How to start a care agency business

If you’re looking to start a potentially very profitable franchise, the home care business is a good place to start. Here, we discuss the industry in more detail.

Consider your options

If you’re considering taking your first steps into the home care business, before beginning the process of investing capital, scouting out potential sites or screening employees, you should think about what you would like to achieve and what sort of service you intend to offer. There are many aspects of home care, ranging from occasional visits to live-in care.

Home care professionals carry out a number of duties, from making the odd cup of tea to constant supervision, and help with everyday tasks like getting out of bed and using the bathroom. Carers might find themselves cooking meals, washing up, doing laundry, running errands, and helping clients cope with the effects of mental or physical illness.

Of course, a home care agency can choose to provide occasional or live-in care and specialise in one or all of these services, depending on the time, effort and capital business owners are willing to dedicate to the business.

Why should I start a care agency franchise?

Working in the home care industry is not just personally rewarding, but potentially financially rewarding too. Besides the obvious benefit - being able to help those in need - those that set up their own business or franchise branch should see enormous potential for financial gain.

With advances in medicine and parents choosing to have children later in life, an ageing population means that it is logical to assume that the increasing demand for home care will continue to grow for the foreseeable future. The earning potential will also grow as time goes on. Those that invest in a home care franchise could reap huge rewards as their business flourishes.

While the running of a company that provides care for vulnerable people holds huge responsibility for those in positions of authority, if managed well, a home care franchise can provide good job satisfaction and be extremely lucrative.

>> Read more:

• Home Care Franchises: Start One in the UK in 2019
• Top 5 Home Care Franchises for 2019
• Home help services: What franchise businesses are there?
• Home Helpers: Help Others With Your Own Business
• Care Home Jobs - Do It Yourself with a Franchise
• Home Care Franchises: Franchise Opportunities in the UK

Who are the main competitors in the industry?

According to Leading Home Care, as of last year there are 65 different home care businesses offering franchising opportunities, managing 7,616 branches worldwide. The largest franchise is Home Instead Senior Care, which operates more than 1,000 locations worldwide. Other leading companies include Right At Home and Seniors Helping Seniors, and all three are in the Point Franchise directory.

How can I stand out from the crowd?

With so many successful businesses out there, how can you ensure that yours stays ahead of the game? One of the key elements of a successful care franchise is, of course, the preservation of quality care services, and all franchises that want to keep up with their competitors should be constantly considering their services and how to improve them.

Brand visibility also has a huge impact on the success of a franchise. A good marketing scheme and eye-catching branding can make all the difference when attracting clients. What’s more, home care is an industry based on daily interaction with its clientele. This direct contact provides the opportunity to hone a business with a truly personal touch. Strong relationships between carers and clients often lead to positive recommendations and the generation of more business leads.

If you can make sure that your brand is recognisable and reputable, you are in a good position.

What are the best care agency franchises?

If setting up a business from scratch isn’t for you, we have a variety of different home care franchises that benefit from an established business model. Here are three to take a look at:

Kare Plus

Launched in 1989, this franchise has over 25 years of experience caring for vulnerable people. Providing care services to public and private institutions, including the NHS, a Kare Plus franchise requires an investment of £40,000, plus £40,000 capital. Franchisees will be given a starter pack that gives them access to the company logo, website and marketing materials, as well as guidance in many aspects of the business, including compliance, recruitment and accounts. Kare Plus represents a personally fulfilling franchise opportunity, as it enables investors to manage their franchise around their existing lifestyle, and offers training courses in neighbouring sectors, such as first aid, fire safety and food hygiene.

Promedica24

This franchise specialises in 24-hour home care. Established in Poland in 2002, Promedica24 has supported over 24,000 families to date. £25,000 will give franchisees access to a month-long training programme involving lectures and hands-on training. Previous industry experience is not necessary to succeed, and what’s more, Promedica24’s partnered banks are willing to loan franchisees 50-70 percent of their fee. The franchise has high ambitions, working to become the UK’s leading live-in care provider by balancing genuine service with affordable pricing and competing with the residential care sector.

Seniors Helping Seniors

As one of the world’s leading home care franchises, this franchise provides a personal service and promotes strong relationships between its carers and clients. Seniors Helping Seniors only employs ‘senior’ carers over the age of 50, and works to match carers and clients with similar interests and personalities. The company provides non-medical services including companionship, meal preparation, light housekeeping, transportation and dementia care.

With 20 years of experience and 30 franchises established worldwide, Seniors Helping Seniors offers five days of initial training to franchisees, after they have made an investment of between £66,000 and £108,000. Attendance at an annual convention will keep franchisees updated on business strategies, as well as regular meetings and newsletters. Franchisees who choose to do business with Seniors Helping Seniors will join a successful business with an established and proven business model.

How do I start a home care business?

Starting a business is a challenging and confusing time. There are lots of obstacles you’ll have to face before you can finally cash your first paycheque, so here are our pointers:

1. Work out which care agency services you’d like to provide

Joining the home care agency isn’t just about travelling to customers and helping them out. There are various sub-sections within the care sector, from companionship services to live-in care. Before you go any further, you should work out which type of business you’d like to run. Will you focus on elderly care? Will you specialise in a certain area, such as dementia care? Once you’ve got a good idea of the type of business you’d like to launch, you can start researching opportunities.

2. Research franchise opportunities

There is a wide range of franchises in the home care sector. This means you should have a good amount of choice when it comes to deciding on your favourite one, even if you’ve chosen a fairly niche category or have a limited budget. Comparison websites such as Point Franchise will be able to show you a list of businesses that are currently looking for new franchisees. Use our filters to categorise your options by investment price or popularity, then read more about your favourites, request more information or contact the franchisors.

3. Meet with franchisors

Once you’ve compiled a list of your top two or three care agency franchises, it’s time to get in touch with the franchisors. Meeting with them will be extremely beneficial; not only will they be able to tell you more about the opportunity, but you’ll also be able to test the water and find out whether you’d be able to work well with them. A franchisor may appear lovely on paper, but if your personalities clash when you meet up, you should consider walking away. Being able to trust and work collaboratively with the franchisor is vital in any franchise agreement.

4. Create a business plan

When you’ve made a decision about which franchise you’d like to join, you won’t be able to go much further without crafting a business plan. It’ll be extremely helpful for you to get a sense of how much capital you’ll need to launch your business, when you’ll start turning a profit and whether there are any potential obstacles to business success. By being organised now, you’ll save yourself a significant amount of time and effort in the long run. Often, franchisors help their franchisees write business plans, as they have a good amount of knowledge and experience. They may even be able to provide a useful template.

5. Get funding

Unless you’ve got a lot of saved capital, you’ll need to get funding to launch your home care business. To do this, you’ll need to approach a lender and be prepared to talk them through your business plan. If they believe you have a viable venture, they will be willing to lend you up to 70 percent of the investment cost of your franchise unit.

Then…

Once you have secured your funding and signed the franchise agreement, you’ll be able to start setting up your home care business. Depending on the model you’ve chosen, this may involve hiring staff and investing in branded vehicles and uniforms. Whatever the process is, you’ll get plenty of help and support from your franchisor to ensure you’re on the right track for franchise success.