Qualicare Franchise Blog

In a previous Qualicare blog, How to Grow a Qualicare Client Base, we outlined a few ways that franchise owners develop a client base for their new business.

Networking is one way franchise owners grow business, and it’s worth a strategic deep-dive. Though it can seem overwhelming and time-consuming, networking is absolutely key to establishing a healthy client base, and it deserves thoughtful planning.

Qualicare franchise owners are suggested to spend the first year heavily networking with healthcare workers and specialists, social workers in hospitals and clinics, discharge planners, and community health organizations. These people are key to network with, as they already have relationships with prospective clients who may need Qualicare’s services.

The mantra, “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” really is true in creating a successful in-home senior care franchise.

Here are a few tips to establishing a successful networking plan:

Individuals are more likely to trust people who they’ve met in-person or talked to on the phone or through video chat. Getting to know other professionals who could help with your at-home health care business will require many cultivated relationships, and one-on-one meetings are a great way to quickly establish a connection.

One-on-one meetings with caregivers and social workers is vital to finding clients. Additionally, relationships with people such as clergy and faith leaders, who work with individuals who may require long-term home health care, are also vital to accessing a network of prospective Qualicare clients and partners. Requesting a one-on-one business meeting or more casual coffee meeting is the first step to accessing new networks.

2. Join entrepreneurial organizations

Joining a professional organization means you immediately have access to like-minded people in your profession. A shared connection to an organization or club is an easy starting point of conversation with other professionals who may want to help support your business.

Getting involved in these organizations could be a big boost to your visibility as well. Helping plan events for the organization or taking part in them, especially if it pertains to senior care franchise professionals, will help other professionals get to know your face, your name, and your business.

3. Attend conferences & local functions

Like joining entrepreneurial organizations, the benefits of attending local events and conferences means meeting a higher quantity of people in a shorter amount of time.

Speaking at conferences, in particular, is a great way to establish credibility with prospective clients, and to help other healthcare professionals see Qualicare as a great company to work with. Sharing information helps establish trust, which is why conferences are ideal places for networking.

These connections may not be as meaningful however until having a one-on-one meeting, so following up with individuals you’ve met at conferences and functions no more than one week after meeting is recommended.

4. Maintain a strong and steady online presence

These days, it is very important to maintain a steady online presence on social media, and on your website. Communication is key to networking, and the ways that businesses communicate online say a lot about their business as a whole.

Many companies schedule posts on social media, such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, as well as LinkedIn. Updates to company blogs and websites throughout the week serve to maintain a steady stream of communication to current and prospective partners and clients.

Blogs on company websites are particularly helpful in networking new connections as well. Well-placed SEO (search-engine optimization) terms can help prospective clients and partners in business find your Qualicare franchise easily through search engines.

Networking online by commenting on other companies’ or individual’s social media accounts, and actively engaging in conversations online, also contributes to algorithms which can help promote your content.

5. Hiring strong employees

One aspect of networking that naturally occurs are the connections made through quality employees. When hiring a home health care professional, consider the background of the prospective hire. Have they worked at a variety of places? Do they have strong professional connections in the field? Could they bring in multiple new valuable connections to your business?

The strength of the employee will correspond to the network of new connections, and fortunately for franchise owners, Qualicare has an established system for vetting prospective employees.

6. Schedule events 3 months out

One way to be certain networking is always a priority, is to maintain an active social calendar of networking events, scheduling at least 3 months out. Networking should be viewed as a vital aspect of any business plan and will be more easily maintained if it is always included in your events calendar. 

Interested in learning more about how networking can help make you a business success in one of the best senior care franchise opportunities available? Check out Qualicare’s franchising website & request information today!

Are you looking for a career change and wondering if self-employment could be a good fit? It’s a question Qualicare franchise owners have had to ask themselves, and is an interesting topic to explore.

A comprehensive 2019 Intuit report on employment found that nearly 30% of workers in the U.S., and nearly 40% in Canada are at least in part, self-employed.

This trend is rising steadily, and according to a 2021 New York Times article, 5 Health Care Jobs on the Rise, health care jobs are expanding in general. Job growth for partners in care, such as home health and personal aid caregivers, nurses, massage therapists, and mental health experts, means that opportunities for self-employment are expanding across home health care in general.

Though there are additional challenges and unknowns to self-employment compared to working for an employer, motivated people often thrive in environments which are flexible and full of possibilities. And, regardless of if you start a franchise or individual small business, depending on your situation, there could be government resources and benefits to individuals seeking self-employment, such as military veteran benefits or for assistance to individuals with disabilities.

Flexibility & creativity

Self-employment allows franchise owners to have flexibility, creativity, and control over their lives. Owning your own business means you create your own schedule. You decide when to take a vacation without prior approval, and how to best structure your days. Families of individuals who are self-employed benefit from the flexibility as well, as children can potentially have more time with parents, and a more healthy balance between work life and home life can be achieved.

The goal of self-employment leading to a balanced life focused on the holistic needs of families and individuals, echoes Qualicare’s 360 degree approach to care.

As an in-home senior care franchise, the 360 degree approach means that Qualiare franchises not only assist clients with their healthcare needs, but also with the needs of their daily lives. For instance, if a client recovering from surgery needs assistance buying groceries, booking an appointment at a hairdresser, and organizing the multiple healthcare providers they need, Qualicare provides this assistance. All aspects of a client’s life are part of the care plan, which gives Qualicare franchise owners a real sense of purpose for their business.

Jen Krum, a registered nurse and Qualicare franchise owner in Bozeman, Montana, said “I really enjoy the Qualicare model,” in her testimony video about why she wanted to become a Qualicare self-employed franchise owner.

Growth and expansion

The senior care franchise market provides a broad range of positive opportunities for self-employment, and according to a 2021 article in Forbes, The Future of Healthcare is Coming Home: Three Major Trends to Leverage for Startups, the U.S. home care market is expected to grow from $100B in 2016 to $225B by 2024.

The ongoing growth to the home health care industry provides ample opportunity for new businesses, and for professional development. A major benefit to working for yourself is that if you want to learn about a new skill, you get to just do it. No middle man or proposal is required for approval when you are your own boss.

Are you interested in learning more about self-employment as a Qualicare senior home care franchise owner? Check out Qualicare’s website, where you can learn about franchise owner’s journeys, and request information about starting a Qualicare franchise today!

As the VP of Business Development at Qualicare, Nathan Weber is an Entrepreneur and an expert in Lead Generation, Sales and Marketing, and New Business Models, with over 24 years of experience in the Franchise world. And it's thanks to that expertise that thefranchiseuniverse.com featured him in their latest interview, where he talks about the fast-growing needs for Senior Home Health Care Services and how innovative technology solutions and continuous training on the care professionals will enable Qualicare to deliver exceptional care.

Many times, the youths of the families may be busy in their learnings, tasks, and responsibilities, and they may not get sufficient time to pay attention to the needs and care of the elder people in the family. For many seniors with limited strength or mobility, daily tasks are simply more difficult and time consuming than in previous years. To address these needs Qualicare Home Care’s caregivers offer a helping hand to seniors in the family around the home and assist with activities of daily living.

With Daily Tasks and Household Management assistance, Qualicare’s caregivers provide the support and assistance your loved one needs to live safely at home. From delivering specialized home care to managing everyday tasks, or simply keeping company for your loved one, Qualicare works with clients to develop a custom home care plan that compassionately responds to your lovedone’s needs, for as long as they need it. Whether your loved one needs help around the house or more specialized attention, its 360° Approach provides a complete care solution.

Qualicare’s personal care services cover many of the physical aspects of home care. These services are particularly useful to clients with limited strength, coordination, or mobility, as well as clients coping with chronic health conditions such as arthritis or diabetes. The company provides complete care for people’s body and home. With Qualicare it is possible for clients to make their everyday life more manageable, comfortable and enjoyable.

Nathan Weber is the VP of Business Development at Qualicare. Nathan is an Entrepreneur and an expert in Lead Generation, Sales and Marketing, and new Business Models, with over 24 years of experience in the Franchise world. His flexibility and well-rounded background make him an asset in any business environment. As the VP of Franchise Development, Nathan has driven a lot of Qualicare’s expansion by finding qualified candidates who are passionate about healthcare and desire to be entrepreneurs.

In an interview with The Franchise Universe, Nathan Weber shares the journey of Qualicare Home Care and about its contribution in the Home Healthcare and Senior care along with its contributions to the franchises. Qualicare’s system allows for both medical and non-medical backgrounds. It is fueled by people who want to make a real difference. It offers a very affordable start-up model with high returns on investment. It guides franchises step by step in becoming a successful, happy Qualicare franchise partner. It provides customized support to franchises at every stage of their businesses, initial training, start-up phase, and growth phase.

Below are the Highlights of the Interview:

• Give us a brief overview and journey of Qualicare since its inception along with your role at the company.
  
  When Wayne Nathanson’s father was diagnosed with Lou Gherig’s disease, his challenging care required coordinating over 40 care and health practitioners. Fortunately, his wife Andrea’s nursing skills, home care expertise, and resourcefulness created a system that allowed his father to be provided with the holistic care he needed. As you can imagine, the care was quite complex. Andrea and Wayne, an experienced businessman, were the perfect combination of experiences to begin a company focused on case management from the start. Since then, Qualicare has opened locations across all of Ontario and is starting to expand into the rest of Canada and the United States.
  
  
• As a business leader, what is your opinion on the effects of the current pandemic on the Hospital & Health Care Industry?
  
  We’ve seen healthcare preferences make a sharp shift from long term care facilities as the norm to families and the elderly desire to stay in the home and receive care there instead. These days, three out of four older Americans plan to age in place—that is, live independently in their family homes. And thanks to innovative care strategies, it’s entirely possible for seniors to live safely in the place they feel most comfortable.
  
• What is your opinion on the advancements for Veterans Care to improve the offerings with newer technological developments, especially when it comes to building a population of healthy individuals?
  
  With the help of technology, seniors are empowered to live more independently. That involves everything from electric stairlifts to monitoring devices, home safety alarms, and smart lighting systems. Even seeing a doctor has become easier: thanks to Telemedicine, you can call or video chat with your physician or specialists remotely, eliminating the need to travel and spend time in medical offices. Qualicare has technology partners with our local care team to help put together the right plan for care and technology working together.
  
  
• Which is the best way to meet today’s and tomorrow’s challenges with your Exceptional assistance for urgent needs coming our way?
  
  The best way we can do this is by pushing forward on multiple fronts for advancement and always working to anticipate the needs of the families we care for. We are doing this by searching for qualified franchise owners to be able to provide our 360-degree care in more parts of North America, continually pushing the standard of care to go beyond care, finding the right local partners and innovative technology solutions, and ensuring we are training our care professionals the right way to be able to deliver on our promise of exceptional care.
  
  
• As an established business leader, what would be your advice to the budding healthcare leaders aspiring to venture into the Home Health Care Services?
  
  The biggest piece of advice I can give is to get into this industry only if your heart is in it and you’ll go to great lengths to ensure the quality of care is high. The families we care for need to be able to rely on the support and coordinated care we provide and beyond that, the business is incredibly rewarding.
  
  
• How do you envision on sustaining your holistic care competency in a cutthroat and volatile world of wellness center? Where do you see your Home Care in the next five years?
  
  Our holistic approach looks at both medical and non-medical care and designs a personalized care plan that works towards the goal of the individual, whether that be recovery from illness, improving quality of life, reversing conditions, or simply being able to live the last stage of life at home. In the end, companies that have the right intentions and are able to execute will thrive and if we are serving our clients knowing we are achieving this high standard, we will be living out our mission.