Interview With the President
Why should a potential franchise buyer consider
Right at Home as the franchise to buy?
We all like to talk about the opportunity of being in the
right place at the right time.
If you had the foresight to see the development of a major industry
like the early days of fast food franchise development, would you have
wanted to be a part of that? Of course you would. Because those that
get in early on the ground floor of these industries following fast
developing trends tend to do very well. They take some risk, but are
certainly rewarded if the risk bears out.
Many of us think that the enormous boom in the numbers of seniors
in the population will create just those kinds of opportunities in
senior care and staffing over the next 20-30 years. Think of it. We
are about to see a demographic change the likes of which have never
been experienced before. Between now and the year 2030 we will see
the population category "over age 65" increase from 13% to
nearly 20%. When you consider that the current age 65 plus population
in the state of Florida is 18% the conclusion is clear. Our entire
country's population will soon be older on average than Florida's is
right now.
Well, that is a huge change. But how does
that translate to opportunity for Right at Home franchisees?
The key is to create a business that delivers services that respond
to this growing "age wave" as it has been coined by Ken Dyctwald,
a leading psychologist and best selling author on aging issues. And
that is what Right at Home is all about. We feel we have created a
system that effectively delivers services in two areas, which are now
developing: senior home care and supplemental staffing for the healthcare
industry.
Start with senior home care: what is that
and why is that need developing with the senior boom?
Several years ago, as a health administrator, I began to see the enormous
boom in Medicare Home Health care as it was developing. I was ultimately
involved in creating a very busy Medicare Home Health business. During
that time period I noticed a disturbing trend. We had many patients
who still needed support beyond Medicare-paid care, but did not know
where to look for help.
Medicare Home health took care of the post-acute care hospital stay:
it was there long enough to pay for some basic rehab, bandage changes,
checking vitals or other medical needs. But what were the consequences
after Medicare Home health left? You had all these folks who could
not deal with their needs of everyday living: getting up and getting
dressed, fixing a nutritious meal, remembering to take their medications.
Others had forms of memory loss or other dementia and were unsafe to
be alone. They didn't need a nursing home, but they could not fully
meet their own care needs either. I could see a care gap that needed
to be filled, and long-term at-home supportive care appeared to be
the solution.
I did a lot of research, including some Bureau of the Census research,
and interviews with seniors and their families. It definitely confirmed
what I had suspected. Their data showed that after age 65, about 17%
of the population needed help with these everyday activities of living.
By age 85, 45% of us need this help. These facts, together with the
sheer increase in numbers of seniors, indicate a huge growing need
for help.
Are the services limited only to seniors?
Absolutely not! The primary consumers of our home care services are
seniors. However, based largely upon the fact that we offer support
and operational systems that help you build your business beyond
just the basic non-medical level of services, disabled adults of
all ages are appropriate for our services as well. So in addition
to helping the frail elderly, we are able to provide assistance to
individuals and families who are faced with chronic illnesses or
accident victims.
What about the medical staffing side of the
business?
There is another area with great growth potential. I first noticed
this as a health care administrator involved in hospital operations.
We had increasing difficulty getting enough qualified workers. The
senior boom and technology were driving unprecedented growth in the
health care delivery system and the need for available staff. But staff
had become more and more difficult for us (editors note: hospitals,
nursing homes, clinics, doctors' offices, etc.) to find and keep.
Several factors were causing this. One, nursing has been a traditionally
female dominated profession. And cultural changes have opened up many
other rewarding career fields for women.
Two, the work environment of hospitals and other care settings has
become more and more demanding. One factor is the increasing acuity
level of patients. When you combine this with the cost cutting pressures
that drive administrators to have fewer nurses seeing more patients,
you see the problem: fewer staff caring for more, and sicker, patients.
Many health professionals prefer working for a staffing firm like RAH
Staffing which can meet their needs for flexibility, variety and the
avoidance of the politics of a big organization. This is projected to
grow even more as the demand for health workers is out-paced by the availability
of qualified candidates.
What advantages do you have over your competition?
- Right at Home is the only home care company to be recognized as a
member of the AARP National Employer Team. In fact, this is only one
of numerous national alliances that focus upon building your bottom
line, rather than selling more franchises.
- We provide the support and infrastructure for you to expand into
the widest range of home care and medical staffing services in our
industry. Some of our key features include:
- For no additional franchisee fee, our owners can expand
into the full spectrum of senior care services - companionship,
personal care, and skilled nursing.
- All new franchisees start with a 2 week new franchisee
training program.
- We offer staff incentive programs at a national level in order
to help you attract and retain top quality personnel at the local
level. Some of our programs include:
- The Right at Home CERT ProgramSM – a free,
proprietary, internet-based education and training for the field
staff who actually provide your caregiving services.
- Care RewardsSM recognition and incentive program, and Volunteering
With A PaycheckSM initiatives were both designed to optimize
recruitment and retention of field staff who are always in high
demand.
- Our Caring at Home informational newsletter program is circulated
to over 100,000 referral sources and decisions makers in our field.
Coordinated by the home office, franchisees may customize articles
and build a local circulation database for sales penetration with
a professional piece.
- Right at Home offers an organizational environment that encourages
collaboration and sharing of best-practices- both franchisee to franchisor
and franchisee to franchisee- evidenced by:
- Our password-protected Online Support Center and Resources
web portal.
- Peer-to-peer ListServ and messaging center.
- Regional franchisee meetings.
- Monthly system-wide sales and operations conference calls.
- Customizable pages of our website for every franchisee.
- Our franchises all benefit from our cutting-edge technology integration.
Some examples include:
- Electronic time and attendance solutions to track field
staff.
- Fall detection devices for frail clients.
- Medication dispensing machines.
- Building business on the Internet with our tutorials that
drive traffic to your individual web sites.
What is the profile you are looking for in
a franchise owner?
We are looking for men and women with integrity and ambition. Ideally,
we are seeking individuals whose high standards, entrepreneurial spirit
and enthusiasm for life and business match our own. People who have
thought that running their own business would be right for them, but
who want to avoid the risks associated with a completely new start-up.
This could be folks from many different backgrounds - no medical
or healthcare experience is necessary for our business,
but the will and desire to succeed is necessary. Our successful franchisees
come from a variety of backgrounds: hospitality, retail, food services,
legal services and financial services.
What advice do you have for someone considering
going into business for himself or herself?
Follow your brain, and your heart.
First, do your homework on the industry and the franchisor. Is there
a strong market? Is it a good long-term business or a passing fad?
Who are the people I will work with? Do they have direct experience
in the business and know what I will be facing? Can I afford the start-up
costs with this business? Have I visited the franchisor to see the
business personally?
Next, decide if this is a business that fits you. Life is too short
to be working in something you don't like. Homecare and staffing, for
example, is a people driven business. If you don't enjoy a lot of contact
with people, it wouldn't be the business for you.
What are the important differences between
joining a franchise system like Right at Home and starting your own
business?
There are many advantages you get with a good system verses having
your own independent business:
Franchise proven business format
- Brand name
- Step by step guide
- Technical and mgmt. training provided
- Information sharing among franchisees
- Marketing and sales support
- Research and development by franchisor
- Consulting support from franchisor
- Continuing education provided
Independent Format
- Must develop format
- Little name recognition
- Must research to begin
- Must find your own training
- Competition won't share
- Must hire firms
- No time for R&D
- Must find your own consultants
- Must find your own continuing education
What is the total investment needed to open
a Right at Home franchise?
A new franchise license for a territory costs $29,800. Additional operating
capital can vary greatly depending upon individual factors, but generally
runs between approximately $10,000 to $40,000.
What should someone do who is interested
in a Right at Home franchise?
First, they should do their homework.
They should review the pertinent information available on Right at
Home's web site and in the offering circular. Next, a visit to the
headquarters to meet the staff and see the business operating is very
important. This can let both parties see each other and evaluate the
fit between the candidate and the opportunity. If that review is positive,
the next steps are deciding on a territory, getting a date for training,
and getting started in the business.
Fill out our Getting To Know You
form to find out more about our franchise opportunities.
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