Franchisee Onboarding with Right at Home | Stacey Brown
Duration: 28m 15s
Description
In this Tuesday Talk, Jen Chaney, VP of Franchise Development, interviewed Stacey Brown, the RightStart Manager for Right at Home, about the franchisee onboarding process for new franchise owners. Stacey explains the RightStart program, Residence Week, and the initial six months of operation until they transition to a Business Coach.
RightStart Program Overview
Once an owner gets approved after discovery day, the Franchisee Onboarding Team helps new franchise owners get through training and through their journey to business operation. Stacey discusses the steps involved, which include training, Residence Week, and transition to a business coach. There is a modified onboarding process for buyers who are purchasing resale opportunities. For simplicity, Stacey is focusing her discussion on new owners with new territories.
The Process
Once the franchise agreement is signed, and the owner is approved after discovery day, there is a clear process that all franchisees will follow. The onboarding team will introduce the owner to what the next six months’ journey will look like. Milestone meetings are scheduled where you are introduced into the Right at Home system, slowly phasing new owners into the system by focusing on subject matter milestones, i.e., payroll, labor, and the operation system. Subject Matter Experts will be on the calls and train to the specific subject. By the time Residence Week arrives, most owners are familiar with the language and the business. Following Residence Week, the coaches get them ready to open their doors. Right at Home’s goal is to have the business open within six months of signing the franchise agreement. We start working with the license specialists right away. Our goal is to have the business ready to open when the owner is leaving Residence Week.
Licensure States
Right at Home can help you with the steps needed to attain your license. Stacey notes that a very detailed checklist is provided to each owner, and Right at Home has a licensed specialist in-house who works very closely with the owners. There is also an outside agency that helps stay on top of licensing and the process so the owners can get up and running quickly.
Starting Up a New Business Financially
Stacey states that it is extremely important to know and follow the startup costs and fully understand those costs. We want owners who can focus on growing the business not how am I going to keep my lights on. Making sure you have the right amount of money in place makes you better prepared to enter the market.
Residence Week
Residence Week is held in Omaha on a Monday through Friday and is a full schedule of education and training. The trainers take everything the owner has learned through the four months leading up to Residence Week and review it in person. There is role-playing on selling, meeting, and greeting clients and caregivers. You build a strong bond with everybody that is also going through training and get a sense of the true culture that sets Right at Home apart.
Post Residence Week
Once owners complete Residence Week, owners can shadow in a functioning Right at Home franchise, to see how it functions, how labor actually works, and how employees function. When the business opens, coaching usually meets with the owner multiple times a week to answer questions on billing or payroll, etc. We walk them through all of those steps. We will also discuss operations, such as how many interactions they had, what sales and marketing has been done, and how many clients and caregivers you onboarded. Stacey recommends that sales and marketing really get out five-six hours a day for the first full week, and use the applicant tracking system to do the job postings.
Proven Business Model
Right at Home is a proven business model that has been in operation for multiple years. Every once in a while, an owner will not follow the model. They usually come back and retry the Right at Home onboarding process, or retention program for clients.
Transitioning to Your Business Coach
Stacey says that you get introduced to your business coach at the beginning. Your onboarding coach will stay with you until the franchise is billing $25k per month. They are then ready to transition to the business coach. This is approximately around 5-6 months in business.
Operational Software
Right at Home uses WellSky as its operational software. This software does the billing, payroll, and tracks hours. There are a couple of other programs that really help measure your business against other businesses in the region or state.
Caregiver Recognition
Caregiver recognition is huge. When you are first opening, you have to host caregiver orientation with two caregivers. However, you don’t have any clients yet, so you need to foster a relationship with your caregivers to keep them hot or active. Caregivers are the heart of your business. You need to reach out and check on them, keeping them engaged.
The Onboarding Experience
Right at Home’s subject matter experts sets the onboarding experience apart from other franchises. The Subject Matter Experts help owners with material that is harder to understand such as QuickBook, providing advice on recruiting and staying engaged with the caregivers. Subject Matter Experts are available Monday through Saturday to talk owners through any issues. We also learn from our franchise owners. We’re constantly getting feedback on what would be beneficial to add to the training or the process. Right at Home has been around for 30 years, franchising for 25 years. We are a more tenured franchisor with hundreds of franchisees.
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Next Webinars
March 25, at 2 p.m.
Right at Home’s Lisa Thomsen talks about How to Sell with Integrity
April 1, at 2 p.m.
Navigating Government Regulations and Licensing with Doug Robertson
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View some of our most recent webinars:
Marketing Your Business with Right at Home | Brook Wittrock
Growth with Right at Home | Brady Schwab
If you are interested in becoming a member of the Right at Home family, submit the form below.
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