Franchise Information

Welcome to Great American Scooters

Great American Scooters is a Durable Medical Equipment business that specializes in the sale of power wheelchairs and electric scooters. Great American Scooters provides mobility solutions to those that have difficulty with movement, giving the customer a one-stop location at which they can pick out the unit to best fit their needs. By knowing the products, processes and requirements well we are able to save physicians and customers time by getting the proper paperwork for the unit needed, in turn meeting the customer needs as soon as possible. Great American Scooters is set apart from others by stocking common parts which gives the ability to not only do warranty work, but routine maintenance and installation of accessories in a timely manner. Great American Scooters also offers rental units to make the experience as easy as possible on our customers.

The Original Company, Great American Scooter Company, L.L.C opened for business in May 2001. It opened under the name of Mobility Scooters, owned and operated by Ronald Kevin Elliott and Thomas Joel Clinch. The company's first location stared by humble means consisting of one desk, a laptop computer, a chair, couch, and a couple of power wheelchairs and scooters that comfortably filled up the four-hundred square-foot office. Great American Scooters tried to stock two power chairs and two scooters, and five or ten batteries. By February 2002, it was obvious that Mobility Scooters had outgrown its name, and encompassed more facets and hence was changed to Great American Scooter Company. By May 2002, Great American Scooters Company had also outgrown its small office, and moved to a larger one-thousand square-foot facility. Our customer base had grown and the ordering power increased on both chairs and scooters, and Great American Scooters Company was ordering scooters and chairs by the tens and batteries by the hundred. Great American Scooters Company had also taken on two employees, giving us a total workforce of four. By the second quarter of 2002, Great American Scooters was selling ten to fifteen units a month and had closed out the year grossing over $700,000. The idea of franchising seemed the best way to grow the Company, so Great American Scooters (GAS) was conceived in May 2007.
At Great American Scooters it is our desire to diligently provide mobility solutions that will help each individual who has difficulty with the challenges of movement. Our goal is to satisfy each person with our quintessential products as well as our absolute commitment to service and excellence. With persistent devotion to our customers we are able to see a vision of the future where no person is without mobility.

Q. How much will I need to invest?

A. The estimated cost of a Great American Scooters franchise will be approximately $88,800 to $118,800 and varies upon location.

Q. What does the franchise system include?

A. Owning and operating an assigned Great American Scooters franchise, use of brand name, trademarks, and operational systems. Additionally, you will receive support in these specific areas:

* Specifications for fixtures, furniture, equipment, and improvements.
* Assistance in site selection.
* Corporate training for up to two trainees.
* Ongoing support from the Great American Scooters operations team.
* Assistance is obtaining Medicare and Medicaid enrollment.
* Full list of Great American Scooters approved suppliers for all necessary goods and services.
* Operating manuals, policies, procedures, and business management systems.

Q. How much is the franchise fee for a Great American Scooters franchise?

A. $35,000 for each location.

Q. Does Great American Scooters offer multi-unit development opportunities?

A. Yes. Great American Scooters is actively seeking franchisees who will build multiple store locations over time. To secure the rights to open multiple units in a specific trade area, you must pay an area development fee equal to $20,000 multiplied by the number of stores to be developed. This $20,000 deposit is then credited toward the franchise fee for each store developed. For example, if you purchased the right to develop three units in a specific trade area, you would be required to pay $60,000 ($20,000 x 3) as the deposit on three franchised stores, plus $15,000 as the balance of the franchise fee for the first unit, for a total of $75,000. You would be obligated to pay the balance on each franchise fee, or $15,000, for the second and third store locations when leases for those locations are executed.

Q. How much is the on-going royalty fee?

A. 5% of total gross sales less sales tax.

Q. How much is the advertising and promotional obligation?

A. 3% of total gross sales less sales tax. We allocate this 3% advertising and promotional obligation between contributions to the Great American Scooters system advertising fund and expenditures for local advertising.

Q. How is the site selected for my store?

A. Great American Scooters will provide Real Estate assistance and must approve all Great American Scooters locations. It is the franchisees responsibility to present potential sites for approval to Great American Scooters. Great American Scooters will provide a Site Approval Package to assist each franchisee in this regard.

Q. Is there any experience necessary to own a Great American Scooters franchise?

A. No specific industry experience is required. Great American Scooters actively searches for candidates with strong business and leadership skills.

Q. Do I need to be involved in the day-to-day operation of my franchise?

A. At least one owner or a designated general manager must be involved on a full-time basis and must be responsible for the day-to-day operations and management. At least one owner must assume responsibility for general oversight and management of each store.

Q. How will I know if I have the necessary finances?

A. You must show a net worth in excess of $300,000, with $100,000 available in liquid assets for each proposed store to be developed.

Q. How long is the term of a Great American Scooters franchise agreement?

A. The franchise agreement term is ten (10) years, renewable for another ten (10) years.

Q. I am interested in a Great American Scooters franchise. What do I do next?

A. For more information, and to help us serve you efficiently, please complete our online application and you will be contacted by a Great American Scooters franchise representative.

Disclaimer: Information made available through this web site regarding the Great American Scooters franchise opportunity is for general information only and is not intended to be a franchise offer. Offers are made only after delivery of an effective Franchise Disclosure Document in compliance with applicable federal and state laws. None of the communications made through this web site should be construed as an offer to sell any Great American Scooters franchises in, nor is any such communication directed to the residents of, any jurisdiction requiring registration of the franchise before it is offered and sold in that jurisdiction. No Great American Scooters franchises will be sold to any resident of such jurisdiction until the offering has been exempted from the requirements of, or duly registered in and declared effective by, such jurisdiction and the required Franchise Disclosure Document has been delivered to the prospective franchisee before the sale in compliance with applicable law.

Pre-Disclosure: Assuming you qualify as a Great American Scooters prospective franchisee, we may provide you with a Franchise Disclosure Document in hard copy or electronic format. If the Franchise Disclosure Document is furnished electronically, it will be provided in a Portable Document Format (PDF) file. You must use the Adobe Acrobat program in order to open and view this type of electronic file.