FOCUS
Fastest L abs
Niche Franchise
Differentiates Itself from Competition, Success Ensues
By focusing on speed in an industry known for making people wait, one San Antonio-based franchise is making a favorable impression with clients. Started in 2008, Fastest Labs provides drug, alcohol and DNA/paternity testing for clients. “Primarily, we are business to business where we take care of pre-employment, random and post-accident testing for companies,” founder and CEO Dave Claflin said during a recent interview from the company’s headquarters in San Antonio, TX. Although the bulk of their business is for companies, the company also performs tests for private use, as well as court-
Franchising USA
“We award franchises to folks that have the vision and drive for what we do, not just the ability to buy one.” – Dave Claflin. mandated tests. Fastest Labs can conduct tests via urine, saliva, hair and fingernails. Franchising since 2010, Fastest Labs currently has 21 franchises with the majority of those in Texas. But the company also has a presence in New Jersey, Mississippi, Georgia, Ohio, Colorado and Wisconsin and will soon be opening locations in Pennsylvania, Arizona and Indiana. Claflin said there are locations available across the country and Fastest Labs tries to target metropolitan areas that are big enough to support a professional sports team. “Anywhere that has an NFL franchise seems to be good fit for us because they are large metropolitan areas with a lot of well-established companies that need drug testing services,” he explained.
Ideal Candidates Fastest Labs tends to attract people in the 48 - 55 age group who have a sales and customer service background, Claflin said, and who have left corporate America to open a business. Potential franchisees need not have any medical background, he noted, and, in fact, the company actually prefers they have no medical background. As none of the testing that Fastest Labs does is considered to be medical diagnostic testing, that means the company can easily train and certify its franchisees for drug and alcohol testing, plus the DNA/paternity testing. Certification is good for five years and allows franchisees to in turn train any employees they hire. “We give them all the training they need