"Bluebird Care is a fantastic organisation"

Initial Investment Required £32,500 + VAT

Summary of Operation

Bluebird Care is a management franchise, recruiting and managing care staff, who provide a high quality care service to individuals in their own homes.

Jonathan Billington (pictured top with Vanessa Billington and Franchise Director Simon Dalziel) had been working as a Global Account Director for five years, when he realised that despite the six-figure salary, his job lacked the challenges and enjoyment he craved from his career.

“My previous job was all about money,” explains Jonathan. “But I wanted more than that and being my own boss was the way forward. I was sick of not having control of my own destiny.

“During the latter part of last year, I read about domiciliary care and thought what a tremendous opportunity the sector offered – it was an expanding market and I wanted to be part of it. Although a number of members of my family had been working in the care sector for many years, I had never really thought about it until then.

“I knew if I wanted to move into caring then I needed to do it with an established organisation and work in Surrey. After short-listing a couple of companies, it was Bluebird Care that jumped out, as it provides great opportunities to excel because its model is head and shoulders above the rest.”

Finding his ideal new career wasn’t the only change for Jonathan, as his wife, Vanessa, joined him as his partner in Bluebird Care Elmbridge & Runnymede territory, when it was launched five months ago.

“Vanessa was very supportive of my change in career and – after spending nine years as a housemum – she saw investing in Bluebird Care would be a success and wanted to play a major part in that, as it would be changing all our lives,” says Jonathan.

“Bluebird Care is a fantastic organisation and it really conveys the passion for care and its head office staff are eager for its franchise owners to convey that. The whole franchise package has been excellent from the induction course – which was very, very thorough and prepared us well – to knowing that help and advice is there whenever we need it.”

Bluebird Care prides itself on helping its franchise owners through every stage of their territory’s development including helping selecting the right staff and structuring marketing.

“When you invest in a franchise you are using proven a model, which has steps you have to follow and it is a faster way to being profitable but it is still a lot of hard work,” adds Jonathan.

“A lot of our success has been the power of the brand because when people are researching care providers they know that Bluebird Care is well established and has a reputation for excellence in the sector.”

Jonathan has nothing but praise for Bluebird Care and is delighted that he made the decision to become part of the Brand’s network.

“It’s a vibrant business to be in, as there is always something going on and it’s very absorbing. I love recruiting people – it creates a real buzz when I feel we have found a high quality person to become part of my team. The customer side is vital as it’s about imparting to your staff Bluebird Care’s passion to always prioritise your customers’ needs.”

Jonathan and Vanessa are laying the foundations for their territory’s success and eventually invest in further areas, but for now Jonathan is enjoying being his own boss.

“I had got to the point in my life where I wasn’t excited about my job, I didn’t want to do less but just wanted more control and be able to leap out of bed in the morning all fired up and raring to go. Becoming part of Bluebird Care’s network has given me that and much more,” adds Jonathan.

Reported by Fraser McKay