Care Services: Create Your Own Business

If you're considering starting a franchise and have been exploring what the home-based care sector has to offer, you may have already discovered that it is one of the fastest growing sectors in the country. You may also have already formulated questions as to what it's like to work and own a franchise in the industry. Here, we take a look at what you can expect if you decide to become a care services franchisee.

Care at home services

In recent years, there’s emerged a growing demand for home care services. This can be attributed to the fact that people in the UK are generally living longer and that developments in modern medicine allow us to sustain an individual through a debilitating illness better. Rather than receive treatment and care in an institutional setting, people want to do so from the comfort of their own home.

While home care services are often provided because they make the individual in question more comfortable and content, there are also medical benefits to home-based care. For instance, with those suffering from a form of dementia, a sudden and abrupt change in environment can result in a serious worsening of their condition and a decline in their health.

Health care services

Home-based care is provided for many reasons. For many, it's an alternative means of receiving essential health care services without having to visit a hospital or any other medical institution.

An individual may not want to receive care elsewhere because it is not practical to do so (particularly if the care would require regular trips to see a medical professional), because the individual cannot physically leave the home, or because they feel uncomfortable doing so.

Home care health services ensure that individuals don't have to face the additional stress of unfamiliar surroundings and impersonal care provision. Instead, they can enjoy the comfort of their own home and receive care from a carer they know and have built a personal relationship with.

>> Read more:

• Elderly Care Franchises in the UK
• How to Develop a Business Plan for a Health Care Business

Elderly home care services

Alternatively, an individual may require home care services because of their age. The UK population is ageing, and the number of over-65s is increasing at a rapid rate. This means that there are more customers requiring care and a greater demand for home care services.

Much like home health care, home-based services for the elderly ensure that individuals can live comfortably in their home and maintain a relatively independent lifestyle. Care for the elderly and home-based health care overlap in many respects, and it's likely that workers will combine the two services in their role as a home-based care provider.

To perform this role successfully, it's necessary to develop a wide range of skills.

What skills do carers require?

To be a home-based carer, you'll need to be an excellent communicator, patient, and compassionate. Work hours can be long and testing, so a great deal of dedication and drive will also be needed. In some roles, additional training and qualifications will be required, though these can often be acquired in the course of your career.

What skills do franchisees in the care sector require?

While some franchisees in the home care sector do take a more hands-on role, most of the work is management orientated. This means that franchisees will need to develop good organisation, people management, and motivational skills if they're to run their team successfully.

It's also necessary to keep abreast of the latest developments in the care industry, understand basic accounting and finance practices, and be prepared to dedicate the vast majority of your time to ensuring that the business gets off on the right foot.

The franchise system’s role in the care sector

Franchising has played an incredibly important role in the development of the home care sector. The franchising system is designed to facilitate rapid growth and allow a business to replicate a successful business plan in numerous locations across a large geographical area. This has ensured that it’s an effective response to dramatic and sudden increases in demand.

While many home care franchises have been around for a considerable amount of time, the last decade has seen enormous growth in those franchise networks based in the UK. The realisation that a struggling, under-funded public health system is unable to meet the needs of the country's ageing population has allowed home care franchises to step in and provide services instead.

Why are care services an attractive prospect?

Home care franchises are an attractive investment proposition for two main reasons. The first is personal satisfaction and the second is business related. In terms of the former, providing high-quality care services can be extremely personally rewarding. Franchisees know that they're offering a service that changes people's lives and that gives something back to the community.

Regarding the latter, a home care franchise can be financially rewarding, too. With demand only set to increase over the next few decades, those who can get into the industry early and partner with the right franchisor are likely to grow their organisation into a highly profitable business.

The benefits of your own business

There are a considerable number of benefits associated with management roles. For instance, franchisees can typically work remotely and can often be flexible with their schedule. This allows for a better work/life balance and more time to spend with loved ones. It also ensures that the business benefits from lower overheads, as leasing office space or a business premises is not essential.

However, it is important to qualify this with a warning. The first year of franchise ownership traditionally requires franchisees to work long hours and dedicate much of their time and effort to growing the business and securing its future. Only after this period will franchisees benefit from a more relaxed work life and greater flexibility in their schedule. Most franchisees consider this a price worth paying for the security that owning a successful business can provide.