Abhay Shah hadn't always planned to have a career in care. Working as an Audit Executive at Ernst & Young, he looked into the prospect of starting his own business when the daily number crunching became monotonous.

After deciding to work in the social care sector, Abhay visited a number of home care franchises to decide which one would be right for him.

"Having visited a few franchises before I met Caremark, the difference in their approach was stark. Straightaway, the emphasis placed on the quality of care that's expected of all Caremark franchises was evident," he commented.

As a characteristically shy person, Abhay has had to push outside his comfort zone to talk about his business to as many people as he can. This experience is reflected in the advice her offers to anyone considering to run their own business: "Challenge yourself. Get uncomfortable!".

his first year hasn't been without its ups and down, but he considers it all worth it when he hears the success stories of his Care & Support Workers and the difference they have made to people's lives. One client took their first bath in four years, became more socially interactive and rekindled former hobbies such as cooking, after receiving excellent quality home care from a Caremark (Hillingdon) Care & Support Worker. It's stories such as this one which have made any of the challenging moments of the last twelve months all the more worthwhile.

After such a drastic change to his career, does he have any regrets or anything he would have done differently?

"I wish I had started my franchise earlier! It has certainly been challenging but I am proud of what we have achieved in such a short period of time."