Duration: 8m 17s
Description
Right at Home Franchisee Karen Kochhar talks with Jenna Gonser, Franchise Development Director, about Karen’s journey and experience with joining the franchise.
Previous Background
Karen Kochhar bought two Right at Home franchise territories located in Tucson, Arizona, in 2013. She has been with the network for over 11 years. Her background is actually in engineering, as Karen graduated with an electrical engineering degree from the University of Tennessee. She worked in the telecommunications industry for over a decade, before becoming a stay-at-home mom.
Making the Decision
With grandparents who lived to 94 and 95, Karen says that’s what interested her in the senior care industry. She was particularly attracted to Right at Home because she felt like every interaction with them was transparent and authentic. They were what made her decide what she wanted to do in the next journey of her life.
A Typical Day
What does it take? Karen admits you have to have your surfer feet on. No day is the day she plans. She adds that if you’re present, paying attention, and engaged, it’s good. Karen continues explaining that her day started with a marketing group meeting with approximately 40-50 people, learning what they do, figuring out who’s who, and who you’d like to do business with. She said she also tries to find out who provides care that is the quality that they provide. Once per week they have an office lunch (no shop talk allowed) to build culture, decompress from the stress, and get to know each other. Karen comments that she spends a lot of time talking to several clients and getting appointments scheduled. She notes that as an owner, she wears many hats, but that’s one of the great things about it. Karen adds that what she did in years one and two is a bit different from what she does now that she has owned the business for eleven years. As an owner, the flexibility of using your strengths where you want and filling in those who are better at other things gives you a lot of control, very different from what she did in corporate America.
Now vs. Then
Karen states that when she first started, she spent most of her time interviewing, building staff, finding great people, putting people through orientation, and all the HR paperwork that goes with that. In this business, you get to know every aspect. She was also doing all the marketing in the beginning, but as you grow, you spread out, delegate, and hire where it makes sense and is efficient. Early on, she spent half the week in the office and the other half out in the field, learning about who’s who in the community and the best places where she could be helpful.
Right at Home Support
The support at Right at Home was great. Karen commented that anytime she had a question, she just called. It was that simple. Right at Home has a team member dedicated to you for the first year or two, and that dedicated person is invested in me being successful. They also help her figure out the tools that Right at Home provides to her, as well. Karen adds that even today, if she runs into something she doesn’t know, she can call them and they can tell her who to call, which labor law should she look into, or whatever it is she needs to do. It is reassuring. She also said it was helpful that corporate could help her with skills she didn’t already have, such as accounting.
Advice to a Prospective Franchisee
Karen said the best piece of advice to provide a prospect who is looking at Right at Home is to follow your heart, because this business is about heart. She adds that there’s a whole lot that goes into it, but that’s the one piece you can’t teach people. Karen comments that what’s been natural for her is that she really cares about people. When she looks back at how she selected this line of work, it’s still equally important to her. It’s still equally important to take care of clients who are like my grandparents and parents, but to also be a great employer. You are really able to make a big impact in lives. It is very satisfying to be able to make a difference in clients’, families’, and employees’ lives.
Interested in franchise opportunities in Arizona, click here.
If you would like to listen to other franchise owners’ stories, click the links below:
Meet the Family | Regi Mathews and family
Meet the Family | Renee Concialdi
Meet the Family | Vishal Patel
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