Starting a home care business can be an incredibly rewarding venture, especially if you are able to leverage your skills and talents to make your business as successful as possible. While the trajectory for businesses in the home care industry is strong, the work can be quite demanding. It’s important to take a step back and consider some tips and tricks that have helped other business owners thrive in this sector while delivering high-quality care for their clients.

At Visiting Angels^®, we’re proud to support entrepreneurs in achieving their dreams of becoming business owners and doing work that gives back to their local community. Below, we’ve listed a few tips that can facilitate a smoother owner experience and greater success in making a positive impact on clients’ lives.

Tip #1: Treat every customer interaction with importance

Every interaction you have with current and potential customers will shape perception of your business. These interactions go beyond home care visits to include consultations and phone calls. Keep in mind that anyone who speaks with a representative of your business can spread the word about their experience.

It’s always worth ensuring each experience is positive. Remind everyone on your team that it doesn’t take much extra effort to be kind and compassionate while answering questions or scheduling care visits.

Tip #2: Perfect the customer experience

The success of your home care business will be determined by the customer experience. Take the time to understand the customer experience you are currently offering and the steps you can take to further improve it.

Taking client feedback into careful consideration and being willing to make changes can you ensure you’re offering the experience your target customer is looking for.

Tip #3: Maintain open recruiting for caregivers

As your business grows, you’ll find that more often than not you’re in need of new caregivers. By maintaining ongoing recruiting for caregivers and hiring the best that you find, you will always be able to accommodate the requests of new clients.

If you put off the hiring process until you have a backlog of perspective clients, you’re more likely to make a hire that isn’t the right fit. This could also lead to inadequate training time and unnecessary turnover within your workforce.

Tip #4: Understand fundamental criteria for caregiver hires

The best caregivers are those who are exceptional communicators and have warm, joyful personalities. These simple characteristics will make a huge difference in your clients’ experience with your home care agency. They’ll also make the process of managing caregivers easier and more enjoyable for you.

Tip #5: Show your caregivers the kindness and respect you want them to show clients

Your caregivers are the heart and soul of your business. Without them, you simply can’t give clients the support they need. While it can be tough to maintain individual relationships with caregivers when you’re caught up in the day-to-day of business operations, it’s crucial to make an effort. The respect and kindness you show them will trickle down to how they treat your clients.

Tip #6: Schedule time for big-picture thinking about your home care business

It’s normal for business owners to become narrowly focused on working in their business rather than on their business. Being an active and involved owner can be incredibly productive. However, it’s equally important to take time in your busy schedule for clarity breaks.

During these moments, you can step back and look at the business from a bird’s eye view, allowing you to see room for improvement where it wasn’t obvious before.

Tip #7: Connect with other home care business owners.

Having a community of home care business owners to turn to for inspiration and motivation can be crucial to your ability to weather the ups and downs of business ownership. At Visiting Angels, we are incredibly proud of the community of franchisees we’ve helped nurture throughout their journeys as business owners.

Our franchise network comes together regularly during regional group support meetings and webinar teleconference trainings to share insights and support that can make a huge difference for new business owners.

Learn how Visiting Angels can help you run a successful home care business! Call us today at 800-365-4189 to hear about our franchise opportunities, or get started by requesting details online.