What makes a successful Home Caring franchisee? We posed that question to Michaela Brown, group chief operating officer at the home care group.

Passion, energy and enthusiasm for people are the standout qualities that will make for a successful Home Caring franchisee, she says.

“The best franchisees are those who want to deliver good quality care, who are highly enthusiastic and motivated, and are passionate about their community.”

This is a franchise that particularly suits nursing professionals who have a solid understanding of client care delivery, says Michaela.

“It is helpful if they have a clinical background. If they come from within the industry, we can teach them how to run the business.”

Home Caring franchisees are aligned to the brand values

Home Caring has refined its recruitment process to ensure candidates are aligned to the values of the business and well-suited to the demands, and opportunities, of the franchise.

The recruitment team considers a potential franchisee’s background experience and motivation before the development manager meets with them.

As the development manager Paul Roberts is responsible for training, he’s keen to hear responses to technical questions that will demonstrate an applicant’s level of expertise. And this helps him consider how to customise their training.

Michaela then interviews if Paul feels they are suitable, and the final interview is with Jon Kontopos, CEO.

As a community care professional, she is well-versed in the fundamentals of good community care; she has been entrenched in community services, day centres, retirement homes and residential aged care facilities throughout her career.

“I ask the less tangible questions!” she says. “I consider how would this person interact with a member of my family; would I want them taking care of my child or my grandparent?”

She says her role is to ask hard questions to gauge how a potential franchisee might approach a funding problem, for instance, and see how empathetic they are to the client’s plight.

A reputation for great community service

“Our service is based on reputation, and this is a much more intimate service than many others. Franchisees are directing the support workers, liaising directly with clients and family members, so everything depends on good relationships. We need franchisees who have, and can convey, confidence in the service we provide.”

Michaela points out that franchisees must be flexible in how they deliver information, to suit the client. It is essential when working with referral partners like hospitals to use clinical terms. However in conversations with family members, it’s important to eliminate jargon and technical language.

“For our franchisees, responding appropriately to the various needs of our stakeholders is crucial,” she says.

Good communication skills also enable them to easily connect with other franchisees in the group who may have similar experiences and that can help their business growth.

A franchisee’s ambition for their own business really fits in with the passion and motivation Home Caring seeks.

The key quality that leads to Home Caring franchisee success

“Our key success measure at Home Caring is the passion. I think at every point with our business a franchisee can see that, and the results we achieve. If we are passionate about client care and outcomes, profit flows.

“We are very ethical. As a private provider we maintain our values and our standards.”

Home Caring is a very open environment, with a team keen to hear how to improve systems. The group holds regular franchisee meetings which are safe spaces for franchisees to share ideas and feedback.

“That’s one reason people choose the brand, the transparency,” says Michaela.

Another distinctive element of the Home Caring franchise package is the joint venture structure. In this arrangement, the franchisor partners on an equal basis with the franchisee.

Home Caring seeks motivated franchise partners

The group already has 74 franchisees enjoying the benefits of the joint venture model. The goal is to reach at least 100 franchisees within the next year, perhaps even 150 franchisees.

“We’re always looking for motivated people who want to succeed in business as well as achieve excellent client outcomes,” says Michaela.

“The joint venture opens doors for more people. It provides a level of protection because franchisees get a salary, and both parties are equally invested. This lower investment format enables professional registered nurses wanting to move on from shift work to find freedom in their own Home Caring business.”