Duration: 11m 20s
Description
Join Adam Bliss, franchisee, and Jenna Gonser, franchise development director with Right at Home, as they discuss the importance of aligning one’s passions and values with a business venture in the senior home care industry. Adam shares his journey of becoming a Right at Home franchise owner highlighting the significance of leveraging Corporate’s tools and resources to execute the franchise business model and deliver high-quality care to improve the quality of life for the clients they serve.
Previous Background
Adam Bliss is a franchise owner with Right at Home locations in Tucson, Green Valley, and Sierra Vista, AZ, as well as a location in Henderson, NV. Adam and his wife, Kola, have been in business since 2014, and are very excited to be celebrating their 10-year journey with Right at Home. After grad school at the University of Arizona, Adam worked in sales and sales leadership roles in the consumer packaged goods industry.
Why Right at Home?
Adam notes that while they lived in Minnesota for 10 years, his wife Kola had decided she wanted to get a part-time job that would be enjoyable, get her out of the house, and become a full-time career when the kids got older. A friend, Paul Blum, was a caregiver in the Twin Cities, and he recommended that Kola could become a caregiver. A couple of weeks into it, she was really enjoying it. Her first client was a retired physician from Pakistan who needed companion care and who taught her Indian dish recipes. Not long after that, he said, I found her reading stacks of books about aging, caregiving, and social work. Kola said, “I think this is what I should do with my life.” So she put her energy into caregiving. Shortly afterward, Adam was traveling on a Southwest Flight and saw an ad for Right at Home franchises. He had not realized it was a franchise and thought it was a local company. We went and talked with Paul and the franchise development team at Right at Home, headed to Arizona to start this new adventure.
Day in the Life
Adam notes that 10 years ago they started with two brand new territories, so they were the sales and marketing team, as well as HR, recruiting, and scheduling. They conducted new client intake assessments and performed quality assurance. Every day was early and late, and a lot of work. As the business developed a few months in, they were able to hire others to help. Now they are much more focused on leading their team of managers and admin staff, focusing on establishing the strategy, and vision ensuring they have the support to care for clients and caregivers, and ensuring that processes are being followed. We spend a bit more time developing relationships in the community. No two days are the same, but we try to schedule our time so we support the people who work with us to execute our mission to deliver care and improve the quality of life for our clients.
Most Valuable Support
When asked what was the most valuable support received from the corporate team, Adam says, “There’s likely not just one thing that is most valuable; there’s so many things.” When Adam interviewed other franchisees when he was coming into the system, he always asked them “If you had to do this over, would you try to do this alone? Every single person I talked to said, we would go again with Right at Home.” Adam notes that he feels the same way after 10 years. The marketing and brand support is absolutely tremendous. From an Operations and care delivery perspective, Adam says Right at Home has all the tools and resources available. It’s important when coming into a business to be prepared and ready to utilize and leverage the system. He also feels like he can pick up the phone and talk to anybody at corporate and get an answer.
Advice to Prospective Franchisees
Adam states, “First, I would say ‘Do it!’ Right at Home is absolutely a great opportunity.” Make sure when you come into the system, you are engaged early on, staying engaged throughout the years. Adam attends the annual conference, volunteers on the leadership councils, and is a part of the performance groups. He advises others to become engaged with your business performance coach. Ask questions, and get involved throughout your whole experience.
Click the link if you are interested in franchise opportunities in Arizona.
If you would like to listen to other franchise owners’ stories, click the links below:
Meet the Family | Pilar Suarez
Meet the Family | Rob and Susan Brown
Meet the Family | Jobin Mathai
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