When Liam Hatch bought a business to fulfil his dream he had no idea how successful he could become. By following the rigorous Right at Home systems and processes Liam has built an impressive multi-site business in the fast-growing home care sector.

It’s a long way from commercial insurance broking, where he was managing corporate accounts and business development.

When Liam looked into the business opportunity, he was delighted to find franchisor Daryl Sahli shared the same values – both for employees, and in caring for those living with complex care needs, dementia, seniors, and adults living with a disability.

Right at Home’s mission statement ‘improving the quality of life for those we serve’ resonated with him. The practicalities of the franchise also appealed.

“I was buying into a heavily-regulated industry and I could see that to build service agreements and establish policies and procedures on my own would take months. That’s the beauty of the franchise, all this is established,” Liam says.

Right at Home systems support franchisee growth

Right at Home is an approved home care package provider, which offers franchisees like Liam plenty of opportunities to deliver first-class care into the community.

Liam purchased Right at Home Sydney Northern Beaches, providing home care for elderly Australians, and hasn’t looked back.

“Having great processes to start with took a lot of stress off me as a new business owner. As we’ve grown we’ve built on top of the processes, within the Right at Home framework. We share a common goal of providing excellent care to clients,” he says.

Strong culture

Liam is proud of the workforce and culture he has built as a Right at Home franchisee and which has contributed to the growth of the business.

Trust is a key facet of the business – both with employees and clients, he says.

“As you grow you are problem solving for other people. You are relying on others to trust you, so you have to make their lives easier.”

Scaling the business

When the neighbouring Sydney Upper North Shore territory became available in mid-2020 Liam didn’t hesitate; purchasing a second area meant he could start to scale the business.

“We were able to use resources from one to help establish the second, and we became an approved NDIS provider as well. That holds us to another standard, which is good for the business.

“Our main focus is on balancing our revenue sources, not being too heavily dependent on one sector.

“Continuously improving our services helps with my growth plan. We’ll put the work in to keep evolving and improving our service for our clients, living up to our mission,” he says.

Employment opportunities

While Liam is keen to grow the business to deliver services for aged clients and those with a disability, his other passion is providing employment opportunities.

“Across my three territories I am employing 200 people. We invest a lot in training; I have an inhouse training officer, we follow industry standards, we find how employees would like to improve,” he says.

Continuous improvement is also a feature for staff, and there’s a loyalty program that encourages them to engage in learning. Positive client feedback is also rewarded, with opportunities to win regular prizes.

Investing in training

Liam took the initiative to invest in training and develop programs for care workers and office staff.

“We provide an incentive, but it is important to reward and recognise employees for hard work and keep them motivated. My staff are eager to upskill and they have a lot of opportunities to develop their career,” he says.

He has helped sponsor care workers’ visas and see plenty of potential attracting a multicultural workforce.

Some caregivers are providing services like cleaning and transport, which don’t require qualifications. Liam gives them the opportunity to upskill.

“Someone can gain a Cert 111 in Aged Care and Disability, or personal care. We do dementia training. And some of our care workers are promoted into office roles – my general manager started as a caregiver,” he reveals.

Customer service, standards and staff

“Customer service is everything. Properly trained staff know how to hold client conversations, clients know the phone will be answered. If you have poor customer service, you have no business.”

Liam’s key to success is hiring people with the right attitude and optimising the Right at Home systems and standards to ensure premium care.

The franchise’s processes and systems have proved crucial as Liam continues to scale.

He acquired a third business with other Right at Home franchise owners, Sydney Sutherland Shire territory, which is some distance from his first two territories.

“We have an operations manager and we spent lots of time on site; there’s a small team, we meet online three times a week and we regularly visit,” he explains. “We have leveraged the current businesses so we can give support to the third office.”

Looking ahead

Liam is preparing for the changes that will come with new support at home programs; he is already thinking about diversifying the service offer.

“We are prepared for industry changes. We’ve bought a van and are taking clients on outings, and are looking at developing other service opportunities. I always look for different marketing opportunities, some of which are sponsoring local events with partners in the industry – it’s all about growing the business.”

Liam admits when he started as a Right at Home franchisee he wondered where all the business growth would come from.

“As a business owner, you dream of growth,” he says. “I am very work oriented however I have a young family now. As my own boss I get to control my time, and I am still expanding my Right at Home business.”

Pictured above at the Right at Home 2023 Conference welcome event: from left, Daryl Sahli MD and founder Right at Home Australia, Liam Hatch and business partner Mahli Pearson.