Randi Beesing grew up in Valdosta, Ga, and moved to Jacksonville in 1990 after graduating. She’s been married to her husband and business partner for 34 years. They have two daughters, two son-in-laws, and a growing crew of grandchildren. Together with her husband, Randi owns three Any Lab Test Now locations in Jacksonville with a fourth on the way. They’re committed to building a legacy with franchising for their children’s (their children’s) future.
We’ve asked Randi some questions about her franchising journey. From weathering Covid to dominating the Jacksonville market, the Beesings are a wealth of insight about how to build a legacy with franchising.
What made you decide to look into purchasing a franchise?
My husband and I both worked in Corporate for our entire careers. While we looked at different business opportunities to leave the corporate world and create a retirement plan, nothing appealed to us. A friend asked for advice as they considered opening an Any Lab Test Now franchise. Since my background is in the lab space. I immediately knew this was a franchise I actually wanted to buy, too. It was a great fit for my diagnostics sales, marketing, and biz dev background. It also perfectly fit my husband’s healthcare operations background. We wanted a business that allowed us to help people find solutions to their healthcare challenges, allowing them to take control of their health. Opening an Any Lab Test Now was a great way for us to be a bigger part of the community, contribute positively to the health of our neighbors, plus provide great customer service. We also loved the idea of hiring a team of people that we could help develop and assist them in reaching their goals.
When researching franchises, what criteria mattered to you most? How did your Any Lab Test Now meet that criteria?
We wanted to find a franchise that offered a solution to healthcare challenges in times of drastic changes in the insurance industry. Our focus was growing a business while developing our team to one day manage — all while generating residual income towards retirement. We wanted to build a legacy with franching for our children to one day take over if they chose to do so.
Financing can be an obstacle and/or intimidating factor for aspiring entrepreneurs. How did you find financing options to purchase your first Any Lab Test Now?
We opted for the ROBs program through a 401K from a former employer. It was a great way to utilize money we had already saved without taking out a loan and making payments. Creating the business as a C-Corp has it’s pros/cons but working with our Benetrends team has allowed us to take the worry out of the investment. They keep us on track and compliant. It was a great decision to use this program to start our business.
During your research, did you use FBR’s website to compare franchise opportunities? What other resources did you use?
Yes, we used FBR’s website along with other franchise business journals. I attended the MUFC conference and was exposed to so many different franchises that I had never considered before attending.
When doing your research, which questions did you ask existing Any Lab Test Now franchisees?
With my experience in the diagnostic space and startups, my real learning curve was about running a business. While I have always had an entrepreneurial mindset, I mostly asked questions about the business side of things like ROI, time to profitability, startup costs, and vendor partnerships. I was interested in where other franchisees found success in marketing their business, their “pearls” and what they would do differently knowing what they know today.
Which questions did you ask the Any Lab Test Now corporate?
Our Discovery Day with Any Lab Test Now was very informative, meeting our Corporate team. We asked questions about marketing support, training and onboarding and what they saw as the biggest challenges and surprises when opening a new location.
What were your biggest challenges when you first started out and how did you overcome them?
Our biggest challenge was time. Things got busy, fast! We had the opportunity to purchase an existing location in Jacksonville 8 months after opening our first store. Since we did not want to miss out, we jumped at the chance. Instead of dipping our toes into our business, we cannonballed into the deep end. Covid started 6 weeks after we finally opened our 2nd store in its new location. With the unknown of the pandemic, we chose to stay open. Our locations offered a safe environment for our customers to get their labs drawn. Eventually, we offered Covid testing to our customers. We focused on “healthy testing” for travelers and people returning to work. We structured a plan to maintain our core business while offering Covid testing and we stuck to the plan, overcoming most of the challenges.
How does Any Lab Test Now support and encourage your success?
The corporate team at Any Lab Test Now continues to develop and improve their departments. They’ve been willing to adjust to the changes in our marketplace. Our marketing team has done an exceptional job of adjusting to the ever-changing healthcare landscape. Our training team has continued to improve the onboarding and training of new franchisees. We now own a second franchise with ARCpoint Labs that will allow us to dual-brand our locations, offering a full service menu to our customers. Our Corporate team has worked tirelessly to put together a strong presence in the market in such a short time.
What are you most proud of and why?
I am most proud of the team that my husband and I have created. We get the most satisfaction out of watching them develop and grow, learning new skills, finding their place in their careers. I am also most proud of the accomplishments and success we have had in the Jacksonville market. I was named the Any Lab Test Now Outstanding Franchisee for 2024. Additionally, the Jacksonville Chamber named me Small Business Leader of the Year, representing the Health Council. I have a real passion for helping others and I feel like the luckiest person in the world to do what we do every day. It really doesn’t feel like work to me because I love what we do and what we offer our community.
What advice would you give to potential franchise owners?
I would tell potential franchise owners to find something you enjoy doing, have a little knowledge about, and something you can find a passion in and go for it. There are so many great business ideas and franchises out there. If you don’t find a franchise in your area of passion or expertise, create one. The sky is the limit when you work hard, stay focused and find your perfect business partner in your life partner.
