Duration: 8m 08s
Description
The world was a different place when Carla Shepherd bought her first Right at Home franchise back in 2001.
“Everything was paper.” Carla says. “Paper time cards would come in, and we’d do billing and payroll and everything off those paper time cards.”
As Shepherd celebrates her 24th year with Right at Home, she marvels over how much has changed. Today, home care is a family business for the Shepherds. Carla manages a franchise in Wichita, Kansas, while her sisters and nephew oversee three locations in Oklahoma.
A lot has changed for Right at Home, too. Today, we have franchises in more than 750 locations, serving tens of thousands of clients across the U.S. and beyond. And, of course, we’re no longer doing payroll on paper.
As Right at Home has grown, our franchisees have grown with us. Carla Shepherd’s story is a perfect illustration of this point.
Seeing the Impact of Home Care Firsthand
Carla’s journey toward franchise ownership story begins at the Saint Francis Hospital in Wichita.
“I was a manager of an x-ray department, and I was there for 22 years,” Carla recalls.
Her experience in the health care field had already given Carla a deep appreciation for the positive impact that caregivers can make in the lives of patients. However, the idea of home care was still relatively new.
“And then my sister Jackie, who lives up in Omaha, used Right at Home for her in-laws,” says Carla.
The experience was a positive one for Jackie. It was so positive, in fact, that she decided she wanted to help others access this experience.
As Carla recalls, “When our grandmother needed help at home, Jackie said, ‘You know what, we need to open a Right at Home down there in Wichita.’ And that’s how it all started.”
Creating Awareness About Home Care
When Carla opened her first franchise more than two decades ago, she found that creating awareness about home care was a bit of an uphill climb.
“This was 24 years ago,” she notes. “So people weren’t used to home care. It was either home health or assisted living. So we had to really educate the public on the difference between home care and home health care.”
“We worked long hours,” she recalls.
Things are quite different today. Thanks to dramatic advances in software, technology, and awareness over the last two decades, Right at Home gives franchisees a comprehensive toolkit for educating and onboarding local communities.
“The technology now has just simplified it so much,” says Carla. “It’s wonderful. And through the years…we’ve had several software systems, and corporate has been very good about testing them out before they have you bring everything over. What we have now is just 120% better than what we had when we first started.”
Growing the Family Business
For the Shepherds, growing the business has always been about more than just expanding their footprint. It’s about reaching more clients, improving their quality of life, and building meaningful relationships.
Indeed, for Carla, the real measure of her franchise’s success is the lasting connection that the caregivers and clients form. “We truly become like part of the family,” says Carla, “and that is everything.”
And, says Carla, this is possible because of the unparalleled support that Right at Home provides to its franchisees. She notes that “even to this day, as old as we are…if we do have a question, you have a person that you can go to and almost immediately get an email back.”
“Even after 24 years,” says Carla, “I like the fact that you’re just an email away or a phone call away from getting the support that you need.”
Sticking With the Plan
Of course, that support is also backed by a proven framework for success.
“Right at Home has the plan,” says Carla. “Stick to the plan. It’s known, it works, and you’ll be successful.”
Visit our available territories, or you can click the link if you are interested in franchise opportunities in Kansas.
If you would like to listen to other franchise owners’ stories, click the links below:
Meet the Owner | Lauren Miller
Meet the Family | Pete Morrissey
Meet the Family | Brian Braggs
If you are interested in joining the Right at Home family or just want more information, please submit the form below.
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