Ruth Brown, Head of Franchise Development, Home Instead Senior Care

Being the UK’s Number 1 private homecare provider and the Number 1 homecare franchise opportunity - it is expected that other care companies will copy what we say and do.

But we believe it’s not the processes, systems or marketing campaigns that creates our unique proposition. It’s the people, the culture and our tireless devotion to changing the face of ageing that makes us Number 1.

To us it’s much more than a business and you can’t copy what lies at our core - the mission to deliver the best care we can to our clients. This is the essence of who we are and the foundations on which the business was built.

As a franchise network it’s living this ‘hearts and minds’ philosophy that creates our brand strength, a core ethos that simply can’t be replicated.

That’s why it’s critical for an individual considering investing in a homecare franchise opportunity to look under the skin of the franchisor, to see if there is a tangible culture at its heart and that the people within the organisation all share the same vision.

A franchisor can’t just say it’s ethical, it should be able to prove it with external endorsements and awards. Most importantly, a franchisor must be able to demonstrate to the franchisees that there is a blueprint for success and that support, in its many forms, is always on hand.

At Home Instead Senior Care, our franchise model is not just proven, it has been globally tried and tested. Here in the UK, we have an annualised turnover of £100 million, with our franchisees delivering the best possible care every day to thousands of clients.

So here are 5 reasons why we CAN say we ARE the UK’s Number 1 homecare franchise opportunity, achievements made possible by our people and their passion for what we do.

1. Sunday Times 100 Listed: Our National Office, the home of our Leadership Team and the experts who support our franchisee’s business journeys - has ranked No 56 on the Sunday Times 100 List in the Best Small Companies to Work For category. This is a prestigious marker of the most robust employee engagement with judges also praising us for our open culture and real family feel, a perfect compliment for a franchisor specialising in senior care.

2. BFA Franchisor of the Year 2016 shortlisted. As the 2013 Gold winner of the coveted franchise industry honour, we are thrilled to be shortlisted for the accolade in 2016, as a continued reflection of our ongoing commitment to franchising underpinned by the most robust principles. We’ve been shortlisted for the BFA’s 2016 Franchisee Recruitment Award too – which makes our brand one of only two businesses to be shortlisted twice this year.

3. A four to one ratio: We boast a 40 strong team at our National Office in Warrington, which gives us a 4:1 ratio of sector leading experts to Home Instead franchisees, that’s one of the best ratios in the franchise industry. We have been recognised with numerous awards for the support we give to franchisees, expert counsel covering Business Planning, Training and Development; Care Quality and Standards; IT, Finance, Legal and Marketing.  We believe our training and support is the most comprehensive and industry leading.

4. Heading up quality: National Office is home to an exemplary skill set including our Head of Quality Support Keith Lowe, a former Care Quality Commission Senior Area Manager, and new Head of CAREGiver Experience Sue George, a critical portfolio given their role at the beating heart of our relationship-led homecare model. We have a new Head of Business Performance, Katie Furey who has supported more than 40 franchisees through different stages of their business life cycle. National Office is also home to our in house legal counsel Natalia Lewis, who specialises in franchising, commercial and intellectual property law.  These 4 additional roles into the Senior Management Team emphasise the importance we place on the growth and profitability of the network and the quality of the homecare delivered to our clients, essential to our brand reputation.

5. Officially 5 star: We received a 5 Star rating for the 3^rd year running in Smith & Henderson’s annual Franchisee Satisfaction survey. With over 900 franchisors in the UK - 5 Star Franchisee Satisfaction from the independent market research company helps stellar franchisors stand out from the competition. We’re proud of our most recent results: 99% of our franchisees believe the services they provide are better than the competition, 94% of franchise owners believe the brand helps them differentiate themselves in the market place and 92% of franchisees believe the franchisor’s leadership has a clear vision for the future.

These 5 tips should be evidence enough that investing in a business with Home Instead Senior Care is a life decision to franchise with the best in the homecare sector.  Home Instead has 175 franchises across the UK, with 145 carefully mapped territories available as well as territory resale opportunities.