Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion about succession, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?
When my brother was paralyzed after a car accident, my entire life changed. He needed round-the-clock care, and the social worker at the hospital had recommended home care–I didn’t even know what that was at the time. I honestly didn’t even know that home care was a possibility until he needed it. The more I researched home care for my brother, the more I saw an opportunity; although I was not searching for a homecare business, the more appealing Right at Home became. In 2013, I bought into a resale opportunity and has since expanded into two additional territories.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
Caregiving is a passion from the heart and continues to give, even off the clock. When I first opened my business, I remember my first client and staffing our first caregiver. The client, needed a lot of care, while his daughter went to work. The client had an unsteady gate, was on oxygen, and needed assistance doing activities of daily living. I stopped by, to check on the client and caregiver for a supervisory visit, the client was so excited to tell me, how much he appreciated his caregiver, he started to cry. He said we have become such good friends. At that time, the client could only afford 4 hours a day, and it worked perfectly with the caregiver’s schedule because she needed to get home to care for her mom. During her off hours, she would call the client and check on him, daily, until his daughter arrived home. The family was so thankful to not only have such a great caregiver but to also have someone so caring and passionate as a family member.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?
“Find Joy in Chaos” — When running a business, the owner is constantly managing from one crisis to another crisis. Even as your business grows, you are still navigating the systems and tools for your staff, in managing crisis. It’s a lesson I learned early in creating a joyful culture for staff and yourself, in managing chaotic states. Creating a joyful culture is creating, genuine relationships, good communication, and being transparent, which is the essence of finding joy in the chaos.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
Our company stands out, by our product and service offering of great caregivers. Our employees are our stand-out feature. We are in a service business, and we invest in training and resources for our staff, to not only excel in their role as a caregiver but also offer resources for life skills. Investing in our employees, in turn, has helped us live out our mission, of improving the lives of those we serve.
What factors did you consider when selecting your franchise, and how did you determine it was the right fit for you?
When researching franchises, I initially considered five different brands. This was my first significant investment, and I wanted to ensure I had all the information before making a final decision. My top criteria were thorough and effective training, the culture of the organization, and its financial strength. Franchisee satisfaction also played a significant role in my decision-making. I wanted to ensure other owners were satisfied with their purchase.
Can you share a significant challenge you faced while establishing your franchise? How did you overcome this obstacle, and what did this experience teach you about running a successful franchise? I had to become comfortable marketing the brand.
I had one-on-one, in-person training with my Right at Home business coach to better understand the brand and market my services effectively. I’ve always thought of myself as an introverted person. Therefore, I needed help understanding face-to-face marketing. My franchise business coach recognized growth opportunities and started one-on-one personal training sessions with me. My franchise supports and encourages success through its unique culture and marketing. It truly exemplifies being in business for yourself but not by yourself. Support is an actionable item for Right at Home. My coach flew from Nebraska to Texas to share best practices and walk me through the process of face-to-face marketing and cold calls.
In hindsight, what advice would you give to potential franchisees about selecting a franchise that aligns with their personal and professional goals?
Follow the franchisee system! The system is the secret shortcut to success as your brand is one of the most significant assets to help your new franchise business succeed. After all, customers have already grown to know and love the brand, so recognition and trust alone will get customers through your doors. The system works, following the brand.
What are your “Five Things I Wish I Knew Before Opening a Franchise”?
- Knowing my numbers, I wish I had understood the numbers sooner and paid more attention to them. Focus on gross margin. Profit baby.
- wish I had clarified our team values first, identifying what mattered most for the team to succeed, and using those values as my criteria for all business decisions.
- Networking is very important. You have to talk about your business with others at all times. It’s the lifeline of your business, even if you have a salesperson.
- You have to build a great network, your inside network of your office and outside network impact your day-to-day operations and success. Your outside network includes other franchisees and your company vendors that impact your success.
- Invest in creating a great company culture in which all employees understand, and feel the values being implemented.
As your franchise has grown, what have been the key drivers of its success? Looking forward, what strategies do you plan to implement to ensure continued growth and sustainability in an ever-evolving market?
The old adage “location, location, location” rings true for franchises as well. The choice of location can make or break a franchise. A prime location with high foot traffic and a target audience that aligns with the franchise’s offerings can significantly contribute to its success. Factors to consider when evaluating potential locations include demographic profiles, competitive landscape, accessibility, visibility, zoning regulations, and the overall economic climate of the area. Franchisees need to conduct thorough market analysis and site selection research to identify the optimal location for their franchise.
As someone steering the ship, what thoughts or concerns often keep you awake at night? How do those thoughts influence your daily decision-making process?
Thinking back to the example above where you can see a direct correlation between the failure to deliver an exceptional customer experience to declining revenues, you need to ensure that you have defined playbooks readily available that tell you the precise actions that a franchisee should take to address this specific performance shortfall. And, better yet, your operations technology should have a workflow that allows you to assign the playbook whenever the standards have failed to be achieved. The playbook allows the franchisee to report back on the completion status and allows the franchise business consultant to monitor progress. A great feature to look for is the ability to upload photographs and videos of the standards being met and achieved.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Sitting is the new smoking. As we are coming out of the pandemic and being an entrepreneur, we can find ourselves sitting a lot, sitting for Zoom meetings, and tackling day-to-day tasks. One way to be a better entrepreneur is just simply moving, and moving with purpose. For example, incorporate walks for my calls and take breaks in between meetings.
How can our readers further follow you online?
- https://www.facebook.com/rightathomecollindenton/
- https://www.rightathome.net/collin-denton, www.rightathome.net
- https://www.instagram.com/michelle_rankine_phd/?hl=en
Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!