Market Focus


Home Instead


John Kirk


is the owner of the Swindon and Vale of White Horse franchise of Home Instead Senior Care. Prior to owning his franchise, John spent a full career in the Royal Air Force Regiment, retiring as a Wing Commander, then moving into food retail management before joining a large provider of premium residential and nursing care. His franchise opened for business in June 2012.


What prompted your decision to look into franchising? There were two strong points that inspired me to look at franchising. First was the knowledge that franchises are based upon replicating a proven business model. My experience over the last three years has shown that if you follow the model, the model works! Second was my understanding of my own strengths and weaknesses; the support from the franchisor enables me to concentrate on what I am good at and lean on the franchise – including the franchisee network – when I need help.


Why the care sector and why Home Instead in particular?


I had some experience of the sector and it was during my time serving seniors in residential and nursing care that I concluded there must be an alternative to a senior leaving their family home and memories behind with an often traumatic move into residential care. I found that such moves were frequently precipitated not by a need for the close support offered by residential care but rather by a constant struggle for seniors and their families to fi nd and receive quality care in their own homes. This was particularly evident when families tried to fi nd support in the home for people living with dementia. I knew that if we got the operation right, there would


56 | Businessfranchise.com | March 2015


be huge demand for our service. Home Instead was the market leader, and its values resonated with my own.


What has been your biggest challenge?


Finding people who share our vision of changing the face of ageing through changing the face of caregiving. We need ordinary people to do an extraordinary job – in short we are looking for superheroes hidden in our midst! Our caregivers are the heartbeat of the business and we have found that often the very best have no previous experience. We hire for heart fi rst and foremost and train them the ‘Home Instead way’. Our biggest challenge is to fi nd enough of these special people every month in order to grow our service.


How is running your franchise rewarding? There are many aspects of running my own franchise that I fi nd rewarding. Growing a successful business where I have complete control over the investment decisions is a real change from corporate life. Watching the number of people that we employ increase month on month gives me huge personal satisfaction – we are not just having an impact on the lives of our clients but we also contribute to the local economy and provide employment for local people.


The impact upon the quality of life enjoyed by myself and my family also cannot be overestimated. Time spent in the business is time I choose to spend, for my future and that of my family.


What is a typical day like? A typical day? There is no such thing! That’s what makes it so interesting and fun. In the early days, I was very much hands on and involved in every detailed decision. Now, I am blessed with a great team of managers and caregivers so I can delegate much of the day-to-day operations while focussing on strategic networking and opportunities to grow the service. Really owning my own calendar for the fi rst time in my working life has been liberating. Every day is different but there is always joy to be found in our offi ce, caregivers and clients.


What did the training you received involve and how have you found the ongoing support of the franchisor? Initial training was comprehensive and the journey thereafter has been one of total support and encouragement. There’s a nice balance between visits to our offi ces from key members of the franchisor team and returning to national offi ce for meetings and training. My business support manager has been fi rst class and seems to understand intuitively how and when to offer the right support – be that through a quick email, phone call or visit. I have also been encouraged to actively reach out to other franchise owners who have made the journey ahead of me and from whom I can learn. I feel that we are consistently leading the market in respect of training and support and this gives me great confi dence.


“I knew if we got the operation right, there would be a huge demand for our services”


What type of person do you think a care franchise would suit? A Home Instead Senior Care franchise demands a commitment on a number of levels – not just fi nancial. It’s a truly relationship-based service where you are given the opportunity to make a difference to the lives of clients, their families and caregivers alike. It’s about people, so the emotional investment that you are prepared to make will determine the return that you receive. The value of the ‘second pay cheque’ – that deep emotional payoff, getting a buzz from having a positive impact on the life of a client through the service you provide – cannot be overestimated. I’ve often said that a Home Instead Senior Care franchise suits someone with a caring heart and


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