There are many reasons behind why an individual may join the healthcare industry; for some it could be the long-term growth and sustainability of an industry that’s always in demand, for others it's the chance to positively affect local communities for the better by supporting those in need. For Kare Plus Preston’s Clive Cooper it was those reasons and more.

Clive considered other fields over healthcare, but having spent the best part of six years between the construction industry and working in the healthcare sector for the local authority, Clive was ready for a change - a move ultimately inspired by his life outside of work.

Clive’s personal circumstances led to him develop a personal connection with healthcare, which prompted him to research franchising as a way of entering the healthcare industry. The time and effort invested in building a franchise are vital considerations when beginning a franchise journey, so having a personal interest in the industry you choose can make a huge difference:

“Neither construction nor the local authority had prepared me for working in the care industry, however as the father of a severely disabled child, I experienced firsthand the highs and lows of dealing with care companies and their staff. This prompted me to develop my own company in the industry.

“Healthcare offers me the opportunity to make a direct difference to people’s lives. Having experienced receiving great care and support from a user perspective, I know first hand the positive effect it can have on entire families, and the negative impact of it being delivered poorly. For me this is what sets the industry apart from most other franchising fields.

Clive went on to add: “From a business perspective, the industry runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year and as the population ages and the proportion of elderly increases in our country, so does the long-term potential of healthcare.”

Considering Clive’s previous experience he certainly had the option to start his own business from scratch, however, with his prior experience and first-hand involvement in care, Clive understood the importance of quality and the need for regulation. This is why he sought franchising as Clive knew an experienced franchisor could give him the support he needed:

“Healthcare is, rightly, a highly regulated industry and franchising represented a knowledge framework upon which I could build. The franchise fee gave me access to industry knowledge and experience gained by others. In the early months of operation it saved an enormous amount of time solving the many day-to-day problems that owners face and also provided access to previously established business relationships.”

Now into his third year of trading, Clive established Kare Plus Preston as a reliable provider of care across residential settings and care in the home, and he recently developed his service to include the provision of live-in care. Clive’s commitment to providing high-quality care starts with staff recruitment, ensuring each member of the team carries forward the core values he built his franchise on:

“I’ve always believed long-term success can only be built on a developed reputation for reliability, accountability and quality, both from a client and employee perspective. One of my main goals is to ensure that everyone associated with us understands the values upon which we’re built.”

Each franchise owner in the Kare Plus network is unique, and every business operates differently, and it's these differences that help us understand the individual successes of franchises in the Kare Plus network:

“I think the ability to acknowledge one’s own shortcomings and to identify others who can do things better is an important trait, and the realisation you can never stop learning, growing and developing.”

If questioned, most business owners would proclaim that “no two days are the same”, but this is a statement that rings truer in healthcare than it does in most other industries. The diverse nature of the healthcare industry means there is plenty of room for growth, which results in a varied and dynamic workflow:

“Honestly, there is no typical day. I get to the office around 9.00 and have the first chats with my two key managers to see if there are any issues that need addressing along with listening to their views on how things are going. Following this the day may contain any of the following; client meetings, staff reviews, accountant chats, marketing development, advertisement reviewing and head office communication.

“Overall my approach is to support my office staff to perform their best and to ensure they continue to understand the importance of what they do.”

Making the jump to franchising can be a daunting one and having made it himself Clive knows how important the right encouragement and information can be. When asked what advice he would give to aspiring franchise owners, Clive had the following to say:

“Realise that any business is a marathon, not a sprint. Buying a franchise is no guarantee of success and no matter how established the name or the brand the key difference will always be the person running it and their ability to devote the time and energy necessary to build something from the ground up.

“A key question for all potential franchise owners is to ask what makes the franchise different from others and what support will it offer in practical terms. Keep focused on the key differentiators of your company and believe in what you are doing – if other people are making things work, ask what they are doing better and see if you can do the same.”

That personal passion for care has aided Clive in his franchise journey, ensuring he never lost sight of his original goal - providing a level of care across the community that he would expect for his own family.

If you too would like to explore owning your own business in an evolving market why not contact our team today?