Tim enjoys every moment

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After studying Business Management at Reading University, Tim Rowland Jones – Bluebird Care’s franchise owner for Bath and North East Somerset – had gone on to work in the family business, Rowland’s Clothing.

He had seen first-hand how his parents worked hard and built a successful business over many years, which really inspired him to run his own company.

“The time had come for me to leave the business, which sadly coincided with the deterioration of my grandfather’s dementia,” explains Tim. “I had had no prior experience in the care industry at all, so visiting him at his residential home was a real eye opener. “I would spend most days of the week visiting him and the other residents living there. I found it incredibly rewarding chatting to the people with dementia.”

From a commercial point of view, he was also very aware that providing care in people’s own homes – as opposed to residential care – was an industry that was growing fast. “I would have been very nervous getting involved in a market that was perhaps not as secure or with less room for growth,” explains Tim.

He investigated a number of care franchises. “I was naturally keen to make the right choice and looked in detail at what was available. However, I knew almost immediately from my initial meeting with the staff I met at Bluebird Care head office that it was the right choice for me. The staff’s passion for what they did and how they did it was obvious. Bluebird Care is very good at what its does, which was proved to me by the rapid expansion of the network in the UK and Ireland. It is a brand I really wanted to be part of.”

As with all Bluebird Care franchise owners, Tim attended the initial franchise training course at the company’s head office, so by the time he launched his business, he felt confident that he had the full understanding of the Bluebird Care business systems and procedures.

“The level of support I have received was fantastic right from the very first day,” he says. “I was assigned a Business Development Manager (BDM) from head office, who was very involved in every aspect of setting up the business, including guiding me through the care provider registration process and advising on all aspects of running the business.”

After launching his franchise, Tim has been very impressed with the ongoing support he receives from Bluebird Care to help develop his business and make him feel a valued part of the franchise network.

“My BDM is always at the end of the phone should I need any advice at all and we have regular meetings in my office,” he adds.

“I have enjoyed every moment of being a Bluebird Care franchise owner. I love coming to work every day and I feel particularly proud of the standard of care we are providing to the local community. In terms of business development and growth in the first nine months, we have surpassed all the targets we set ourselves and we are growing at a steady pace. We have 80 customers who we care for regularly and employ about 30 staff.

“If we continue to grow at the same steady rate, which has been exceeding my business plan, then I will be more than happy. We are still relatively new in Bath and we continue to establish ourselves as the best in the business for care at home. I want us to really set the standard and to be recognised as the market leader and for me to have a very profitable business.”

Reported by Fraser McKay