According to Advanced Nurse Practitioner John Woods, for him and his wife Clare, a speech and language therapist, their new Kare Plus franchise is the culmination of successful careers spent in professional health care.
“I started as a carer originally before going to college and being trained as a nurse,” John explains. “I progressed through to senior positions, working for the NHS in various sectors, before becoming a successful senior manager with a pharmaceutical nutrition company, so I’ve gained valuable project management and HR experience over a 20-year career. Over the last couple of years I have had my own consultancy company, so my clinical and managerial experience, together with the business skill sets I’ve acquired, have prepared me perfectly for building a business with Kare Plus.”
John says that he and Clare have shared a long-held ambition to run their own business. Clare too, has worked independently, as well as within the Health Service, and has amassed a wealth of local contacts, which they believe will prove invaluable during the infancy of their franchise.
“We were looking for the right opportunity and undertook a comprehensive analysis of our options. Franchising seemed to be the best course and we were naturally drawn back to healthcare, where we could draw on our expertise and continue to make a positive contribution to people’s lives.”
After many meetings with various franchises, John confirms that Kare Plus was an instinctive choice.
“Although we had taken plenty of time to review all opportunities, when we met the Kare Plus team, it took us a matter of minutes to decide that we’d found exactly what we wanted,” John continues. “Obviously, we did our due diligence before making the final commitment, but we clicked with Kare Plus; the chemistry was right from the start.”
The overarching reason for the couple’s decision was the opportunity to build a multiple-income stream business, as well as a lower working capital requirement, which meant they could move forward quickly.“We’re both autonomous, experienced professionals, so we wanted the right blend of support and nurturing, but without being micro-managed. Kare Plus delivers exactly that balance.”
John and Clare are delighted to have secured the Kare Plus Brighton territory. It is an area they love and it’s where they have built their home. For Kare Plus, it’s a significant territory, with an affluent population and an older age profile. Many retire to this and other South Coast resorts, so there is an increasing requirement for care.
“Hopefully for Kare Plus we’re a ‘safe pair of hands’. It’s important for them to have the right people in place and for us it’s a great opportunity to build a successful business,” John says. “Although we’ve only just opened our doors, we’ve had fantastic support, with plenty of ‘hand-holding’ where we’ve needed it. Now we’re ready for a big recruitment push before targeting our first customers.
“Our aim is to grow strongly and steadily, making sure we build a reputation of quality services in line with the national brand ethos. As healthcare professionals, we understand the size of the potential marketplace and believe we can capitalise on some of the new emerging market opportunities. We are already planning to invest in a second Kare Plus territory and our ambition is to become a significant player in providing excellent care solutions in Brighton and Hove.”