Senior Helpers – In-Home Assistance

Lance Hood: Hi, this is Lance Hood with ARCFranchising.com and today I want to introduce you to Senior Helpers. Senior Helpers is a national leader in professional In-home Assistance Services. Founded in Baltimore in 2001, they quickly built a reputation for providing the best in dependable, consistent and affordable elderly care services. This opportunity is a mature brand with low initial investment, large territories, strong income, and an extremely experienced corporate support team backed by state of the art training for your staff and caregivers. Our guest speaker is Devin Hughes, the Franchise Development Manager for Senior Helpers. Devin, thanks for joining us.

Devin Hughes: Hey, thanks Lance. I really appreciate it.

Lance Hood: What brought you to working with Senior Helpers?

Devin Hughes: So yeah, I've been in the franchise area for, industry, I guess you could say for six plus years and I actually worked on the operation side for a wide format signs and graphics company. I looked at the space and I went to outside sales for a period of time and one thing was that I wanted to give back to folks and I really wanted to be involved with an organization that was helping people. And so that's how I became involved with Senior Helpers and franchise development. Our main mission is to improve the quality of life for seniors in their family. And you can see once folks meet our leadership team that we're a very humble organization that's all about serving folks and the local community.

Lance Hood: From your experience, why do most people go into franchising?

Devin Hughes: So it's the systems and processes. And so I'll use Senior Helpers as an example and I know we're going to get into more of the content of what Senior Helpers provides, but we try and make programs and content for our franchisees that very much save them time and makes it so they don't have to reinvent the wheel. So programs like, we have a caregiver university and that has 700 plus courses for caregivers. That includes all the orientation courses and training so caregivers can come on board with you and it saves the owner's massive amount of time in terms of training their staff. So that's just a good example of the different things that we have put in place that helps our franchisees succeed. And you know, we've done this like you had mentioned 311 times and so we've learned the space. We have a process that is successful and what we tell our candidates is that, you know, from different walks of life, all we need you to do is execute our plan. We have a great staff that supports our franchisees across the US. And you know, our CEO, Peter Roth and co-founder mentioned this very frequently and compares our model to a vehicle, you know, we have a great car and engine and we have oil in the engine and we just need folks to come in and drive the vehicle and put some gas in the engine.

Lance Hood: Well then why should people consider the senior care industry specifically?

Devin Hughes: So the senior care industry is booming. It's extremely busy right now and it's growing in the future. So one of the best industries to be in, in my opinion. And in terms of franchising, the industry is growing by 25 percent over the next 10 years and growing from there. So our, again, I'll mention our CEO Peter Roth and Co founder, he talks about the senior care space as a silver tsunami is coming, which is a, you know, baby boomers, there's a lot of baby boomers who are going to be retiring over the next 10, 20 years and this space is going to be growing rapidly from there. And so, um, I, you talked about the initial investment and the nicest thing about the senior home care space is that we're providing care for seniors in their home. So if you look at the footprint of initial investment, you know, we require a thousand square foot office and you're going to have hire one staff member to run the office and computers and things like that.

You will hire some caregivers that are going to work in the senior's homes, but they only work when you have hours for them. So it's not like you have a large payroll burden and I compare it to, you know, the restaurant area in terms of, you know, you're going to put a large investment to buy all the furniture, all that shares the cook, the equipment for the restaurant, for the kitchen. And our model is much different. So we'll talk about the average sales and things like that. But for such a low initial investment, we have such a high upside to our model

Lance Hood: Well then, what exactly does Senior Helpers do?

Devin Hughes: So we provide a variety of services for seniors in home, as I mentioned. The main thing that we do not do is medical. So you'll find that in the senior home care medical space where you have folks that are applying medicines, taking shots, blood pressure, it's much more regulated by the government, much more expensive. So we're in this space where we're providing in-home care for seniors and some things that differentiate ourselves is that we focused on a wide variety of disease and chronic illness care. So we have an Alzheimer's and dementia program that no other franchise is endorsed by the Alzheimer's Foundation for America. It's an excellent program endorsed by Teepa Snow. Actually, we created it with Teepa Snow. She's a well known occupational therapist in that space. And so the big thing that we try and do is we understand the needs of the senior through an in-home assessment

Then we make sure through the Caregiver University I mentioned previously, that the caregivers have training on how to specifically work with that senior. So, if a senior comes to our office that has CLPD and the caregiver doesn't have that experience, they are going to jump on the Caregiver University and get trained on how to specifically work with that senior. So very specialized, very quality care and our disease and chronic illness focus really sets us apart. We have a Parkinson's program that nobody else has and again, a wide variety of training in that topic. So at the basic level we provide companionship care and that's helped around the house, activities of daily living. Then we provide support all the way up towards end-of-life scenarios where a certified nursing assistant is involved and that's like ambulation, bed transfer, hygiene and bathing. We're also providing concierge care, we call it, which is staffing for a nursing facilities and things of that nature.

So we've covered the full gamut in our space. It's 80 to 90 percent private pay, which is another benefit. You don't have to wait for the government or for insurance companies to get paid. So, basically caregivers are working in seniors' homes, unmonitored and it's really important for family members, which on average or typically 300 miles away from their relative... it's important to have a quality caregiver working in seniors' homes that's well trained. We put them through the full background credit checks, they're W-2 employees and not contract labor. We make sure that they're fully trained and we have a strong consistent brand across the United States. It's really important when you're connecting with family members, also referral sources that you have such a strong brand. We've received awards that no one else has that really set us apart in the area; Leader in Excellence, Provider of Choice and Employer of Choice from Best of Home Care... excellence awards that point to the quality of our service across the US.

Lance Hood: So then what type of person is ideal for this opportunity?

Devin Hughes: So we are... I'm going to talk very briefly about our operations team here. We have an excellent support. One of our main philosophies is when you succeed, we succeed and that is straight through all of our corporate culture, from our leadership team to our operations team. They're the best in business in my opinion, uh, headed by our VP of Operations, Mary Baxter. She's one of the smartest women I know. And each operations team member works with our franchisees. We've broken down the industry into key performance indicators and we have, again, a well put together process for starting your franchise and we work with you closely all the way up through running a very successful business. Our operations that are over a million, they still lean very heavily on our operations team. And the beauty of our model is that we can really take folks from all walks of life.

And so if you find yourself more of the financial side, management side, IT, for example, we basically look at that model and we have the franchisee focused mostly on the in-office operations. And we have a great program called Pitch Perfect Sales Training which breaks down the industry. Like I had mentioned before, referral sources are extremely important for driving revenue. We have a robust marketing team that helps drive leads both nationally and locally to our offices. But connecting with referral sources is critical as well to grow your business. And so in the case where it's a more management focused franchisee, we put together a custom business plan for our franchisees where they're hiring somebody to do more of the front face of the business, connecting with folks and being out in the community and vice versa. If we have someone who has a marketing focus, that's very sales oriented, we're going to help put together the custom business plan for staffing the office.

Lance Hood: So what, what are some of the typical questions franchisees have about Senior Helpers?

Devin Hughes: I think the first and foremost is a question about the industry. Let's just use the information technology example. I managed teams that work on computers all day. I had zero experience in the health and medical space, how am I going to be a candidate that works? Is this something that would work for me? What's your recommendations? The biggest thing to know and this kind of points back to why get involved with a franchise to begin with, that we have again broken down the market and the industry and we know how to run a successful business. We've done it 311 times and we've broken it down to a science. So people from all walks of life can be a comma franchisee and they don't necessarily need the medical background or any information about our space because we have such a great training program.

So our franchisees will come to a 10 day training at our corporate office and again, our franchise operations team will be working with a detailed checklist on how to get the office started, helping with staff members, suggestions on what staff members to hire. And you know, our operations team is going to be at a minimum touching base with our franchisees every month. The biggest thing there is that if there's any questions about this space, we have the full team that's supporting our franchisees here at headquarters. So through all of our training and support, our franchisees do not specifically need health experience before coming in and starting their Senior Helpers franchise.

Lance Hood: What is the typical ramp up time?

Devin Hughes: So typical ramp up time, if you look at our 2017 FDD and our sales graph, on average after 48 months our offices are just shy of the million dollar mark. Then on average, our offices after 60 months are at a million dollars. And that's our main goal is to get you over that mark. We have a ramp up time and we are very focused on helping our franchisees ramp up as quickly as possible. And that's why we have such detailed operations team members that are working at the beginning of the process and our marketing team and all of our offices are helping our franchisees ramp up as soon as possible.

Lance Hood: Well, can you share some stories of people who've opened?

Devin Hughes: Yeah, I mean we have, again, folks from all different backgrounds. We have offices that have just opened up in Boston area and across the US. The biggest thing there is that after training, our new franchisees hit the ground running. There's great stories of people who come from all walks of life. The folks in Boston just opened up and they have a sales and marketing background and his wife is gonna be joining the business soon. It's just great examples of folks, whether they're couples or doing this independently who are just really looking for a change. They're looking to do something new. A lot of people are tired of the corporate rat race and they want to put their pursuits into their own venture. And so we have a lot of success across the US and um, so thanks for that question.

Lance Hood: Senior Helpers looks like a great opportunity for the right person and I would just say that if you're listening right now and you're genuinely committed to getting a franchise, let's have a conversation and make sure that you get the right one. Because most franchises will compensate me for my time, there's no charge for my services. You can reach me at 888-627-2776, or schedule time to speak with me at speakwithlance.com.

Devin Hughes: Yeah. I just want to add too, opening a franchise is a very important and exciting time for folks and you're going to want to have proper guidance throughout the process. Folks like Lance, and specifically Lance, I mean he's great in this space and expert. And he's going to help walk you through, answer any questions and be there really to hold your hand throughout the process. So I definitely encourage you to reach out to Lance once you hear this, to learn more.

Lance Hood: Thank you, Devin. Opening a franchise can be incredible. It can give you a better quality of life and become one of the best investments you'll ever make. But just like any other investment, you don't want to go into it guessing, gambling or blind. Not all franchises are successful. My name is Lance Hood. My services are free. Let me help you find a better franchise.

Industry Leading Senior Care Franchise

Senior Helpers is a leading provider of quality, compassionate, in-home care and assistance for the elderly. With offices located throughout the country and around the world, we provide a comprehensive range of services to help facilitate comfortable and independent in-home living. Whether your loved one is in need of a little assistance around the house or full-time supervision and care, Senior Helpers is there to provide you care and comfort at a moment’s notice.

As a franchisee of Senior Helpers you get the best of both worlds: a chance to make a positive impact in your community as well as live out your dreams of business ownership. Becoming your own boss has never been easier or more fulfilling when you open a franchise with Senior Helpers.

We outshine our competition

• Senior Helpers is the only home care Franchise endorsed by the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, for our award-winning Program in Alzheimer’s & Dementia care.
• Senior Helpers is the only home care Franchise with a Parkinson’s Care program, that is endorsed by Michael J. Fox and National Parkinson’s Foundations.
• Multi-Year recognition by Home Care Pulse for being Best of Home Care.
• Team of proven support professionals at corporate with a system that works and a leadership team with over 100+ years of experience in franchising.
• Senior Helpers CEO and Co-founder Peter Ross is the President of the Home Care Association of America, the leading trade association for the home care industry.
• Online University that consists of over 600 training courses.
• 10 Day initial training for new Franchisees.
• According to Franchise Times, Senior Helpers had the largest growth percentage in the Health and Medical Franchise sector.
• Opportunity with Recognized Focus on U.S. Military Veterans and First Responders.
• Senior Helpers has a strategic staffing relationship with Glenner Town Square, which is a unique daycare concept serving Alzheimer’s and Dementia patients.
• Senior Helpers is the only home care company selected to join the Healthcare Leadership Council, which is an organization for transforming our nation’s healthcare system.

Points of Interest

Our high growth industry:

• A growing population of the world is made up of senior citizens in need of quality in-home care.
• In America senior demographics will grow by 25% over the next 10 years.
• According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly a quarter of the world’s population (2 billion people) will be 60 years or older by 2050 and nearly 20% of them will be 85 years old.
• The United Nations has released a “World Population Aging” report which states that the rate of growth in people over the age of 80 is expected to be about 2% ever year. This means that the market for senior care businesses will continue expanding.
• According to US Census data there will be 84 Million Seniors in the US by 2050
• Shape your future in a leading industry
• Be part of our team while building your own
• Aging population, booming opportunity
• Industry-leading ROI
• Growing markets
• Ongoing Support

Let us help you find Your Ideal Franchise: Click Here