A Visit With Richard Barfield, Any Lab Test Now® Franchise Owner of Fort Worth, TX

How it Started Vs. How it’s Going

We’re always curious as to how our franchisees were first introduced to Any Lab Test Now. Richard says…

“Really, my awareness of Any Lab Test Now began back in 2012. James and I were relocating to Texas, where his family was from, and he had taken a job in the Dallas area. I was hired to market a business on behalf of an owner in Houston that had purchased a laboratory. The owner was kind of a serial entrepreneur, and it just so happened that he’d also purchased the rights to an Any Lab Test Now location in the Houston area.

In addition to his laboratory, he had a development schedule where every three to four months he was opening an additional Any Lab Test Now location and I was doing the marketing for both. Basically, promoting the Any Lab Test Now locations became a big part of my duties. And so that sort of whetted my appetite, and I began to see myself doing this. Any Lab Test Now is entrepreneurial, something that I’ve always aspired to, and it’s also a laboratory which, fortunately, I’ve spent my career doing. I had previously made the acquaintance of Cecil Peters, a current owner of three stores in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. As it turns out, he was interested in selling his original store location in North Ft. Worth. And so that’s where the adventure began, and it was perfect timing.”

What’s There to Like About Any Lab Test Now?

What exactly did Richard find appealing about Any Lab Test Now?

“It’s unique, and we get the opportunity to both educate the customer and empower them. They get to learn more about their own health and wellness options, either with us providing the doctor’s order or we accept their physician’s order. It’s rewarding to share how they can order tests and get results on their own, and that the reference laboratories performing our tests are the same trusted labs used by their physicians. We provide them with information, and they can then take it to their doctor for advice if needed. Realistically, I think this is really the future of medicine and healthcare consumerism. I mean, it’s become very clear now, since the pandemic, that this trend is only going to accelerate. Generally speaking, the customers seem very invigorated by it. I’ve had more than a few share how fascinating it is to learn about their options.”

Why Any Lab Test Now is a Solid Franchise Opportunity…

There are thousands of franchise concepts. What makes Any Lab Test Now a desirable choice?

“First, owners don’t need to have a background in healthcare to operate this business model. But I think having a caring, consultative approach is critical. The learning curve can be steep, but you just have to go in with the understanding that customers who come in aren’t initially prepared to order lab tests on their own. The in-store experience, the retail aspect, the consultative orientation, getting all of that right can take some time. The things I love about the business model are the ways we help people with their healthcare choices, educating them on their options, and the business-to-business sales opportunities.”

How Any Lab Test Now Ownership Factors Into a Career

We wanted to know if Richard planned to retire as an Any Lab Test Now owner…

“Some of us out there are getting to that age where, with some jobs, you might suddenly be aged out. That’s the beauty of Any Lab Test Now. If you’re capable of making your location a successful business, you could run this right on into your golden years. I think that there’s always going to be a role for this business model to play. I do think that down the line, the business model might evolve, but ultimately I think the future is bright.”