Special Feature Ovenclean
franchise, running two vans and two employees, as well as sub-contracting work to a neighbouring franchisee.
How have you found the training and support provided by the franchisor? The support you get from the Ovenclean team is amazing, not just when you launch, but as your business grows too!
Has being a woman in a male- dominated industry presented any challenges?
S
heree Parker is one of Ovenclean’s most successful franchisees, yet one of only a handful of women
within the network.
Tell us your Ovenclean journey so far. I joined Ovenclean in 2001, and by 2004 was so busy I had to take on an employee to help me manage the demand for my services. Now, 13 years on, I have expanded my initial owner-operator business into a successful management
Home Instead Senior Care
impressed with the support and guidance given to owners; the Home Instead ethos mirrors how I feel about delivering a quality service to our clients and stood head and shoulders above the others.
S
ue Dunster has run the Oxford franchise of Home Instead Senior Care for the last five years.
What did you do prior to franchising? When did you set up your franchise? I owned a training business that specialised in vocational qualifications for the health and social care sector. My background is innursing and midwifery and I moved into training when my son was younger to suit home life commitments.
Why Home Instead?
When delivering training I had an insight into various types of services that were available across the social care sector, particularly home care. I realised I wanted to make a difference to the lives of the elderly and owning a Home Instead franchise would enable me to do this. I was
How does your previous experience assist you in running your franchise? Home Instead is a management franchise, so no previous care experience is needed. The management skills I gained from my previous business ownership were transferable to the Home Instead model. When I started out I concentrated my efforts on networking to raise the profile of my business within the community.
How is it being a woman in a male- dominated industry?
I have found that in this business everyone is listened to, we are here to share ideas and change the face of ageing, which requires us all to work together. Being a woman in the care sector can actually be a real benefit, certainly when meeting clients.
How does running a Home Instead franchise change your life? The most important thing is that, with the support of your caregivers, you can make a real difference each day to the lives of clients and their families. As the owner of a growing business you expect to be busy but work-life balance is still important, so you make the effort to have time for your family.
What sort of training and support does your franchisor provide? At the beginning of the journey, there is intensive training provided for both the owner and care manager. Going forward, there is regular, bespoke support for each owner, as we all have different skill sets and need additional support in different areas. All owners come together for regional meetings and the annual conference, and we also regularly attend local owner group meetings. These take place at various locations throughout the UK and are a great opportunity to learn from each other’s successes and mistakes.
What qualities do you feel are important in a franchisee? Each franchise is individually owned but we are part of a larger family. You need to be able to learn from all the experience that the network of owners provides, and be prepared to share your ideas and best practice. The support is in place from national office and the model works but you need to be prepared to follow this model.
What are your plans for the future? To grow our business, we need to actively network in our community to raise understanding of the quality service that we offer. This will, in turn, help us to become the employer of choice for caregivers and work towards the Home Instead goal to change the face of ageing.
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For me, being a woman has certainly not presented any challenges. I think it’s irrelevant really; instead, ask yourself: is self-employment for you? If so, then franchising offers the opportunity to grow a successful business, without many of the risks of going it alone.
How has investing in a franchise changed your life? Do you think you have a good work-life balance? I’d done the 14-hour days as someone else’s employee, and one of the things I
value most about being self-employed is that I don’t have to spend my whole time working. My ambition from the start was to develop my Ovenclean business into a management franchise and it’s worked really well for me. I work sensible hours now and have a great work-life balance.
So you think the Ovenclean opportunity is suited to women? Many of the benefits of owning an Ovenclean franchise, such as flexible working hours and being able to run a business from home, could make it an attractive prospect for women, particularly for those trying to balance the demands of career and family.
What advice would you offer women considering a franchise? One piece of advice to I’d offer women considering franchising is do your research and if you feel that it could work for you – then go for it! The feeling of freedom you get with being your own boss is amazing. I’ve never looked back!
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