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.”

For the fourth consecutive year, ANY LAB TEST NOW®  has earned a spot on Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500® list, one of the world’s most admired business rankings. This year, ANY LAB TEST NOW is ranked #423 on 2019’s distinguished list. Recognized by entrepreneurs and franchisors as a top competitive tool of measurement, the Franchise 500 ranking recognizes ANY LAB TEST NOW for its exceptional performance in areas including financial strength and stability as well as growth rate and brand power.

“We are thrilled to have secured another spot on Entrepreneur magazine’s annual Franchise 500 list,” says Clarissa Bradstock, CEO of ANY LAB TEST NOW. “Our continued recognition is rooted in the quality of our brand and the passion of our hard-working franchisees who provide thousands of standard lab tests to consumers and businesses across the country,” Bradstock adds.

ANY LAB TEST NOW currently has 171 locations nationwide, and the direct access lab testing company is a consistent leader in the retail health care industry. “The ANY LAB TEST NOW business model is a proven winner for entrepreneurs who are seeking a structured system with a solid success rate,” says Terri McCulloch, Vice President of Business Development of ANY LAB TEST NOW. “Our model is attractive to many investors because it requires low start-up costs and offers multiple, diverse sales opportunities, from direct to consumer. to businesses and even government entities.  We have been empowering consumers for years, which is even more important today given healthcare trends and higher out-of-pocket expenses associated with high-deductible insurance.” says McCulloch.

Over its 40-year existence, the Franchise 500 has become both a dominant competitive measure for franchisors and a primary research tool for potential franchisees. ANY LAB TEST NOW’s position on the ranking is a testament to its strength as a franchise opportunity.

Swooshing down the slopes in the winter, zip-lining through the Costa Rican rainforest in the summer or catching air off the back of a boat on a weekend lake getaway, the Toney family packs in as many family adventures as they can. As the owners of six, soon-to-be seven, Any Lab Test Now franchise locations in Austin and Dallas, Texas, Sean and Sarah Toney are reaping the rewards of a successful medical lab testing business that all started with… a blind date.

“We knew ‘of’ each other because we passed each other in the hallways of hospitals and doctors’ offices going after the same accounts,” recalled Sarah of their initial meeting eighteen years ago. “So, I guess it wasn’t completely blind.”

At the time, both Austin-area natives worked in pharmaceutical sales for two competing companies when they were set up on a date by co-workers. It didn’t take long for the competitors to become a couple. Then, eight years and four kids later, to become co-owners and one of the first franchisees at Any Lab Test Now, one of the country’s fastest-growing direct access lab testing companies.

“The main reason we bought a franchise was to create more flexibility and more family time. That was big on my heart,” said Sean, who has enjoyed coaching his three sons’ sports teams for the last 14 years and who grew up with entrepreneurial parents himself.

Sarah echoes that sentiment, “It is one of the best things I could have asked for. It is such a gift to be home with my kids after school instead of constantly traveling. Owning and running our own business is much more satisfying and rewarding to me than anything I ever did in pharma.”

An Insider’s Advantage

However, the Toneys’ background in health care is ultimately what drew them to Any Lab Test Now. With more than 15 years in the health care industry and sales, including countless hours in doctors’ offices and having the same conversations over and over with nurses, they had a unique perspective. Namely, as insiders, they knew the health care system was broken.

THEY KNEW… people were waiting for hours on end to see doctors and to get an order for a lab test.

THEY KNEW… people were paying outrageous amounts for lab tests and often, never even got to see the results.

THEY KNEW… people weren’t getting their lab tests done because of the high cost.

THEY KNEW… patients were tangled up in a bureaucracy and had no control over their health.

“There was a gap in the system and patients were falling through that gap. When it becomes all about profit, there are problems. At Any Lab Test Now, we saw solutions,” said Sarah.

Sean made a trip to the company headquarters in Atlanta for “Discovery Day” to learn more about what was involved in becoming a franchisee. He discovered a business model which included a small retail footprint, low overhead, a small employee base, and turnkey support from the home office. Maybe most appealing to them, it was an emerging business opportunity in the health care field. It took insurance out of the equation, in favor of up-front payment, and helped patients take back control of their health.

Sean came home to Sarah and declared, “We’re going to open this business. It’s a great concept. I love it!”

Making It Happen

Although they felt in their gut it was a great opportunity, they did their due diligence and sought feedback from friends in the health care field. Doctors, nurses, and office managers all gave them great encouragement, “Yes, it’s a need. Go for it!”

“We knew it was going to disrupt the industry,” explained Sarah. “And that was a good thing because it was going to help patients and make the system better.”

They pulled the trigger and bought the rights for the Austin market — three stores in three years.

“We drained our life savings, that was the scariest part. But we were confident because we were familiar with the industry. We loved pioneering this idea,” said Sarah.

Initially, Sean and Sarah both kept their careers. By the second year, Sarah left pharma to dedicate her full attention to the business and by the third year, Sean followed suit.

“We saw the success grow the more we were there as owners. After seeing success the first two years, I wasn’t as scared. I knew we could grow to new markets,” said Sarah.

A fourth store in Austin and two (soon-to-be-three) more in Dallas followed.

High Growth Vision

One way Any Lab Test Now offers built-in high growth opportunities is with its diversity of services. While health care lab tests represent about 65 percent of those offered, there are also drug screenings for employers and DNA testing for the courts, which makes the business a bit recession-proof. The Toneys relied on that and added their personal vision for continued growth.

“Early on, we realized we were spending too much time on things that were hindering our growth. We knew if we wanted to be growth-oriented, we had to offer growth opportunities, so key employees would stay with our company. Today we employ a team of 18 people and more than half have been with us for more than five years,” boasted Sarah.

By offering full benefits and paying slightly above the industry standard, the Toneys have assembled a team of experienced and qualified people to run their locations day-to-day. Sean focuses on operations, IT, and the financials for the group. Sarah brings her health care knowledge to sales, marketing, and human resources.

“It was an easy transition for me because we still get to see our doctor friends and interact with them on a daily basis. They are a huge part of our revenue and referrals; and important for our growth,” said Sarah.

From their days in pharma, Sarah and Sean always knew health care was a good fit for them. Their passion for the patient experience has never wavered. Today, instead of calling on doctors and nurses to sell drugs, Sarah calls on them to sell a service. A service that makes their and their patients’ lives easier; a service that offers the Toneys’ financial success, flexibility and personal fulfillment.

Request more information on this lab testing franchise.

Janice Blasinsky is not one to sit around and wait for things to happen. Not in health. Not in business. Not in life. If you caught a glimpse of the 59-year-old Title Boxing at 5:30 a.m. with her daughter/ business partner, you would start to get an idea of her zeal for taking action and making things happen.

Sitting in a doctor’s office in Cleveland, Ohio, back in 2008, Blasinsky recalls asking her doctor for a simple A1c sugar test. She has a family history of diabetes and while she wasn’t experiencing symptoms she wanted to check it out. Her doctor refused to order the lab test, stating her insurance wouldn’t pay for it. For her, that was a problem.

“I was so annoyed. I really didn’t like the fact I couldn’t make my own decisions about monitoring my health,” recalled Blasinsky.

As it happens, she was looking for new business opportunities around that time to add to her existing business – a medical evaluation and claims company. She remembers thumbing through a business magazine and saw a write up on Any Lab Test Now – a company that provides direct access clinical lab testing to consumers without a doctor’s order or insurance hassles; a company that allows people to take control of their own health.

“When I saw this franchise, I knew it was for me. The more I learned, the more I knew this would be a great fit for me and my daughter. With the way health care was moving, we loved the idea that anybody could walk in at any time and get a lab test of THEIR choice,” said Blasinsky.

Any Lab Test Now’s ranking by Inc 5000 as one of the nation’s fastest growing franchises, coupled with its low overhead, small retail footprint, and affordable initial investment sealed the deal. By 2009, Blasinsky and her daughter Angela Yaniga had signed on the dotted line to become an Any Lab Test Now franchisee. Yaniga began working for her mother when she was just 15 years old, transcribing and dictating doctor’s orders, and they have been a team ever since. Now they are business partners.

Our Happy Place

While Blasinsky works in the back office and takes care of accounting, Yaniga is out front handling sales and operations. Some mothers and daughters would have trouble working so closely but this duo has been in business together for 24 years now and have worked out all the kinks.

“When she was younger, I would sometimes have to say, ‘I’m not your mother today, we are co-workers.’ Now I look forward to coming in and seeing my daughter. We have a level of respect and trust with each other,” explained Blasinsky.

“It’s fantastic to sit next to your mother and work. We are very close, best friends. But it takes time,” adds Yaniga.

Both women agree that buying an Any Lab Test Now franchise has brought unexpected blessings to their lives. While they set out to provide lab testing choices with a high level of customer service in an inviting facility, they were pleasantly surprised by how grateful their clients were for their services.

There was the long-suffering patient who came in to get a lab test for Lyme’s disease after her doctor repeatedly refused to order it. She got a positive test result which she took back to her doctor to finally receive a diagnosis, treatment, and relief. She was ecstatic to get a good quality of life back!

“I get hugged daily. There is so much gratitude here. It’s our happy place,” shared Blasinsky. Every day we get an opportunity to help people change their lives and make a difference in our community.”

Sadly, Ohio, especially their community, is in the grip of not only an opioid epidemic, but it is also a hotbed for methamphetamine labs. Hundreds of children in the Cleveland-area suffer from the effects of methamphetamine exposure. Blasinsky and Yaniga’s franchise location works with county agencies and child and family services to offer exposure testing for children that no other lab offers, not even hospitals. They also offer confidential lab testing for parents who have a child who may be in drug trouble. They can get quick results that will help them get their kids on the right track before they end up with irreversible damage, physically, mentally, and legally. It is not over-stating it to say the work Blasinsky and Yaniga do at their Any Lab Test Now location is life-changing and life-saving.

“We offer everyone who walks in the door compassion and we treat them with respect. There is so much good work we are doing here. We give them answers, we save them money. It’s wonderful,” said Yaniga.

A Family Legacy

Nothing binds a family together quite like shared blood, sweat and tears that results in success. Blasinsky and Yaniga have achieved that with their Any Lab Test Now franchise (and their early morning boxing sessions). Their passion for their business and their hard work has been rewarded with personal, professional and financial success. They believe the fast-changing health care landscape will continue to make Any Lab Test Now a high growth business, as health insurance becomes more costly and burdensome, and consumers seek out opportunities to take control of their own health. Yaniga already has an eye to the future and hopes the business can be passed down through the generations and that her children, ages 9 and 6, will one day carry on the legacy of Any Lab Test Now as a community-oriented family business.

Any Lab Test Now Cleveland Ohio Storefront