Marcee Locke, Any Lab Test Now Owner, Wichita, KS

Over 300 franchise brands participated in an independent study conducted by Franchise Business Review (FBR) between July 2019 and February 2021. Each franchise brand requested their franchisees fill out an FBR satisfaction survey that asked 33 benchmark questions about their experience and satisfaction regarding critical areas of their franchise systems, including training and support, operations, franchisor/franchisee relations, and financial opportunity. After collecting more than 31,000 franchisee responses, Franchise Business Review (FBR) awarded Any Lab Test Now® as a Top Recession-Proof Business for 2021.

With an honor this high, our corporate team wanted to get a home team insider’s perspective on the real-time value of exactly what recession-proof meant through the eyes of one of our very own Franchisees. Marcee Locke, owner of Any Lab Test Now of Wichita, KS shared her story with us about what it was like to open her franchise location in the middle of the economic downturn of 2020. For Marcee and her husband Nick, their story of success started with a personal need they turned into a local community solution. As they moved through the process of becoming entrepreneurs, they pushed beyond overwhelming fears and instead chose to step into their dream opportunity with the courage and resolve to succeed despite the challenges they faced during the height of the pandemic. As you can imagine their story is inspiring, motivating, and most of all, a tribute to how important it is to support independent businesses that provide health and wellness services to their local communities.

Personal Needs Turned into Community Solutions

At the onset of our conversation, we asked Marcee if she had always wanted to own a business in the healthcare industry and she said:

“My husband and I, Nick, had always wanted to start our own business that we felt was new to Wichita. Then, one day I was looking for some lab testing, and I wasn’t able to find any pricing online, I wasn’t able to go anywhere without a doctor’s order. Even though I had insurance, I had no way of knowing what I was going to pay. And that was really frustrating for me, because I’m a firm believer in pricing transparency.

I just thought, you know, there has to be a better way. I did some research trying to figure out, is there a better way, and, you know, it turns out there is, and it’s called Any Lab Test Now.

I noticed that there weren’t any locations in Kansas, but that there were a lot of locations all across the country. So, I thought, wow, this could really be my opportunity to bring something unique to Wichita. We just fell in love with the concept. It was really easy for us to feel passionate about the idea of bringing affordable, and convenient access to lab testing for all of Wichita.”

Good Old-Fashioned Customer Service Wins Their Hearts

Next, we asked, what made her, and her husband choose Any Lab Test Now® as their business model and she shared:

“Any Lab Test Now jumped to the front immediately with the variety of services that they offer the focus on customer service.

I love good customer service, and it’s so rare these days, that I just felt like I really wanted something where customer service would be a huge competitive advantage for us, because I knew that I could provide that. We also wanted to find something that that would really make a difference to people. Ultimately, that focus on good customer service was really appealing to me because the whole company is all about that customer experience.”

Starting a Business in the Middle of a Recession

As we talked with Marcee, we asked her or her husband had ever felt scared about taking the plunge to open their franchise location and she replied:

“My husband and I had countless conversations and asked ourselves is this crazy? We didn’t want to let the excitement of the concept cloud the reality of the situation that we’re in the middle of the pandemic, but, you know, ultimately, with the scenarios that we ran, we felt confident in the overall demand for these services were for the long-term.

We were willing to take the risk up front. We didn’t want to let something short-term like a pandemic, stop us from moving forward with our dream opportunity.

I remember it was really scary and terrifying in fact. It was the number one thing that almost stopped us to be honest. I’m really happy we had the courage to move forward despite the pandemic, and if I could go back, I would 100% do it again!”

Finding Success with a Healthcare Business Model

Marcee and Nick Locke Grand Opening, Any Lab Test Now, Wichita, KS

Marcee also shared how their location was performing, so it was natural to ask her if she felt confident long-term success was in their future and she responded:

“Our first few months have beat my expectations.

COVID has increased the attention we have for our health and that’s a good thing. People are like, wow, you know, life is short, I need to really take care of this one body that I’ve been given. So, I think we have a new focus on health.

People are so used to dealing with insurance and dealing with having no idea what they’re going to pay for their lab work. So many people are shocked that we provide the doctor’s order, they’re like, wait, so my doctor doesn’t have to send me.

We educate people so they know, we do provide this. You can literally walk through our door and get tested for pretty much anything you want.”

Community-Driven Passion Fills Hearts with Joy

While we were talking with Marcee, we also inquired on what she felt her business value was to her local community and she replied:

“I didn’t have any healthcare background at all and before starting this I worked in corporate America for about 11 years.

Now, my days are filled with people who come in and say, “oh, my goodness, I’m so glad that you guys are open, I have been wanting to get tested for years.”

Some people who don’t have insurance, they haven’t been to the doctor in years, they haven’t been tested for a single thing, not even a standard CDC or CMP.  When I hear them say, “I finally have an affordable option where I can just come in and get some key things checked”, that’s the most rewarding thing for me is to just give people that accessible way of finally getting the lab work that they’ve wanted done forever. That really keeps me going as far as the passion for just helping people.

When people leave, and they say, “wow, that was really fast”, or, “wow, that was such a great experience”, that’s providing a service that people truly value. It doesn’t really get more fulfilling than that!”

Business Thrives When You Wake Up and Love What You Do

As we started to come to the end of our conversation we went out on a limb and asked Marcee, what are the top three things you love about owning an Any Lab Test Now franchise location and she responded:

“Number one, it’s the focus on health. At the end of the day, if somebody has $100, and that’s their total disposable income, if you have an option to go get your hair done, or go buy some clothes, most people are going to pick your health with their limited disposable income that they do have. Health is very important to people.

Number two, I think is accessibility. We do schedule appointments walk-ins are welcome. We also have convenient hours so people can come after work or over their lunch hour and we’re also open on Saturdays. We’re open when people need us.

Number three, we are really focused on the safety and health and well-being of our customers. Just that focus on actually helping and caring about our customers and that huge emphasis on customer experience is what makes it recession-proof.”

Empowering a Community with a Service-Based Business

At the end of our discussion, we asked Marcee to share how she felt about having a business model that is in-service to others and she said:

“One of the trademarked slogans by Any Lab Test Now, is Take Control of Your Health®—that’s exactly what this business allows you to do.

The true service to me is accessible health care for people want to monitor their health. They want other options. They want transparency and price. I think that the ease of accessibility to people who may not have had access to this before is the true service to the community. We make it easy for people because they’re in and out in 10 to 15 minutes. I think our true service is accessible health care.”

A big thank you to Marcee for taking the time out of her busy schedule to share her story and perspective of what it was like to open her franchise location in 2020!

If you’re looking around at what business opportunities are open to you, please reach out to us directly. We’re more than happy to provide you with information and answer questions. Learning about the available opportunities in your local area is the first step in discovering how you can find success with an Any Lab Test Now® franchise business.

When Doug Conquest, along with his wife Paola, arrived in the States from England, the couple was intrigued by the freedom and opportunity that existed in the U.S. medical system. Unlike the nationalized health care system in the U.K., they could see specialists if they wanted and get lab tests done without seeing a doctor first. Still, Doug’s first experience with health care in America wasn’t a good one. He went for a lab test and found himself in a run-down building, where the blood draw was painful, and the $400 bill that arrived later was a total shock.

“It was a terrible experience, and I refused to go back,” Doug said.

Then he discovered Any Lab Test Now — a direct access lab company. He walked into a clean and inviting office, had his blood drawn quickly and painlessly and paid his (reasonably-priced) bill before he left. Doug was so impressed with his experience he went home and started looking through the Any Lab Test Now website. Unsolicited, he sent in a request for more information about the franchise opportunity and immediately got a response; there were locations close to him available.

“It was opportunity-driven,” explains Doug of his road to franchise ownership. Although he had discovered the clinic by chance, the more he learned about the business model of the nation’s fastest-growing medical lab testing franchise, the more drawn he was to own one himself.

The Perfect Franchise Fit

Doug and his wife were looking for a high-growth business opportunity that wouldn’t require them to give up their day jobs as engineers in the Texas oil industry. He manages 65-thousand barrels of oil production a day and works long hours. The Conquests love their jobs but were also interested in building something of their own. They want the best of both worlds and saw owning a franchise as the best way to do that.

“We are busy and were looking for something with a proven track record and support systems in place that make it easier to start and offer a higher probability for success,” said Doug.

The small retail footprint, low start-up costs, minimal staffing and equipment needs, and support from every level of the home office — including marketing and training — make an Any Lab Test Now franchise a great fit for the Conquests’ lifestyle. The transparency and integrity of the business model that Doug had experienced firsthand as a customer cinched the deal.

“That gave us a lot of confidence to move forward,” said Doug. “Of all the franchise models we looked at — and there were quite a few — we didn’t see anything else that would be such a good fit.”

Doug and Paola built their first location, with the support of the home office, in February of 2017, south of Houston in Sugar Land. Then an opportunity to buy a second existing location in the Houston area presented itself four months later, and a third location four months after that. The Conquests are not ones to pass up an opportunity, and the franchise had proven itself to be a good fit. Becoming multi-unit owners was an easy decision.

The Conquests make it a priority to surround themselves with good people. They have hired a general manager, plus medical assistants, to run the day-to-day operations of all three locations and they meet for monthly business meetings to make sure goals and service standards are on track. This team approach allows Doug and Paola to focus on business development and continued growth of the franchise, while keeping their day jobs. Their plan is to ultimately own up to 10 Any Lab Test Now franchise locations.

Improving the American Health Care System

Now that these small-business owners have become accustomed to the access to medical services Americans enjoy, they are doing their part to make sure consumers know they have options when it comes to getting lab tests done, and that their Any Lab Test Now clinics provide the best option. The feedback they get from clients confirms they are offering a best-in-class patient experience for a direct lab testing service (including thousands of clinical, DNA and toxicology tests) that is needed and appreciated.

“I chat with customers and they are so grateful. I was surprised at how good that makes me feel,” Doug admits. “I think we make the American health care system better because we put more control into patients’ hands.”

That feeling of achievement provides an unexpected return on investment — and more opportunity.