Top Comfort Keepers Multi-Unit Franchisee Brings Passion and Care to Minneapolis

Combining years of experience in business with a lifelong love for community care, Jennifer Bauernfeind is committed to elevating the lives of seniors with her four Comfort Keepers locations.

Jennifer Bauernfeind’s journey toward franchising began with her work in retail and extended to roles within Target corporate headquarters and supplying for companies such as Home Depot and Walgreens. Her pivot to Comfort Keepers six years ago was a natural extension of her love for helping others and her longstanding commitment to supporting her community. Now, after expanding her network to cover four territories, Bauernfeind understands the value of hard work, and with Comfort Keepers, she’s found a way to merge her business expertise with her passion for senior care.

1851 spoke with Bauernfeind to learn more about her story, her path to Comfort Keepers and her plans for the future. 

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Jennifer Bauernfeind: I spent my entire career after college working with big retail. I worked for Target for about eight years and then took over a sales and marketing company from my dad and ran that for a long time, selling consumer products to big retailers like Target, Home Depot and others.

1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Bauernfeind: I’ve always had the entrepreneurial bug, even since I was a little kid. My dad started his own business, and I really wanted to follow in his footsteps. I didn’t enjoy the big retail environment anymore. We were a small company in a big ocean, and I wanted to do something new. I had a lot of ideas, but it was daunting to get funding, and I was doing everything by myself. A friend of mine got into a franchise business in the same industry, and that really piqued my curiosity. I started researching different franchise organizations.

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Bauernfeind: I was reading about the demographic shift with the senior population growing and always in the back of my mind, I knew I wanted to do something that would either involve seniors or children. I looked at several concepts, but when I met with the Comfort Keepers team, they really matched with my values and what I was looking for. The more they told me about the network, I knew it would be somewhere where I would be very supported. I feel incredibly supported; I can call anyone up and brainstorm, and I love that.

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth?

Bauernfeind: Since 2017, it has been a wonderful business. We grew by over 40% last year. We started with two units, and about six months in, one of my franchise neighbors closest to me asked if I was interested in buying her business. I have the support of the Comfort Keepers team. Looking ahead, we want to do the best that we can for the territories we have. I still feel that there is tremendous potential in our market.

1851: What is the one thing about your story you want us to know?

Bauernfeind: I am very involved in the Comfort Keepers network, part of the national brand fund, working with the marketing team. I participate in performance management groups. I’ve learned that what you put into it is what you get out. It’s an incredible network of people with a fabulous mission of helping others, while still running a great business. You have to be half head and half heart - that’s what I love about it.

1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming a franchise owner?

Bauernfeind: Learn as much as you can about the business environment in your market. Learn what the laws and regulations are specific to your industry. Ask a lot of questions and talk with a lot of different owners of all sizes and from all geographic areas. Get involved in the business — you get out what you put in.

About Comfort Keepers®

For 25 years, Comfort Keepers® has been Elevating the Human SpiritSM through its in-home care network for seniors and other adults by empowering them to maintain their independence and realize joy in the everyday moments. Comfort Keepers operates a franchise network that has grown to more than 600 locations in the U.S. and Canada, serving hundreds of thousands of clients since 1998. The company’s nationwide network employs thousands of caregivers, also known as Comfort Keepers®, who deliver joy through interactive caregiving by continually communicating with, involving, and engaging with seniors in everyday tasks and activities. For more information on franchising with Comfort Keepers, please visit https://1851franchise.com/comfort-keepers.