Your Blueprint for Success
The amount of training and support a franchisee can expect from the parent business varies greatly. Generally speaking, much of the success an owner will experience depends on the match she or he makes when purchasing a franchise, the degree of training received, and the availability of ongoing support. This training and support must also be balanced with independence because individual franchisees need to manage their own office well in order to thrive. A worthwhile franchise, therefore, gives training and support when needed, but doesn’t micro-manage.HomeWell Senior Care has developed a unique approach to training and preparing franchise owners for success. There are various elements associated with the training program, including formal and informal sessions. To begin with, however, HomeWell wants to make sure the match between the corporation and potential franchisee is a good one. To do this, they have each prospect visit their home office.
While investigating franchise opportunities, Sharon Beatty of St. Louis came to the conclusion, “You have to go with your gut reaction.” She and her twin sister Sherrone Beatty-Wells are used to following their intuition and it warned them away from many of the franchises they researched.
Then, this same intuition gave them the green light when it came to HomeWell Senior Care. “We met the people at HomeWell and felt an immediate connection with them,” said Sherrone Beatty-Wells, who added that the philosophy of service the company has matched their own.
Sharon and Sherrone liked the fact that HomeWell is a relatively new business. “We wanted to grow with a franchise,” said Sharon. “With HomeWell it’s like being part of a family, not just a number.”
This feeling was confirmed when the women visited the corporate offices of HomeWell Senior Care for a face to face meeting. “They explained everything about the business,” said Sherrone, “and we interviewed each other.”
The sisters experienced validation and respect from HomeWell owner Joshua Hoffman. This, and the similarity of values they recognized in the corporation, confirmed their decision to purchase the franchise.
The process of training begins as soon as a HomeWell license is awarded. While formal classroom training is scheduled, other elements of gaining skills necessary to succeed are implemented immediately, including an introductory conference call outlining everything from expectations to operations and development calls to setting up e-mail support prior to formal classroom training.
Because entrepreneurs want to get going on their business right away, practical elements of set up support are provided immediately. HomeWell offers a Fast Start Marketing Program through which they flood the new franchisee’s marketing region with brochures, e-mail and postcards. HomeWell of Cincinnati owner Dave Gilbert said this “gave them an extremely large bank of names and facilities to focus on. We used that as a beginning point and it certainly helped.” The direct marketing from Seattle to their client base in Cincinnati encompassed virtually every facet of the non-medical health industry.
“HomeWell provides very good literature and brochures that we use extensively,” said Gilbert.
As scheduled classroom training approaches, weekly review calls with the new partner and HomeWell are conducted to ensure deadlines for training are met, required tasks are accomplished and questions are answered. Topics that are often covered early on in the process range in scope from where the best location of an office is to state regulatory requirements.
Weekly or biweekly review calls with the corporate team help to maximize the training experience in Seattle, as classroom training is the final step prior to opening a HomeWell Senior Care business. And, throughout the process, HomeWell is there to ensure the success of the franchise owner, demonstrated in the company’s mode of operation from the very beginning.
The real hands-on experience with HomeWell begins with the training, which is comprehensive, yet enjoyable. Each function of the business is detailed, including proprietary protocols, processes and best practices. Training is broken into modules to stimulate the adult learning model, including classroom style, role playing, self-assessment tools, group learning and one-on-one time with experienced trainers.
Successful HomeWell owner Brian Cantwell of Burlington, Ontario said that owning your own business is not something easily accomplished if you haven’t done it before, but “The training we went through, the policies and procedures and manuals provided by HomeWell saved a lot of time in getting us up and running.”
Once a new owner has completed the formal training in Seattle, the learning still continues back home in the marketplace. HomeWell corporate provides various levels of support and all owners are empowered to call upon the team at any time. Because much of HomeWell culture is rooted in empowerment, cumbersome reporting or reviews are not required.
“They allow me to run the business the way I want,” said Louis Romano of Bergen County, New Jersey. “I’m very independent and they sense that. If I need them I call them up and they’re there to help me no matter what — even early Sunday morning or late Saturday night — within five minutes.”
As much as he appreciates the independence HomeWell gives him, Romano, who started his franchise ownership soon after completing graduate school, also values their support. He recalls, “At first I was doing a lot on my own, not following the formula HomeWell sets up. I was sitting and waiting for referrals to generate themselves. Then Joshua called up and asked me how it was going. We talked and he told me to follow their way and I began marketing, making phone calls. I threw out my suit and tie and began to be myself and speak from my heart. That worked and the business took off. I was happy to stick with this formula and be real. I’ve done that ever since and it’s been cool.”
Along with on demand support, additional assistance from HomeWell can take the form of a monthly call or a week-long market visit. While HomeWell counsel is gentle in nature, it is focused on results.
Industry information is continually updated for franchisees with HomeWell’s weekly owner’s newsletter, scheduled conference calls, on-line modules and individual support calls. Whether with the HomeWell family for a year or a lifetime, training is always available to aid each owner as needed, with the desire to exceed expectations.
