We are very much a team ... We take on different roles and have a lot of respect for each other”
Caremark Emily and Richard Magrath
Emily and Richard Magrath own a Caremark franchise in Belfast. They launched their business in 2013 and have achieved Northern Ireland’s equivalent of an outstanding CQC rating, all while raising their four children.
Why did you choose to open a franchise in the homecare sector? Emily: We decided to launch the franchise when I was on maternity leave with our third child. Richard has always run his own business, ever since school. So, we decided to open a business together to gain a better work-life balance. The care sector suits us as individuals as it aligns with our passion for community. Before Caremark, I was in senior management for cancer charities for 11 years. We’re also very involved with our local church. We were sure we had found the right sector, so we did our
homework, attended a franchise exhibition and set up some meetings. We decided to go with Caremark because its ethos matches our own vision and values – we are all about being part of the community and helping others.
How do you strike the right balance between work and family life? Richard: We have four children from seven months to 14 years old, so home life is busy! As parents, we found ourselves juggling our responsibilities at first. Putting strong structures in place within our business – from hiring a great team to pinning down our strategy – helped us on the path to success. One of the benefits of owning our own business is that, when
the kids go to bed, either one of us can head over to the office in the evening. Our home is close to our business, church and schools, so we’ve cut out the commute. Caremark provides ongoing support and was instrumental in guiding us through those early days. We also have a strong network of over 120 Caremark franchisees that has been invaluable for sharing advice and experiences.
How do you divide the work? Richard: We are very much a team and share equal responsibility. We take on different roles and have a lot of respect for each other. Emily is very operational and key to implementing positive changes within our business to enable it to grow. I lead our strategy and handle our finances. Our backgrounds have been very useful as both of us bring strong managerial experience to the table.
What has your business journey been like? Emily: The first three years had their challenges! With young children and a busy lifestyle, it took time, drive and motivation to launch and grow our business. We have enjoyed a lot of success and won many of Caremark’s
internal awards, including Franchisee of the Year 2019. We’ve also consistently performed well in our RQIA inspections, receiving reports equivalent to a CQC ‘outstanding’ rating. However, the biggest success, without a doubt, is that we have been able to build an incredible team around us. Our staff truly understand Caremark’s ethos and values, and without them the business would not be where it is today.
What are your plans for the future? Richard: The next step in our journey is to continue to expand our footprint in Northern Ireland at a sustainable growth rate, ensuring that we always uphold the highest standards of care. We’re delighted to be at this point and to know how many people we have helped. Even with a busy family, we’ve proved that we can make a huge difference to people’s lives. It’s a wonderful feeling!
74
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180
