Having been a franchisee with McDonalds for over 11 years and now as the MD of Right at Home in the UK, I have seen the franchise industry from both sides of the fence. Our franchisees recently took part in the independent satisfaction survey by Smith & Henderson and we were rated 95% in terms of overall satisfaction. This got me thinking about what makes a good franchisor and what franchisees should expect.

My experience of franchising tells me it is too often about the franchisors need as opposed to the franchisees. Our model is the polar opposite; we focus on –

• Franchisees should feel appreciated and valued.
• Rather than being dependent, franchisees should feel independent and entrepreneurial.
• Franchisors should include and consult with owners to give them. certainty in their business.
• Owners should be allowed to build businesses without glass ceilings

Franchisees can only be successful if they receive outstanding support from the franchisor. What does this support look like? Our system is built around and all about our franchisees – they are at the centre of our business not the other way around.

In our sector – home care – franchisees can only give superb customer service if they feel fully supported by head office. Our objective is to have fully engaged franchisees with outstanding territories and support resulting in turnover and profits above the sector average.

The franchisor-franchisee relationship needs to be one of trust and there must be a win-win for both parties. The franchisee has invested their time, money and effort in the business so this must be reciprocated by the franchisor.

A good franchisor must not grow so fast that the support resources are spread too thin. Right at Home has a measured growth philosophy of 6-8 new offices per year. This way we can ensure we bring on board only the highest quality franchisees who are absolutely committed to providing quality care at home to their valued clients.

Providing the right level of training cannot be overestimated. We have invested heavily in training and development programmes which ensure franchisees are fully equipped to run a home care business and that they in turn can recruit and motivate staff who will go the extra mile in providing the best quality care. Our owners come from diverse backgrounds outside of the care sector so the training really has to be comprehensive, practical and absorbing.

Profit should not be the prime motivator for franchisors or owners. It is important that franchisees get a good return on their investment but in our sector we need people who also want to make a difference in their community and have a passion for caring for people. We want to be seen as the franchise of choice in the care sector and the company of choice for quality homecare in the local community.

About Right at Home

Right at Home now has more than 400 locations on five continents. After successfully reaching the $1 billion sales mark in the US, representing more than 50 million hours of care to more than 75,000 seniors, the homecare franchise has successfully opened in the UK, Brazil, China, Canada, Ireland, Japan, Australia and Netherlands.

In the UK, master franchisee Ken Deary has built a network of almost 30 franchise offices, which has resulted in the employment of circa 600 people. Ken has a 20 year track record in the franchise sector having been introduced to franchising at McDonalds where he went on to become a British Franchise Association Franchisee of the Year as well as winning the coveted Golden Arches award, given to the company’s most successful international operators.

Right at Home won the coveted British Association Emerging Franchisor of the Year Award this year and recently achieved the coveted five star franchise award for outstanding support to their Franchisees.

If you would like to find out more about what we do, please consider attending one of our Franchise Discovery Days at our Head Office in Preston on the dates below. This is your chance to thoroughly investigate the Right at Home opportunity, and meet the people that provide the training and support that we are so proud of. There really is no better way to find out if you’ll feel Right at Home!

The next available dates are:

• Tuesday 10th Feb
• Tuesday 24th Feb
• Tuesday 10th March
• Thursday 24th March
• Thursday 9th April
• Tuesday 21st April