George Demetriou is the Director of Seniors Helping Seniors in Harrow, Middlesex.

George started the franchise at the age of 70 after 25 years of setting up and running his own businesses. Seniors Helping Seniors appealed to him on both a personal and professional level.

Fast-forward three years, Seniors Helping Seniors Harrow has grown to provide fulfilling part-time employment for more than 20 local caregivers and support wonderful clients in the community.

Here, George discusses the story of the business so far, and the opportunity it presents to the future franchise owner.

Can you start off by summing up what Seniors Helping Seniors is?

Matching resources with demand: The purpose of the business is to match caring and active retired, or semi-retired people who still have a lot to give, with seniors who want help to continue living in their own homes.

Carers provide companionship, assistance at home and help getting out about. The service is bespoke to each person’s needs.

Carers are of a similar generation to the people for whom they’re providing support and that’s the magic of the service. The same person visits. The emphasis is on customer service and careful management and support.

Cost effective care option: State provision is poor and often provided late stage when care needs are critical. Seniors Helping Seniors is privately funded by clients. There is no dependence on council contracts. The emphasis is on keeping people well.

Enabling people to stay in their own homes often means residential care is avoided all together, saving families huge costs.

And what was it that appealed to you about the business?

It is unique in the care sector and it is a win win. I appreciate the clear strategy of niche businesses.

In-home care is what people want and it is right for people and right for society because keeping people well, prevents crises, prevents downward spirals of health and spiraling costs.

Carers are at the centre of the Seniors Helping Seniors system. We offer people work they want to do and it helps them stay well, financially independent and useful. Feeling useful is one of the factors that keeps people well.

The care we provide is not nursing and it is discrete. 60% of all the elderly care people receive in the country is support and encouragement. If nursing becomes necessary, we work with other providers.

Since there is no personal care in the service, Seniors Helping Seniors is in ‘clear waters’ and the business is not about regulations and box ticking like other care organisations. It’s about providing outstanding bespoke services on a personal level and our running costs are lower.

The concept resonated with me on both a personal and a professional level.

Living longer: 90 is said to be the new 65! Many of us will live for decades after finishing full-time work. There is a broad spectrum of seniors in all communities and Seniors Helping Seniors seemed to me to be a very sensible thing to do.

No shortage of clients: I would have been a client of Seniors Helping Seniors because my 89 year-old father-in-law had dementia and my mother-in-law was his carer.

We live a considerable distance away, which made it impossible to be there for the day-to-day things.

Sure enough, no sooner had we launched in Harrow than the phone started to ring with people in a similar position to us. Often the calls come from groups of siblings hoping to provide help for parents when they themselves didn’t live locally.

No shortage of carers: Caring, compassionate, mature people, many of whom were professional carers want to drop the personal care element of their work. It gets too much for people emotionally and physically eventually and the costs of providing nursing is often given as the reason carers are stressed and ‘chasing their tails’.

An army of ‘experts by experience’ who have cared for loved ones in the area also suit the role when they are ready to or need to return to work.
Every carer enjoys fulfilling flexible part-time work. Work that values older workers properly for the skills and local knowledge they have is in demand.

What does a typical day look like for you, as the owner and director of Seniors Helping Seniors in Harrow?

The initial phase was 100% marketing because we needed to let the community know that Seniors Helping Seniors existed in Harrow. Now the day is all about creating trust and a caring and compassionate environment for our clients and their families.

I ‘market’ less now because our new customers and new carers are word of mouth, but I communicate with people every day.

Administration could dominate the day. I delegate some activities to a trusted carer who was keen to take on more, so I concentrate on visiting new clients and their families, meeting carers and customer service.

What have you found most gratifying about owning a Seniors Helping Seniors franchise?

Fulfilment: The work of Seniors Helping Seniors has provided great personal fulfilment for me; both in terms of servicing our clients’ needs and offering part-time employment to other people who, like me, have something valuable to offer.

I have got something important off the ground.

The investment will probably be a nil sum for me given all the work I have put in, but I feel hugely proud of what I have achieved and I’m excited to find a worthy successor.

Local: I take great pride in the fact that our work is local; I’ve provided an important and valued service to the community in which I’ve lived for over 30 years.

Why are you selling your business?

I love the drive of launching businesses. I’d call myself a hunter not a farmer by nature so now the business is established, the management side of it is less appealing.

I attended a Seniors Helping Seniors conference in America while I was visiting family last summer and the excitement of everyone involved made me realise I may not have the energy to hunt like I used to so I decided with my UK franchisors, to look for my successor.

And what do you think the opportunities are for the business in Harrow?

Demographics in Harrow: The latest figures from the Office of National Statistics indicate that the number of people over the age of 75 living in our area is set to increase by nearly 30% in the next decade; that figure more than doubles if you look ahead 20 years from now. Perfect for the next franchise owner.

Demand: The inevitability of a local ageing population and the transience of the family structure, means demand for both aspects of this business will grow. We have a solid platform of relationships, reputation, brand recognition and trust. There is excitement in the area for what we do.

Finish what I started: Although my heart knows now is the right time for me to pass the business on, it’s quite a difficult proposition to walk away from!

What sort of qualities do you think a future franchise owner would need to have?

It’s hard not to come back to that tagline that first caught my eye. ‘good-hearted entrepreneur’– I think that really sums it up. I found that to be the guiding principle when I met the team in America and it’s certainly true of the UK team

Genuine: I’d love to see someone with the drive and ambition to expand in Harrow, Pinner and Northwood.

A real people person, with a genuine desire to help. Someone who trusts a proven formula.

Optimistic: The role demands an optimistic outlook and someone who is solutions minded. Sense of humour is a definite, people love our team for our fun.

And if you could offer one piece of advice to your successor, what would it be?

Your focus is to help people achieve what they want and need. I love this quote “You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”

If you are thinking about a franchise at any stage in your life, jump in!

Seniors Helping Seniors is an outstanding franchise opportunity has a low entry cost, great terms, low overheads, award winning customer service and a great heart. You can trust your gut feeling on this, the people involved care about you and your success.

It’s a unique care model and I’d recommend it as an opportunity in any area.

Harrow is special: As an established business in Northwood, Harrow and Pinner, you’ll be working in a wonderful community. You’ll hit the ground running with referrers, customers, carers and amazing records including customer recommendations, a history on social media, as well as established working relationships.

The team: You will be joining a hugely supportive team who are fun to work with. Anyone taking over by July, will have access to ground breaking Public Relations training delivered by an angel investor who wants “to help us shout from the rooftops about the success we are having.