"Since I launched in September 2009 I have had a steady stream of enquiries from both private clients and social services looking for home care," beams John. "I love the fact that I am now in a position where I am able to continue developing and improving the standard of care within my local community.
"My bank manager introduced me to the Caremark franchise a few years ago. She had a client onboard who was a successful Caremark franchise owner and, after hearing about their rapid success, I decided to look into the investment opportunity in more detail.
"I investigated a variety of domiciliary care franchises before making my decision and I found Caremark to be head and shoulders above the rest. This is because the brand is very transparent, not at all pushy and the Managing Director Kevin Lewis and the National Operations Director Sean Cragg are both very professional and knowledgeable. Before signing anything, they gave me the contact information for the franchise network, so that I could call existing franchise owners and see how they were getting on. I decided to speak to a selection of franchise owners and they all gave positive feedback about their experience as a franchise owner.
"I met with Caremark on several occasions and felt investing in the franchise was the best way to expand my care business because it is a reputable brand with a tried and tested business model that would provide me with ongoing support and training to ensure the business was a success.
"Before I launched my franchise I attended a two week intensive training course. This covered everything I would need to know in order to operate the franchise effectively. The support so far has been fantastic. For the first month my Support Manager visited on a regular basis to ensure everything was running smoothly and since then if I need any help someone is at the end of a phone.
"Running the business is very rewarding - especially when the hours of care required are growing week-on-week. With a manager in place, I am free to focus on developing my care business to its full potential within my area."
Interview: Jess Sturman