How to Start a Home Health Agency: 6 Essential Steps

Did you know 10,000 baby boomers a day will turn 65 between now and 2030, according to Senior Service Business? That means by 2030, there will be more than 70 million Americans, or 20% of the population, over 65. So, there is much potential for senior-focused business opportunities like home health care.

Interested in starting a home health agency? View our guide on all the steps required to start a successful one and how medical vs. non-medical home health care businesses differ.

What is a Home Care Agency?

A home care agency provides services in clients’ homes or places of residence, like an independent care facility or assisted living facility. Clients are typically seniors with chronic conditions that can’t do typical house chores or drive to appointments. Families also hire caretakers to ensure their loved ones don’t fall.

Elder Options of Texas lists these as possible services of a home care business:

  • Personal Care: bathing, washing hair, or getting dressed
  • Homemaking: house cleaning, meal prep, yard work, and laundry
  • Healthcare: home health aides, IV infusions, or dressing wounds
  • Medication: reminders, administering, or monitoring refills
  • Transportation: to doctors’ appointments
  • Running errands: grocery shopping or picking up medications
  • Companionship: card playing, taking walks, teaching seniors how to use new technology

If you’re looking at how to start a home health agency, you should know that hours vary. In-home tasks like personal care and homemaking can be daily, while transportation services, like monthly doctor’s or weekly dialysis appointments, are periodic. You could also provide 24-hour care for clients who need constant help and supervision. Unsure which services to provide? Home health care franchises like A Place At Home help you define your services. Our franchise has figured out which ones are in demand and can collect the highest revenue.

Medical vs. Non-Medical Home Health Care

Most of the services mentioned above are considered non-medical health care, but as a home health agency, you can provide medical services. The differences between the two are that non-medical care does not involve medical skills. You most likely don’t need certifications to perform these services, and you don’t have to mess with health insurance. You won’t have to go through intensive specialized education and can get started quicker.

On the reverse side, when looking into how to start a home care business, you can consider medical care like administering injections, dressing wounds, or giving IV infusions. Doctors commonly prescribe this care. Some families hire a company that provides both medical and non-medical services to help take ease the burden of caring for their loved ones.

Is This Business Profitable?

Concerned about the profit potential once you figure out how to start a home health agency? Don’t be. As mentioned above, Americans are aging, giving you a growing client base. Plus, Senior Service Business finds that 80% of seniors plan stay in their homes for as long as possible. That means more seniors and their families are turning to home health care agencies to provide necessary services.

A benefit of home health agencies is that you should have stable cash flow as long as your clients are happy. Senior Service Business says the national average for these services is $27 an hour.

With A Place at Home, we offer a variety of revenue streams to help you build a successful business. In 2021, the average gross profit of our locations that have been open for at least a year was $436,799, with franchisees reporting average sales of more than $1 million, according to our latest franchise disclosure document.

How to Start a Home Health Agency?

Here are six crucial steps to get on your way to owning a home care business:

1. Build a business plan

This will function as your blueprint for building your business. You want it to be clear and comprehensive, as it will be your roadmap to structuring, running, and growing your agency. Here you will decide between medical or non-medical services.

NOW Insurance recommends defining your market to identify your target audience. This distinction will come in handy later when you create marketing strategies to attract clients.

2. Create a budget and find funding

Set up a business bank account and create a budget to follow. While this step might seem difficult at the start because you have no revenue, you must ensure you meet overhead costs like staffing and equipment during that critical first year. Experts recommend that entrepreneurs find a loan, investor, or grant. If you’re buying into a franchise, some have in-house financing options, while others collaborate with a third-party vendor.

3. Register business

The next step in how to start a home care business is creating a business entity – a limited liability company (LLC), corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship. Choosing one will dictate how your company is structured and taxed. You’ll register with the Secretary of State and your local government. Lastly, register for an EIN or federal tax identification number through the IRS.

4. Acquire necessary licenses, certifications, and insurance

Check state and federal departments’ guidelines on what licenses and certifications you need to operate as a home health agency. Timeero, a business management software company, finds that some states require agencies to undergo training for Medicare and Medicaid. Those training courses can be as short as under three months or as long as a year or more.It’s essential to remember that you’re working with vulnerable individuals. No matter how many precautions you take, accidents and unpredictable events happen. Check into professional liability, general liability, and possibly cybersecurity insurance. These will protect you and your employees.

5. Sell and market

ave a sales and marketing plan in place to start lining up clients. This plan should include building an online presence like setting up a Google business profile, getting your agency on prominent elder care websites’ listings, running online ads, and engaging in social media.

6. Create policies and procedures

Policies and procedures include new client onboarding, care plans, appointment scheduling, hiring, employee and payroll records, training, client billing, and client rights and responsibilities. Having these systems in place is beneficial before opening your home care agency.

One significant benefit of a home health business is that you can operate out of your home. Determine how to keep track of employee hours, how to compensate staff for mileage, and what schedules they’ll work, all from your home office. Also, decide who will keep track of billing cycles and other accounting records.

Find Success with A Place At Home

Now that you know how to start a home health agency, why not make it easier on yourself by joining A Place At Home? Our home care franchise comes with multiple opportunities for revenue streams, including care coordination, finding senior living alternatives, and staffing services. Our proven process walks you through the steps above efficiently. You attend 40 hours of in-person, hands-on training. You’ll learn all the ins and outs of our procedures, operations, and marketing. If you’re ready to forge a path in the home care business, submit a franchise form today.

New Franchise Now Serving Seniors in Orlando

New In Home Care Franchise Owner Stephen Sherbin

A Place At Home has awarded a new franchise in Orlando. Stephen Sherbin and Nicky Sherbin are the new owners that will help fulfill A Place At Home’s larger strategy to help seniors age with dignity through personalized care. 

The Population Reference Bureau predicts that by 2060 close to 100 million Americans will be aged 65 and older. Only 3 percent of the elderly prefer nursing homes. The remainder chooses in-home care support. There is, therefore, a corresponding growing demand for quality in-home care services which led A Place At Home to franchise it’s successful model. 

A Place At Home is set to serve over 22 areas in Orlando, Florida, from Bay Hill to Pine Castle and Pine Hills through the stewardship of Stephen Sherbin & Nicky Sherbin. The owners have extensive experience in healthcare. They will be operating from a centrally located office at Hoffner Center, Suite #234. 

“We happily welcome Stephen and Nicky to the A Place At Home family,” said Co-Founder Dustin Distefano. “They bring vast business and care experience that embodies our spirit of CARE. We believe that they are the perfect people to help us grow and serve seniors throughout Orlando.” 

About The Owners

Stephen is the president-elect of the Florida Hearing Society. He has 18 years of executive-level experience in the hearing aid industry. He is also a former member of the Economic Development Council for Brevard County and a former chair of the Palm Bay Chamber of Commerce. 

His business partner, Nicky Sherbin, is a Radiation Oncology Registered Nurse Manager in Winter Park. She has been providing care for those in her community for more than 25 years. Nicky was also a Spring Training nurse for the Washington Nationals, Montreal Expos, and Florida Marlins. She was also the nurse for the LPGA and helped launch the Sports Medicine Institute in Melbourne, Florida. Both she and Stephen are very experienced in handling VIP clients. 

Why A Place At Home Franchise?

The senior care entrepreneurs chose A Place At Home for its new franchise model and inspiring philosophy. “A Place At Home has given us the ability to offer the complete range of services including in-home companion care and in-home private care,” said Stephen. “We have also started a referral service that transitions patients to the right assisted living facilities that can meet their needs.” 

Stephen praised A Place At Home for its nurturing franchisee relations. “The agency employs its care staff in a supporting, responsible, and traditional way. Their comprehensive training program allowed us to hit the ground running.” 

The US Census Bureau confirms that Florida has the highest percentage of seniors, standing at 19%. The weather, the tax system and the vibrant community of elders are the contributing factors. Stephen and Nicky have a great opportunity to make a difference in the quality of elderly care in the state. 

“Having started my nursing career in hospice and home care and working in radiation oncology for the past 14 years, I have personally seen the life-changing results achieved by competent home care professionals,” says Nicky. “We are thrilled for the chance to make an impact in our local community filled with family and friends.” 

Stephen adds, “Success requires passion. Our passion comes from our family that is going through the same challenges as our patients’ families. We understand the strong need to provide high-quality care for those we love. We also understand the feeling of being trapped by having to work but wanting to be a caring son or daughter. Providing solutions to those problems through our new franchise is incredibly rewarding.” 

About A Place At Home

A Place At Home aims to be agile to the dynamics of the aging process through the provision of personalized services tuned to the unique and changing needs of each patient. The service model is dubbed C.A.R.E, which stands for Compassionate, Accountable, Respectful, and Ethical. A Place At Home helps seniors stay at home for longer with support and a degree of independence they desire. When the patients must move to senior care facilities, free placement services are offered. 

Visit www.aplaceathome.com to learn more about the services we offer and www.aplaceathomefranchise.com to learn about franchising opportunities. 

CONTACT: 

Jerod Evanich, MBA Co-Founder and Head of Development
O: 888-502-6310 x 101
F: 402-281-0738
E: jerod.evanich(at)aplaceathome(dot)com

5 Ways to Market Your In-Home Senior Care Services During the Holidays

Marketing During the Holidays

It’s that time of the year again! The shopping spirit is in the air, and small businesses are dreaming of big sales, of willing buyers with open wallets. However, none of that is a guarantee. Strategic marketing is needed to leverage the festivities for improved sales during the Holidays.

Remember, too, that at this time of the year, consumers are crushing under a barrage of marketing messages. If you provide in-home senior care services, your strategy should, therefore, cut through the clutter and reach the right people where they are.

Here are some excellent holiday marketing techniques for home care services:

1. Find a holiday angle to your services

The holiday feeling is about sharing and caring, and that ties in well with the nature of your senior care business. Currently, friends and family gather to share the love, and there is no better time to deliver an infomercial on your top care services.

Create a thoughtful, inspiring, and heartfelt video on the beauty of in-home senior care and how it enhances the quality of life for the elderly and their families. For example, do a video directed at family caregivers that could use a break to be “just family members” this holiday season. You offer to supplement in a few days to a couple of weeks of service and while you assist with ADL’s and medication reminders, they can focus on their family.

Be sure to share this on your social media pages, promote it on YouTube and email to local community reps. Be prepared to answer questions especially if families are bringing loved ones home from long-term care facilities and need extra help. Learn the ‘vacation’ rules for Medicaid and Medicare coverage to provide extra peace of mind.

2. Get your clients involved

The best holiday messaging should tell the story of happiness and overcoming challenges. If you have clients willing to testify for the excellent quality of your care services, ensure to leverage that. Self-proclamation and inflationary claims don’t accomplish as much as user testimonies do.

You can send out these personal client stories through email, publish them as a series of social media posts, on flyer distribution, or online video. Don’t forget to thank your clients, their families, and everyone involved, wishing them happy holidays and include a call to action. For example, they may have family in town for the holidays so offer additional hours of care so they can enjoy their company and not put them to work or worry about things that need to get done.

3. Give away something meaningful

Let your business reflect the giving that embodies this holiday season. Your current and potential clients expect to be treated this time of year. Promotions can help you break through the market even when you are just starting out.

Your holiday promotion this year can be informed of surprise gifts for the families of your existing clients, discounts to past clients or prospects, or a community senior fun event. You can also partner with other non-competitor brands, health services providers, churches, and other organizations in spreading seniors love this holiday season. Just ensure that there is an awareness value for your business in that arrangement.

Holiday gifting helps to:

  • Spread awareness
  • Increase brand love and deepen brand loyalty
  • Increase the number of referrals

4. Add a festive holiday appeal to your website

It’s a new digital age that we are living in. Pew Research reports that 70 % of seniors go online and use digital services. The inventor of the Web, Tim Berners Lee, is himself a baby boomer, and that shows that the elderly don’t live in a faradays cage of sorts. And if the seniors are not that internet savvy, at least their kids and supporters are.

This holiday season your social media pages and website should be extra interactive full of thank you messages and best wishes. Your landing pages should be holiday-themed. Your entire site needs to be current and informative, enjoyable and assuring of the legitimacy and professionalism of your services.

5. Get out, be part of the community and build a dependable referral program

Unlike most other businesses, an in-home senior care business mostly thrives on referrals. You will find that more than half of your quality client introductions come from health service providers. Introductions from community leaders and local organizations can also give you the leap you desire.

Ensure, therefore, to engage with these people often, more so this holiday season, and offer them incentives/gifts as an appreciation for their leads. Remember to also keep in touch with clients and caregivers through postcards or greetings cards this holiday season.

Don’t let your senior care business miss out on the growth potential of the holiday cheer. Follow the above simple marketing during the holiday strategies and watch your business grow.

Considering a Senior Care Franchise?

When you join our group of dynamic business owners, as franchisees of A Place at Home, you’ll have strong support, thorough training and valuable business resources to help you succeed. Contact us to learn more.

A Place At Home Opens its 10th Location

Innovative senior care company continues to expand.

A Place At Home opened its doors in North Texas on Monday, October 14th. It is the tenth APAH location to open its doors nationwide. APAH has launched other franchise locations in Austin, TX, Colorado, Michigan, California, Oregon, Arizona, Arkansas, and Papillion, Nebraska. The corporate headquarters is located in Omaha, Nebraska.

Founders Jerod Evanich and Dustin Distefano opened APAH in 2012. Both men shared a passion for making changes in senior care. They created a continuum of care model to ensure APAH would be a true solution, rather than just another home care agency. This model includes four service lines which are in-home care, care coordination, senior living alternatives, and staffing.

A widely positive response led to exponential growth, ultimately culminating in the decision to open franchising opportunities across the nation. The first new franchise opened its doors in 2017 in South Denver with owners George and Grace Bradley.

This year Evanich and Distefano celebrated their tenth location by launching the First Annual Franchise Convention, where they brought all of their new franchise owners together, giving them an opportunity to socialize and benefit from a number of seminars.

“It’s the first of many milestones for the franchise system,” said Evanich. 

“The growth we’ve seen since 2017, and hosting our first annual franchise convention, is a significant turning point for our brand. We’ve gone nationwide, and are in discussion with a prospect to potentially go international in order to reach more seniors in need of our services,” adds Distefano.

Evanich said they focus on finding the right people to expand their brand. “More and more entrepreneurs are looking for meaningful business opportunities, as well as a quality service model they can stand behind.”

APAH Convention: First of Many Great Things to Come

A Place At Home hosted its First Annual Franchise Convention on September 26-28, 2019 at 1415-The Meeting Space in Omaha, Nebraska. We welcomed a powerful group of franchisees, sponsors and speakers from across the country for three days of engaging events, information and networking.

A Place at Home Franchisees
Welcome reception at Wilson & Washburn before the First Annual Franchise Convention.

The festivities kicked off with a Welcome Reception at Wilson & Washburn, sponsored by INSPRO and Ideal Payroll Service. Franchisees from Colorado, California, Arizona, Oregon, Arkansas, Texas and Nebraska were able to meet for the first time or catch up with old friends from their APAH training week.

During the convention, President of A Place At Home, Jerod Evanich, welcomed everyone and discussed APAH’s roots. He surprised the group with a video message from Paula Howard, one of the original three founders of APAH. She shared that though she’s retired now, she is so proud of the growth APAH has seen under the leadership of Dustin and Jerod and wished everyone success in their own franchises.

The day was filled with thoughtful and engaging speakers from Hurricane Marketing Enterprises, Clear Care, Volpe Consulting & Accounting Services, and Home Care Compliance. The closing presentation was given by CEO of A Place At Home, Dustin Distefano. Dustin shared statistics on where the company is today and what goals we plan to accomplish going into next year.

After the convention, the team gathered at Get Out: Omaha where they split into two teams and had 60 minutes to get out of a live-action escape room. Both teams made it out with time, even just seconds, to spare! Buzzing with victory, everyone gathered at Upstream Brewing Company for the Awards Dinner sponsored by Volpe Consulting & Accounting Services, to celebrate the success over the past year. The following awards were presented:

2019 Rookie of the Year: Honoring A Place at Home South Denver
In recognition of the top-performing franchisee in their first full year with A Place at Home.

2019 Top Performer of the Year: Honoring A Place at Home Scottsdale
In recognition of the franchisee with the top revenue in 2019.

2019 Top Caregiver Satisfaction Retention of the Year: Honoring A Place at Home South Denver
In recognition of the franchisee with the top caregiver satisfaction scores and retention.

2019 Top Client Satisfaction of the Year: Honoring A Place at Home Scottsdale
In recognition of the franchisee with the top client satisfaction scores in Home Care Pulse.

A Place At Home Franchisees
Awards dinner at Upstream Brewing Company after the convention.

2019 Brand Ambassador of the Year: Honoring A Place at Home Scottsdale
In recognition of the franchisee who consistently represents the A Place at Home brand, generating positive social reviews and engagement and fields validation calls.

2019 Innovator of the Year: Honoring A Place at Home South Portland
Recognizing excellence in proven creative strategies to collaborate with partners in order to support the overall A Place at Home™ strategic business objectives.

2019 Founders Cup Award: Honoring A Place at Home South Denver
This highly prestigious award is presented annually to one distinguished franchisee who has made major contributions to A Place at Home™ and plays a significant role in the organization’s success.

Founded in 2012 with a passion to make a change in how seniors are cared for by creating a model that is a continuum of care, and not just another home care agency, hosting the first of many conventions full of franchisees that believe in this mission and vision is a major milestone. APAH developed a proven franchise system in 2017 and now has 10 locations across the United States as of 2019. The future is looking bright for A Place At Home and there’s already excitement growing for the 2020 Franchise Convention.

To learn more about franchising opportunities with A Place At Home, call: 888-502-6310 or email: franchise@aplaceathome.com.

Senior Care Franchise Opportunity in Tampa Bay Area

Tampa Bay Area Franchise

Headquartered in Omaha, NE – A Place at Home is looking to expand into the Tampa Bay Area.

Growing from 1 to 10 locations since 2017, A Place at Home is quickly becoming the fastest growing emerging Senior Care Franchise in the United States. As an award-winning in-home senior focused care company, franchise owners immediately gain access to a credible and trusted brand.

Territory with High Growth Potential

There are over 624,000 seniors age 65 and older within the Tampa Bay area including Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando, and Pinellas counties. The number of seniors is projected to increase by 18.8% in the next five years. Seniors age 85 and older are set to increase by 36%.

Additionally, being with the A Place at Home franchise system will allow mass expansion opportunities. Once this territory is developed, the owner will understand the staffing model of the location and could potentially expand and become an area owner.

Proven Business Model With Multiple Streams of Revenue

One of the key advantages of being a franchise partner with A Place at Home is that we offer a tested method of success. We have already done the work and developed a proven and effective business strategy.

By providing a continuum of care throughout the aging process, we are there for seniors every step of the way. Not only does our senior-focused model offer solutions to clients, but it also supports diverse revenue streams for the business.

Hands-on Training & Support From the Founders

You will receive 40 hours of initial, hands-on training, and ongoing support. To support your achievement, we’re committed to providing the best possible interactive senior care training for your business growth. You will learn from insiders in the senior care industry; skilled professionals in the business and caring aspects of senior services. With A Place at Home franchises, you’re an independent business owner, but you don’t go it alone.

Interested In Becoming A Franchise Partner?

When you join our group of dynamic business owners, as franchisees of A Place at Home, you’ll have strong support, thorough training and valuable business resources to help you succeed. Contact us to learn more.

New Franchise Will Allow Many North Texas Seniors to Stay at Home

Senior Care Franchise in Allen

A Place At Home Brings an Innovative In Home Senior Care Model to North Texas

Joe Christie and his wife Janis have been awarded the right to open a new A Place At Home Franchise serving Allen, Plano, Frisco, and McKinney, Texas.

A Place At Home opened in 2012 in Omaha, NE. Each franchise offers a range of customized senior-care services designed to help seniors stay in their homes as long as possible. This includes a wide range of customizable in-home solutions and care coordination assistance services. When it is no longer safe or viable for the senior to live at home, APAH offers free transition counseling and placement services to help get seniors into the right assisted living facility. 

Janis comes to the role with a long history of providing assistance to individuals and families. She’s been working at a non-profit that provides families in need with food, clothes, and school supplies. She has also worked with Meals on Wheels, where she got to know many seniors. 

Joe is a former VP of sales who worked in the hospitality industry for over 20 years. “I have experience providing clients with outstanding customer service and attention to detail.” He also assisted in launching a company-sponsored national food drive in conjunction with the Aidmatrix Foundation and Second Harvest Food Bank.

They both chose to transition into senior care for personal reasons.

“My mother was ill for many years,” says Janis. “My father was caring for her, but he needed assistance with her care. He didn’t know how to find it, or where. He had to work his way through the difficult process of balancing my mother’s needs with his own by himself.”

Joe adds, “Watching two loved ones struggle with age-related illnesses brought awareness that seniors and their families need assistance. My mother’s husband was bed-ridden and she was left to care for them both, despite having neither the skill nor the stamina, to do so.”

Joe adds that a social worker contacted him one afternoon to inform him that his father’s Alzheimer’s disease had left him unable to care for himself. “I was named his guardian. I had very little understanding of what this entailed, so it took me weeks to sort through the responsibilities or make any progress with his care. Needing so much help, and being unable to find it, was an eye-opener for me.”

“We want to make a difference for both seniors, and their families,” said Janis

Joe adds that he’s impressed by A Place at Home because it offers a continuum of care model that’s affordable, adaptable, and well-coordinated. 

Co-founders Jerod Evanich and Dustin Distefano have a mission to make sure this level of care is available across the entire nation. That’s why they decided to start franchising. They look for professionals who share their core values, nicknamed the “C.A.R.E.” model. C.A.R.E. stands for Compassionate, Accountable, Respectful, and Ethical. 

“Joe and Janis truly model our C.A.R.E. values and we look forward to watching them apply these high standards across their new franchise,” said Distefano.

To learn more about A Place At Home, visit www.aplaceathome.com. To learn more about franchising opportunities, visit www.aplaceathomefranchise.com. Then, schedule a time to speak with their franchise development team.

 

CONTACT:

Paul Ackermann, MBA

Director of Development

O: 888-502-6310 x 103

F: 402-506-9373

E: paul.ackermann@aplaceathome.com 

W: www.aplaceathomefranchise.com

ABOUT A PLACE AT HOME

New Senior Care Option Now Available in Papillion

Senior Care Franchise in Papillion

Renowned Senior Focused Care Solutions Company, A Place At Home, Awards New Senior Care Franchise in Papillion

Rick and Kris Perkins have cared about the safety of Larimer County and Douglas County residents for a long time.

Rick is a former counselor and manager who spent 20 years with Child and Adult Protective Services, as well as serving as Program Coordinator for the Juvenile Assessment Center. Kris is a former 911 dispatcher and EMT, and worked in sales and deployment roles for Motorola Solutions, Inc. where she deployed public safety software across the United States.

Now this husband-and-wife team is turning their attention to senior care issues by opening a new A Place at Home franchise in Papillon, NE. The APAH innovative care model has been wildly successful because it tailors senior care solutions to the needs of individual seniors and their families. 

Each franchise offers a wide range of in-home care services, care coordination services, and senior living placement and transition services.

The Omaha-based company has experienced explosive growth all over the country after its launch in 2012. 

The Papillion franchise will open at 10791 S. 72nd St., Suite #104 in Papillion, and will also serve Bellevue, Offutt, Ralston, Chalco, La Vista, Council Bluffs, and Center Lake.

The couple came to this decision after seeing the challenges for care and living transition for Rick’s 97-year old grandmother. “Helping seniors age in their own homes has become a passion for me,” he says.

“We chose A Place at Home after completing a market analysis on multiple franchises in the home care industry,” adds Kris. “We quickly realized that the men who created A Place at Home truly cared about what they were doing, and why. And we felt the four core values of the APAH C.A.R.E. philosophy—Compassionate, Accountable, Respectful, and Ethical—align with our own personal values.”

The main goal of A Place at Home is to help seniors stay in their homes as long as it is a safe, viable option. Transitions to senior care centers are offered as a free option when an APAH’s services simply won’t suffice any longer.

“We understand enlisting the help of professionals to care for loved ones is a tough decision to make,” said Rick. “We want to be able to relieve some of the stress on families when they’re faced with that decision. We want you to know we’ll treat your family like we’d treat our own family. And we want to ease the stress of the transition to an assisted living facility, when the time comes.”

To A Place at Home founders, Jerod Evanich and Dustin Distefano, awarding franchises to the right people is an important part of fulfilling their mission: “To be passionate professionals providing the compassionate care solutions you need, when and where you need us.” 

“It always starts with a conversation,” stresses Jerod. “We only want to work with people who are truly in alignment with the C.A.R.E. philosophy. If your personal values already rest on that foundation then we’re happy to help you parlay your professional background and acumen into becoming a successful A Place At Home owner.”

To learn more about A Place at Home franchise ownership, contact 888-502-6310.

5 Business-Busting Mistakes to Avoid

Launching your own business is a life-changing endeavor. Once you take that leap of faith – you are journeying towards building your own legacy and attaining that highly sought after all-American dream.

Just as with anything rewarding in life, business ownership doesn’t come without challenges – especially during the initial start-up phase. Paying due diligence and proactively preparing for any potential bumps in the road will prevent disastrous, business-ending obstacles and lead you on a path to success.

1. Choosing the Wrong Partners

Value your intuition, do background checks and add the right skills. Before partnering, thorough due diligence, and careful business planning, is always required. Almost automatically, you may plan on going into business with spouse, family or old friends. Stop to consider whether they have what your business needs. If they’re partially funding your new venture, you could consider making them silent partners. Another avenue would be creating an employee relationship, to get the expertise needed, without giving away part of your company. Hire or partner with trusted people, who have skills that complement yours, rather than needlessly duplicating your talents.

When you do begin partnerships (or hire key employees/managers), it is crucial that you create a clear, documented division of responsibilities to prevent misunderstandings that could destroy your company down the road. Remember, you need partners that will commit to their role, share your vision for success and have the positive attitude to help you get there.

2. Going It Alone on Business Decisions

Use a board of directors, business coach or mentor, to help bring balance, objectivity and required expertise to your decision making. If you make crucial decisions alone, or with a like-minded co-founder,  you can become trapped in an echo chamber. You may be “too close” to the business to see the best solution. However, you can certainly be the final word and key decision-maker. Make sure this, along other partner duties/expectations, is documented when starting your company.

3. Ignoring Competitors and Customer Feedback

Monitor competitors closely, so you can clearly differentiate your company and lead the market. Excel at what they lack and promote/advertise your uniqueness to win customers! Furthermore, seek customer feedback and monitor online discussions. This protects your reputation and provides useful Intel to help shape your products/services going forward.

4. Not Establishing Customer Personas

Know your target market(s) well. Create customer personas for each unique market segment that would benefit from your services. Each persona gives you a representative customer/prospect to “speak to” in your advertising, blog posts and social media content. The persona can include demographic information, like age, gender and income level. Flesh out the personas with as much detail as possible, including each persona’s goals, preferences and problems they need to solve.

5. Not Being Financially Prepared

Be sure to have enough money to cover your initial business start-up costs, including capital expenditures like supplies,vehicles and/or equipment. You’ll also need operating funds to keep your business going until initial customers come your way. Additionally, it is crucial that you set aside funds for future, often unforeseen issues that can come up in a new business. This helps ensure that your new business can survive until it begins to thrive.

Considering a Senior Care Franchise?

When you join our group of dynamic business owners, as franchisees of A Place at Home, you’ll have strong support, thorough training and valuable business resources to help you succeed. Contact us to learn more.

Senior Care Franchise Opportunity Available in Houston Metro

Headquartered in Omaha, NE – A Place at Home is looking to establish roots in the Houston, Texas metro.

Expanding our brand from the Midwest to the West Coast and the South in a little over a year, A Place at Home is quickly becoming the fastest growing emerging Senior Care Franchise in the United States. Below are the benefits of joining an emerging brand in the Houston metro.

Award-Winning Company with Brand Recognition

This owner would gain access to immediate credibility as A Place at Home won 2018 Best of Omaha award in the Non-Medical Home Care category, along with being a four-time Employer of Choice in Omaha. Trusted by the community, we have established strong relationships with the senior community and a variety of vendors.

Territory with Major Growth Potential

There are over 720,000 seniors age 65 and older within a 40-mile radius of downtown Houston, with the number of seniors projected to increase by 25% in the next five years. With a franchise territory, you don’t have to worry about direct competition by your fellow franchisees. Instead, it is more of a network to assist each other succeed.   

Additionally, being with the A Place at Home franchise system will allow mass expansion opportunities. Once this territory is developed, the owner will understand the staffing model of the location. There is no stopping them from opening locations in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, and beyond  – thus making them an area owner.

Proven Business Model With Multiple Streams of Revenue

One of the key advantages of being a franchise partner with A Place at Home is that we offer a tested method of success. We have already done the work and developed a proven and effective business strategy.

By providing a continuum of care throughout the aging process, we are there for seniors every step of the way. Not only does our senior-focused model offer solutions to clients, but it also supports diverse revenue streams for the business. 

Hands-on Training & Support From the Founders

You will receive 40 hours of initial, hands-on training, and ongoing support. To support your achievement, we’re committed to providing the best possible interactive senior care training for your business growth. You will learn from insiders in the senior care industry; skilled professionals in the business and caring aspects of senior services. With A Place at Home franchises, you’re an independent business owner, but you don’t go it alone.

Interested In Becoming A Franchise Partner?

When you join our group of dynamic business owners, as franchisees of A Place at Home, you’ll have strong support, thorough training and valuable business resources to help you succeed. Contact us to learn more.