Franchise Focus
advice and who visit regularly. They also have some brilliant staff at their central office who can answer my business questions.” The early days of his business were full
of challenges; not least that one of his income streams, Sandwell Council, was closed to further tendering. Despite this, Chris continued to market his business in the local community and pursued other opportunities in the private sector. Through patience, perseverance and
professionalism, however, Chris was awarded work with Sandwell NHS Primary
Chris Williams (middle) at the Caremark Annual Conference
Programmed for success
Chris Williams turned from a career in IT to one in care, despite a lack of previous experience. With Caremark’s support, and through his own perseverance, two years on he runs a successful home care franchise
Investment level: £25,000-£100,000
to run his own business and, aware of his limited experience, franchising seemed to be the best place to start. Having spent the last six years working in IT, Chris soon reached a point where he wanted a career that was both exciting and personally fulfilling. His desire to be involved with people led him to investigate the care sector and although this was a big change, initial research revealed that working in care would give him both a rewarding career and personal satisfaction. Says Chris: “I got really serious about
W
starting a business in 2008, but then the economy collapsed and I was worried that
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Businessfranchise.com | april 2012
hen Chris Williams decided to change his career, the care sector was not his first consideration. He knew he wanted
anything I might start would fail before it even got going. This forced me to look carefully for a sector of the market that would be able to ride out all the economic hardships. What I realised was that the care sector is always going to be an area of growth. People require care whatever the economy looks like.” Having researched various care
providers Chris found that Caremark stood out from the others – having a reputation for excellence within the sector, a highly competitive fee and strong support from field-based managers as well as a dedicated team at central office. Chris also found the company to have an open and approachable manner and was reassured by the fact that Caremark favour a diverse range of services. He says: “Caremark have regional support managers who you can call for
“Care is always going to be an area of growth. People require care whatever the economy looks like”
Care Trust, a testament to his hard work and excellent service, and the good relations he built up with the Sandwell commissioning team. In addition, Walsall Council engaged his services which further assisted the launch of his business and helped his franchise provide much needed quality care and support to vulnerable individuals. Chris concedes that whilst having
knowledge of the sector is an advantage, it is the ability to connect and communicate successfully with a wide range of different people that is vital to owning and operating a care franchise. In order to effectively promote and market the business within the community, it is essential to engage with a diversity of personalities and cultures, business being, as the well-know saying goes, “about relationships and not transactions.” Also crucial to his success was the
great support and encouragement he received from his family and partner which helped to keep him focused and positive during the early months. Now, two years on, Chris feels he is continuing to grow and develop his business and is looking forward to the future. He says: “Having my own business is what I have always wanted, so I can say that I have achieved one of my life’s goals already!” n
Caremark
Website:
www.caremark.co.uk email:
franchise@caremark.co.uk Phone: 01903 266 392 classification: Care
Investment: £20k-£50k
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