“I always like helping people and making a difference to their lives,” says Said Azizi. So when he came across Right at Home while searching for a new business, it was instant attraction.

Right at Home’s mission statement is ‘to improve the quality of life for those we serve’ and it resonated instantly with Said.

“I genuinely feel I’m called to this. The first time I saw the values and mission statement I knew I wanted to be part of this team,” he says.

Said and his wife Clarissa bought their business nearly three years ago after researching new opportunities.

“My background is in business management. My family owned a small trucking business but it wasn’t satisfying my calling. I wanted to give back to the community,” says Said.

When all the partners agreed it was time to move on, they sold the business and Said started to think about his next step.

Benefits of a franchise in a highly-regulated arena

“Clarissa works in healthcare, so we looked at that and realised very quickly it requires a big investment. Then we spotted opportunities in home care but found it’s quite tricky to navigate. It also takes time to get approval to be an aged care provider and we had no idea how to start the process.”

The obvious solution was to turn to a franchise, to utilise existing systems and procedures, and harness the franchisor’s experience and maximise support.

“Once we started looking in this area, Right at Home stood out. It is significantly different from competitors, from the culture to the transparency of communications,” he says.

Said and Clarissa were convinced the brand was right for them.

They liked the flexible approach to helping clients; as well as being a home care package approved provider, the couple could choose to service NDIS participants too. 

It was once the pair immersed themselves in the business that they really appreciated the level of support available from the home office. 

“We knew there were a lot of government regulations but didn’t realise how much till we started. The longer I am in the business, the more thankful I am to be part of Right at Home; the administration can get complex so quickly. 

“Government legislation is constantly changing so imagine trying to keep up with that, running a business, managing sales, staff and finances, and ensuring all processes are in place and correct.

Right at Home’s blueprint for success

“Right at Home takes a massive burden off my shoulders, working behind the scenes to assist me and point out where and how I need to be compliant. It really gives me peace of mind that this is taken care of professionally.”

Said says Right at Home provides a step-by-step blueprint of how to run the business and maintain compliance. It also has an easily accessible online library resource of relevant documentation.

He applauds the level of support that’s on hand, including the RightStart program.

“Whatever help we need, the Right at Home home office is there to support us. They take our challenges seriously and work out where the gaps are in our business.

“Home office supports us and gives us feedback on how to get ahead. We have tips and training techniques on how to boost skills, marketing provides guidance and collaborates on our ideas – there is constant support.

“We get a lot of referrals, we market to the different communities in our multi-cultural area and we are out and about in the neighbourhood.

“This is a small, local business with the back-up of a bigger organisation. Clarissa and I feel they genuinely care about the business and want us to be profitable.”

Clarissa, an occupational therapist, works part time in the family business. The couple have a young family of four, with children aged 18 months to nine years old. The support from Right at Home allows them to not just successfully operate the business but to develop and apply growth strategies.

Financial gains, personal growth

“We love this, business” says Said. “We’ve exceeded our business plan, we broke even quite quickly. Every quarter our revenue is going up. But for me, the business is about more than the financials; for me it’s more the personal growth. 

“I have put myself in situations where three years ago I wouldn’t have dreamed of being, and I am constantly learning. I hadn’t done sales before. Now I love being around people – I’ve come out of my shell and developed as a person, I’ve gained confidence in managing people. 

“Right at Home has also helped me realise I can achieve so much more than I thought possible and we are excited to expand even more.

“Clarissa and I strive to live our mission statement with everything we do. It gets me excited about how I can improve someone’s life today. That’s not just clients, we also want to have an impact on staff. We treat them very well – it’s very important to us,” says Said.

He stresses that all the support provided by Right at Home has set them up to fulfil their mission.

“The support from the home office, and other office owners, was extremely beneficial to someone with no experience.

“What we do to help people in the community brings us great joy, and this is increased when achieving this with a team that’s aligned. Other Right at Home owners speak in the same language. We truly want to make a difference to people’s lives.”

• Find out about Right at Home territories for sale here.