After working as a Registered Nurse for 31 years in a range of hospitals, Debbie Hill decided that it was time to take her career, and passion for Making Lives Better, into her own hands. Debbie felt that she needed more autonomy in her role, and knew that starting her own business was the best approach. 

“I wanted to provide the personalised care and treatment people deserve,” Debbie says. 

While Debbie had some previous experience in running other businesses, she didn’t realise the sheer number of moving parts that are involved in running a sustainable home care business. When Debbie realised the scale of time and resources she needed to successfully launch a business from scratch she decided that a franchise model made the most sense.

“As I did my research I saw that Nurse Next Door Home Care Services would help me to work out all the policies, procedures and everything in between so I could successfully launch and focus my efforts on what mattered, my clients,” Debbie says. 

“I could also see how much work they put into their marketing, website, Care Services platform (Nurse Next Door’s 24/7 centralised intakes and scheduling centre) and the launches of other franchise partners who were in a similar situation to me. I have to admit that I love the bold pink colour too! It made me smile every time I saw it.”  

Ongoing support

Debbie felt reassured that Nurse Next Door’s world-class systems and ongoing support would guide her through every step of her journey as a franchise partner. 

“Right from the beginning, my conversations with the Franchising Team and Business Performance Manager taught me everything I needed to know about launching the business,” she says. “I also learned how a knowledge and understanding of financial modelling and key business metrics would enable me to grow and sustain my business over the long term.”

Time to care

One of the biggest challenges Debbie faced in a hospital setting was the pressure of overwhelming demands on her time and the lack of autonomy she had when caring for her patients.  

“I loved my role as a nurse but the stress of working in a hospital can stand in the way of doing what you really want, which is to make a difference in people’s lives,” Debbie says. “In the community setting, I have more time to treat everyone as an individual rather than a number to get through quickly during the day. I also have the opportunity to consider my clients from a more holistic perspective, including their living environment and everyday needs as well as any nursing requirements such as wound care or medication.” 

Help with Finance

A Nurse Next Door franchise today normally requires an initial Franchise Fee of $85,000 and a Start-Up Technology Fee of $10,000, both plus GST.  However, the Frontline to Franchise Program helps nurses to get started in their own franchise business by financing up to 80 per cent of these initial fees.

“At Nurse Next Door we believe that frontline nurses understand the home care business better than just about anyone,” says Matt Fitton, Co-Founder and COO. “They have the passion, the work ethic, first-hand experience and the value alignment to take care of our older Australians and people living with a disability. However, moving from nursing in a hospital setting to starting a business can be difficult so we’re ready to provide all the support they need.”

As nurses have clinical care covered, the training support system is designed to set their business up for success.

“Our Frontline to Franchise program gives nurses more time to build their business before key financial obligations kick in,” Matt says. “The franchise fee is financed over 12 months and they don’t start paying off the Franchise Fee loan until after six months of operation.”

For Debbie, Nurse Next Door Home Care Services was the key to a life she loves.

“My clients are people with goals, dreams and aspirations and, with Nurse Next Door, they can choose how they want to be cared for,” Debbie mentions. “This is what I’m passionate about and this is why I’m so glad to be in the home care space. I can truly give back to the community on the frontline of healthcare.”