For much of history, women were excluded from the business world.
It wasn’t until 1988 that Congress passed the Women’s Business Ownership Act, which promoted the development of female business entrepreneurs. Nearly 3 decades later, between 2014 and 2019 the number of women-owned businesses climbed 21%, more than double that of all businesses.
Since 2017, A Place At Home has proudly been a piece of that growth when they began franchising their in-home senior-focused care business model. Nearly 50% of A Place At Home franchises are either owned or co-owned by entrepreneurs that are women.
“I’m proud to say we have a diverse group of compassionate entrepreneurs out there making an impact and living our ‘We are CARE’ philosophy by being Compassionate, Accountable, Respectful, and Ethical,” said Jerod Evanich, President and Co-Founder.
One of the early adopters of A Place At Home’s business model was Natalie Watts of Little Rock. Natalie had a successful corporate career when she decided it was time for a change.
“I was at a point in my life where I had the opportunity to do something for myself. A consultant helped to narrow down the opportunities to companies that best suited my goals. I chose A Place At Home because their mission and core values aligned with mine personally and professionally. I love being a part of a growing brand. I get the support I need to be successful as well as the opportunity to give feedback or best practices and lessons learned to strengthen not only my business but the brand as a whole.”
All business owners still face obstacles in trying to start and run a business. On top of those obstacles, COVID-19 abruptly changed the landscape of our economy. Small business owners, like Kris Perkins of Omaha/Papillion, were able to look to the franchisor for resources and advice to help them navigate the disruption and persevere.
“We are considered an essential business but we still had to carefully navigate these uncertain waters to keep our team and clients safe. One thing I’m incredibly proud of is that my husband, Rick, and I hosted the first-ever A Place At Home National Caregiver Convention. We went to the founders with the idea and they helped us put it together for all franchisees to give our caregivers valuable training and bring our network of caregivers together virtually,” said Kris.
Through seemingly impossible obstacles, Dina Jenney of Philadelphia West was determined to open her doors and achieve something great despite the hit on the economy.
“I’ve been in management roles for the majority of my career, but I have always wanted to work for myself. It’s so much more meaningful. There is a lack of quality care available, and now more than ever it’s needed. We hope to provide care as if our clients were our own family, not our clients.”
These entrepreneurs of A Place At Home come from a variety of backgrounds, bringing varied experiences to the A Place At Home franchise system. Aside from their differences or what’s happening outside of their control in the world today, they are all focused on doing the right thing and helping those in need.
