“It was always about ‘How can we get quickly in and out of someone’s house?’ The reason we started Home Instead Senior Care in the UK was the precise opposite of that – clients have got to come first”


thought process. It was “How can we get quickly in and out of someone’s house?’’ Home Instead Senior Care does the precise opposite of that – clients have to come first. A minimum one-hour call, plus matching CAREGivers [Home Instead Senior Care’s care providers] with clients – the way we do it – may sound obvious but that’s not how care has been delivered – not as standard, anyway – in the UK. Franchising is a great way to achieve this in the sense that all our owners have that passion to make a difference. They’re not doing it just to make money. Yes, profits are a reward, but they’re buying a business to make a difference. That commitment puts you in a completely different place, and I firmly believe that’s why we have 40 ‘outstandings’ from the Care Quality Commission – head and shoulders above any of our competitors, public, private or third sector.


What are the benefits of running this kind of business as part of a franchise network? Martin: When they join, that person has


bought into our mission, our culture, and they become part of our family. Every year, we have a national conference – it’s a great opportunity to bring all our franchisees and their key players together to collaborate on how we can share best practice and move the business on. We also have business update meetings halfway through the year, local owner group meetings, and training sessions; we have people who are always available, whether virtually or face-to- face, in order for us to get better and better. One of the beauties of franchising is sharing best practice. Great ideas come from the network. The aim is to find that great idea and share it with everyone else. Paul: One of the unique things about franchising is that when you’re the business owner, you’re at the top and it’s lonely. In franchising, you get an opportunity to develop a peer group of other franchisees going through the same thing and that lends a lot of support and encouragement. You can be in business for yourself, but you’re not by yourself. So there’s


a lot of comfort and that’s what lends a high degree of success to the franchising model.


What are you looking for in a franchisee? Martin: They’ve got to have heart – because what we do is so important in terms of looking after seniors. They need to have entrepreneurial spirit and be someone who’s really got that passion and drive to succeed. They don’t work for us, they’re buying their own operation, so they’ve got to get up each day, drive their business and be a great leader. Most of all, they’ve got to believe in Home Instead as a brand, and what we’re trying to achieve in the UK and the world. You don’t have to come from a health and social care background. We have a comprehensive training package, right from day one, so they come here for a residential course that teaches them how to run a Home Instead Senior Care business. They are supported by both a business performance manager and a quality support manager, and they have a suite of people here [at national


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