Q&A with Amrit Dhaliwal, CEO, Walfinch

1. Tell me about your background in care.

I always knew I wanted my own business. After graduating I ran a couple of hospitality businesses but wanted to do more to improve lives in my community. I started as a home care franchisee in Oxford, and developed the business from nothing to £1 million turnover in four years.

That showed me how to help franchisees develop their businesses – massively valuable now I am the Chief Executive of Walfinch. We’ve now got over 25 franchisees and aim for 200 across the country.

2. What makes the home care industry a good franchise investment?

Constant demand! About one in five people in the UK is over 65, rising to one in four by 2042. The number of over-85s is expected to reach 3.5 million by 2048. (ONS, 2020) But it’s not just about older people. There’s forecast to be a 29% increase in adults aged 18 to 64 requiring care by 2038 in England alone, compared with 2018. (NAO) There’s also plenty of unmet demand. Hours of unmet care in England reached 1.5 million in late 2021, (Homecare Association) so there’s plenty of opportunity for new franchisees.

3. What sort of people succeed and thrive in the home care industry?

You really do have to care about delivering a high-quality care service, which takes time. It’s no good if you just want to make a quick buck.

You need to combine a commitment to improving lives with the determination to build a business. Your business will grow if you gain a reputation for quality care.

At Walfinch all new franchisees (and carers) have to pass ‘The Mum Test’. We always ask ourselves: “Would I like this person looking after my mum?” If not, it’s a no from us. We also look for people with resilience, energy, community spirit, the ability to motivate a team, flexibility, management experience and respect for carers and clients. You don’t need sector experience – we provide training and support to help you build a successful business.

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4. Why is the home care industry such a rewarding place to work?

You can make a difference to the community and make an income at the same time. Not many businesses offer that. Our franchisees often talk about the thank you messages they receive from care clients and families. Having been a care franchisee, I know it’s great to go to bed happy to have done something to help your local community.

5. We’ve heard about the recruitment challenges in the care sector – how do Walfinch franchisees address these?

Happy carers mean happy clients – and happy carers stay with us, which reduces the need to recruit. We treat employees with respect, listen to their concerns, and help with any problems.

Our franchisees celebrate carers’ achievements, take them for regular meals out, celebrate their birthdays and consult carers regularly. We offer career development by sponsoring extra training.

Walfinch has also introduced a scheme to incentivise carers to become franchisees by reducing the £27,000+VAT initial investment fee by 10% for each year that a carer remains on our team. By year five the investment is just £13,500.

We also reward carers who recruit friends and relatives. We suggest our franchisees use an app called Care Friends that rewards staff who recommend new candidates. We also help franchises plan their recruitment strategies, by, for instance, using our CRM and digital marketing to attract staff – right down to simple things like ensuring ads go out at optimal times to target candidates.

6. Why should potential franchisees consider Walfinch over other home care franchises?

Walfinch is growing and we’re enthusiastic about it! We have the energy of a growing business, so we’re still having new ideas and trying new things – and we welcome people who want to join in.

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