for residency.
What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful assisted living facility?
The entrepreneur should be able to assess the potential of a market. He should have a firm grasp on local demography as well as the medical industry. Furthermore, the entrepreneur should have excellent interpersonal skills. Owning an assisted living facility requires regular interaction with employees, residents, and medical equipment suppliers.
What is the growth potential for an assisted living facility?
The growth potential depends on the quality of the assisted living facility’s condition and level of care. Another critically important factor in terms of growth potential is location. An assisted living facility located in an area with a large population of senior citizens will have considerable growth potential.
Take the Next Step
Find a business mentor
One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.
Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.
Learn from other business owners
Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.
Resources to Help Women in Business
There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:
- Funding
- Events
- Guides
- Support
If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.
What are some insider tips for jump starting an assisted living facility?
A thorough understanding of patient care will ameliorate the challenge of this business. The entrepreneur should key in on hiring savvy medical professionals who genuinely care about patients and their well-being. An assisted living facility with modern accommodations in an area with an abundance of senior citizens will likely succeed. Furthermore, do not delay applying with your state’s health department for the permit required to operate an assisted living facility. It is possible the state will require that your facility be modified before approval is provided. It will also take some time to schedule and perform a safety inspection. A county or city business license will also be necessary. So don’t assume a state license will suffice. The local government will likely require a permit in addition to the state license.
How and when to build a team
It is imperative that you build your team right away. Your assisted living facility will require an office manager, nurses, aides, kitchen staff and a cleaning staff. Each of these positions must be filled when the facility is launched. If you do not want to handle marketing and accounting duties, these roles must be filled by professionals.