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but Extra Help seemed like the ideal choice. I felt it would allow me the flexibility and freedom to simply help my customers in the way they needed.
How did you discover this franchise? My sister-in-law told me about Extra Help. She runs a cleaning company in Milton Keynes; it turned out that she had heard of Extra Help and knew they were looking for new franchisees.
How did you go about signing up, raising the money and finally taking the plunge?
Extra Help Sue Timson
Originally from a public sector background working in social care, Sue Timson now runs the Essex South Extra Help franchise.
What did you do before you went into franchising with Extra Help? Before Extra Help, I worked for five years with local authorities helping mentally disabled people and then excluded children in the secondary education sector for over nine years, until I was made redundant in July 2011.
Why did franchising appeal after you were made redundant?
Franchising gave me the opportunity to work independently and be my own boss. Although I was following an established business model, it gave me the flexibility to do certain things that I was restricted from doing in the education sector as there was so much red tape.
“What I love about Extra Help is that they just let me get on with it! As long as everything is running fine, they trust me to run my own business”
Why Extra Help and why this sector? I didn’t want to work within the public sector any longer, or for other agencies that provided care services because I felt that they could be somewhat restrictive,
I had a few conversations with the Extra Help franchising team and, from this, I was convinced that this was the business that would enable me to deliver exactly the service I wanted to provide. What specifically attracted me to Extra Help was the diversity of it and the fact that I could continue to work with vulnerable people, as well as fill a gap in the market.
How was it in the early days and how’s business so far?
In the beginning, it was quite frantic and, despite attending the training course, it’s very different when you go out into the real world and start trying to establish a business yourself. It was hectic and took an enormous amount of hard work and putting myself out there. These days a lot more people know who I am and I have established an excellent relationship with social services – in fact, I was told recently by a new client that she chose Extra Help because I was right at the top of the local social services’ recommended services list, so I am delighted!
As with anyone who runs their own business, l need to be hands on and do some of the jobs myself at the same time as finding the right people. This isn’t a negative, though, as it gives me valuable experience of the home-helper’s role. It enables me to understand what they go through and help them to deal with any issues they may face more effectively.
How did your former career experience help you with your franchise? I am a qualified psychotherapist and have worked in the community with the elderly and people who have mental health issues. Along with this, my work with young people and their parents has given me the experience to have patience and listen to my clients and not only listen, but actually hear their concerns, understand their needs and decide what the best way to support them will be.
What kind of training and support did you receive?
The initial training was really good and then there is access to ongoing training and support whenever you need it. If I have any questions, I know I can call or email and Extra Help will respond quickly. This gives me a safety net and I know some franchisors don’t offer that level of support and often tend to make promises they don’t keep.
Extra Help is always there if I need advice or support. While I prefer to try and solve problems myself and learn from my own experiences, there have been a couple of occasions when I’ve had to contact them. They’ve always come straight back to me and looked into what I needed to know.
Also, what I love about Extra Help is that they just let me get on with it! As long as everything is running fine, they trust me to run my own business. They understand that everyone works differently and, although you’re expected to follow their business model, you have the flexibility and space to run your business in the way that works best for you.
“If I have any questions, I know I can call or email and Extra Help will respond quickly. This gives me a safety net... Extra Help is always there if I need advice or support”
What do you envisage for the future? Hopefully more of the same! I want to maintain my position at the top of the social services list, and have referrals continue to come in. I will focus on continuing to make sure that the business is running to the best of its ability and my clients are happy with my services.
I still intend to concentrate on providing services for elderly and vulnerable people, particularly as this is my area of expertise. In my experience, these are the people who aren’t being sufficiently supported and therefore need the most help.
Any advice for potential franchisees? My advice would be to go for it – you’ll never know unless you try! If you want to run your own business and also provide valuable services to your local community then Extra Help is absolutely ideal.
February 2017 |
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