Few industries have seen the explosive growth that the home care market is now experiencing. Starting a home care agency has never been more attractive, and you may be thinking of opening or purchasing an agency. But before you open your own home care business, you will need to decide between purchasing a home care franchise opportunity or starting an independent care agency.

The pros and cons of home care franchises vs. independent care agencies include a number of significant differences. Whether its best to go with a home care franchise opportunity or stay fully independent will have a big impact on how you run your business, how quickly you’re able to grow, and your overall chances of success.

Independent Home Care Agencies

There are two main reasons people choose to open an independent agency instead of a home care franchise. However, both come with significant trade-offs.

The first reason people often choose to start their own agency is cost. While there are substantial costs to opening an independent home care business, you won’t need to pay an upfront franchise fee if you decide to go the independent route. Also, you won’t need to pay ongoing royalty or marketing fees to a franchisor.

However, this means that you won’t benefit from what those fees offer. Franchise fees give you access to key resources, including training, ongoing support, marketing materials, and brand recognition. You won’t have these with an independent agency.

The second reason is the level of control. Different franchise networks offer different levels of flexibility as to how each franchise owner operates his or her agency. But as an independent agency owner, you have no restrictions on how you run your business, save any state regulations that must be followed. If that level of control is important to you, that can make an independent business more appealing.

The trade-off, in this case, is a higher level of risk. A home care franchise opportunity offers a tried-and-tested model that you can fall back on when making key decisions. In an industry where missteps have high stakes on both a financial and human level, that kind of support can be important.

Home Care Franchise Opportunities

Costs and control can be downsides with some home care franchise opportunities. However, certain franchises offer a level of affordability and flexibility that minimize these drawbacks. At Visiting Angels, for instance, we offer a model that franchisees can follow, but allow them to build their business according to their own vision.

Meanwhile, a successful franchise brand offers crucial advantages that can help you accelerate growth and increase your overall chances of success. Training can be crucial to orienting home care franchise owners and familiarizing them with licensing laws in their state. Ongoing corporate support is often important when setting up the infrastructure of your agency. In terms of early growth, marketing materials and existing brand recognition can be a major advantage. Above all else, you get a framework for your business that has been successful for tens — or even hundreds — of other franchisees.

If you end up choosing a home care franchise opportunity over an independent home care agency, which franchisor you choose can impact how you establish and grow your business. If you’re launching your search, we encourage you to start with Visiting Angels. In 2017, we were named the best home care franchise opportunity by Franchise Business Review™. We were also the top-ranked home care franchise company for franchisee satisfaction. Our extensive resources, unmatched support, and proven blueprint have combined to set us apart in the home care sector.

To learn more about home franchise opportunities currently available through Visiting Angels, contact us today at 800-365-4189 or click here.