Home care—a field bursting with potential yet laced with its fair share of hurdles: a booming aging population, soaring demand for in-home services, and a notable caregiver shortage, just to name a few.
But what if we told you that we’ve uncovered the winning formula for franchise success, courtesy of two industry insiders who know exactly how to whip up growth?
Join us as we dive into the “cheat code” for home care franchise success, straight from the experts who’ve mastered the art of delivering standout care and built an impressive track record along the way!
But first, let’s meet our powerhouse experts.
Brandy Broadbent has dedicated herself to bringing a little extra care and support to folks in the Rochester area. As the force behind Home Helpers Home Care, Brandy offers services ranging from personal care and companionship to light housekeeping, transportation, and even 24-hour GPS tracking for emergencies.
She and her team know that independence and dignity are priceless, so they work tirelessly to keep clients safe and comfortable in their own homes. Thanks to Brandy’s leadership, Home Helpers has become a trusted name in the community, delivering customized care plans with a team of trained, bonded, and insured caregivers.
Next, we have Emily Isbell, CEO of Emily Isbell & Company. Emily’s journey is a true “started from the bottom” story. She worked her way up in the Home Instead franchise, ultimately overseeing multiple locations and doubling growth year after year.
Known for pioneering multi-franchise ownership, Emily was a hands-on leader, building top-notch teams and scalable systems that kept client service exceptional across the board.
Today, with over 15 years of industry experience, Emily’s expertise is now driving Emily Isbell & Company, where she helps other leaders grow their revenue and reclaim time with their families.
Her approach to leadership and operations is nothing short of transformative. Emily launched her business in 2021, and already 88% of its members are hitting record-breaking revenue months since joining—a major win in the books!
Come along as we dive into these experts’ inspiring journeys and discover how they’re shaking up the home care franchise game!
Brandy: My work involves constant networking with other senior care professionals, so I can be a comprehensive resource for my clients. When they need services beyond home care—like downsizing or organizing—I have trusted contacts in real estate, senior-focused organizers, and other essential areas to refer them to.
By building these relationships, I ensure I can guide clients to reliable support for their various needs.
I also attend Chamber of Commerce events and local gatherings to raise awareness of my role as a trusted home care advisor in the community. Often, these events lead to one-on-one meetings with partners, such as hospice professionals, where we discuss ways to collaboratively support our shared clients’ needs.
Hiring is also a priority, and I dedicate time to thoroughly vet caregivers, ensuring they align with our mission of delivering high-quality, compassionate care. Then, I meet with families to discuss care options, outlining the ways our caregivers can assist with meal prep, light housekeeping, exercise, and mental stimulation, and emphasizing our holistic approach to caring for their loved ones.
Along with these duties, I handle the day-to-day tasks—answering emails, following up on leads, setting up future meetings—keeping operations running smoothly and our client relationships strong.
Brandy: Scheduling is critical in home care, as it directly impacts both client satisfaction and caregiver retention. In my conversations with schedulers, I’ve learned that they are always managing a constant flow of phone calls, call-offs, and shifting situations, making their roles the busiest in the office.
The key is to prioritize matching the right caregiver with the right client, which fosters a strong bond and ensures both parties’ needs are met. I couldn’t do this effectively without our home care scheduling software, which gives me the ability to manage shifts, assign caregivers, and monitor availability.
One of the advantages of working with Home Helpers is the flexibility it offers to caregivers. They can mark their unavailability, request time off, and manage their schedules through the system.
This flexibility allows me to easily see who is available for shifts and match them to clients based on their qualifications. For example, if I need a caregiver experienced with dementia, I can search for the most qualified candidate to meet the client’s needs.
In addition to scheduling, the system also helps me track leads. If I’m unable to reach a potential client after several attempts, I can log the details and set a task to follow up in a week. The system sends me an email reminder, ensuring no lead falls through the cracks.
The same functionality extends to networking activities. After visiting an assisted living facility, I can log the details of the meeting, who I spoke with, and set follow-up tasks. Having all this information in one place makes managing my time more efficient and ensures I stay on top of client and lead follow-ups.
In short, leveraging the right technology has streamlined my workflow and made scheduling more efficient. Without it, managing everything would be a far greater challenge.
Emily: In overseeing the growth of the Home Instead franchise, which reached $20.4 million in annual revenue, I’ve seen firsthand how key performance indicators (KPIs) can drive success. While the list of KPIs can seem overwhelming, especially for a new home care owner, I’ll highlight a few that have been game changers for clients I’ve worked with.
One critical KPI is client loss tracking. Many businesses track client losses—whether deactivated, terminated, or inactivated—on a weekly or monthly basis.
However, a pivotal shift for many of my clients was distinguishing between controllable and non-controllable losses. Your software might not tell you why a client is no longer with you, but you can categorize and track those losses. By defining controllable losses—those that could have been avoided or mitigated—you create an opportunity for your team to reflect on why clients leave.
For example, if a client moves to live with a relative in another state, that might initially seem non-controllable. But upon digging deeper, you might find that something in your service model could have influenced that decision. This approach helps you evaluate what can be done to retain clients long-term.
Another important KPI is tracking caregiver turnover. Many owners focus only on the number of new hires, but it’s equally critical to track caregiver attrition and the net gain or loss. Further, measuring the actual caregivers who are working and getting paid—rather than just hired—provides a more accurate picture of workforce performance and consistency.
Lastly, many home care businesses overlook the value of online reviews. Tracking the volume and quality of reviews from clients can significantly influence your brand’s reputation. By setting a monthly goal for reviews and encouraging team members to ask satisfied clients to leave feedback, you ensure that these reviews are collected at the right time, after positive interactions. This is not about checking off a box; it’s about making sure feedback is gathered strategically to strengthen your business.
These are just a few examples of KPIs that can make a real difference in your operations. It’s essential to start small—don’t overwhelm your team with too many metrics at once. Focus on a few key areas that you can measure consistently, and build from there.
Emily: The process I’m about to share was a game-changer for scaling our operations, especially when managing multiple franchises. Even though I wasn’t working 40 hours in each franchise, the impact was equivalent to 40 hours per organization thanks to this approach.
There are two key elements I want to highlight. First, establishing a culture of debriefing—where the team regularly evaluates outcomes and tackles problems without assigning blame. If there’s a challenge, the focus is on how we can improve moving forward, not on pointing fingers.
In my business today, I implemented this same approach with my team to resolve a recent issue. It’s part of our DNA, and it was part of our success back then as well. Having a reflective mindset ensures that KPIs are more than just numbers on a spreadsheet—they become actionable insights.
Now, the “aha” moment came in 2016, when I nearly decided to walk away. I share this story in my book, The 24/7 Solution: Proven Strategies for Home Care.
After giving a tour to a prospective owner with the intention of selling, I woke up one morning with a realization: If I can fix this for them, I can fix it for myself. That was the turning point that led to a new approach, and I realized that the solution was within my control.
That was the catalyst for change, and it taught me a valuable lesson that transformed our ability to scale.
Emily: One of the key changes I made was implementing end-of-day reports. These reports might sound like micromanagement to some, but that’s more of a limiting belief.
If team members resist, I often wonder if it’s because they don’t want their productivity gaps exposed. High achievers, on the other hand, thrive on the opportunity to showcase their accomplishments.
End-of-day reports serve as subtle accountability tools—they’re not confrontational, but they create structures that hold people accountable. They give employees the chance to reflect on their workday and share what they’ve accomplished. For me, as a leader, these reports answered most of the operational questions I had without the need for constant check-ins.
When I expanded to a second location, I was able to balance both offices, part-time. Though I didn’t always work fewer than 40 hours, the end-of-day reports played a crucial role in keeping me from burning out. They gave me visibility into the operations, allowing me to manage effectively without feeling overwhelmed.
I’ve often compared the process to rolling silverware in a restaurant: it’s a quick, sometimes tedious task, but it’s essential. The reports are a way to close the loop each day, and they provide a sense of accomplishment for high achievers while ensuring that everyone’s productivity is tracked.
Brandy: Recruitment and retention are areas that many home care agencies struggle with, but I’ve found success by leveraging technology.
For recruitment, I rely heavily on platforms like Indeed. I’ll post a job ad for about 24 hours until I receive enough applicants, then I use Indeed’s scheduling feature to send out interview requests.
I specify the days and hours I’m available, and candidates can sign up for a time that works for them. This streamlines the process and ensures my calendar stays organized.
During interviews, I focus on candidates’ backgrounds. I prioritize those with caregiving experience, or who hold a CNA certification. I also look for candidates with first aid training and experience working with dementia patients, as that’s a key area of care in my agency.
After interviews, I select the best candidates and move forward with hiring, making sure they align with our values and needs.
Brandy: Offering a flexible work schedule has been key to both my own success and the satisfaction of my team. It allows for a better work-life balance, which is essential in the home care industry. When it comes to training, we leverage different technologies throughout the year.
We also hold in-person sessions depending on the training’s focus.
As for recruitment, I make sure to dedicate ample time to interviewing and hiring the best candidates. It’s all about finding the right fit for both the job and the company culture.
To retain top talent, I focus on creating a supportive and rewarding environment. I ensure caregivers feel valued by offering opportunities for growth and providing continuous training.
Regular feedback, recognition, and offering advancement pathways are all part of making sure they stay engaged and satisfied in their roles.
Emily: The real shift came when we evolved the end-of-day reports into a more empowering tool. Initially, the reports simply tracked what was done—goals, numbers, and accomplishments. But over time, we modified them to include a debriefing exercise, where team members had to assess whether they were on track to meet their weekly goals and, importantly, identify their plans for improvement if they weren’t.
This structure didn’t just provide transparency for me as the leader; it empowered my team to self-manage. They were no longer just reporting what happened, but actively engaging in problem-solving. They’d identify issues and come up with their own solutions, holding themselves accountable for their performance. This created a culture of self-sufficiency—like having mini entrepreneurs within the organization—who took ownership of their individual contributions and KPIs.
What happens then is a dynamic collaboration. You’re not just solving problems; you’re working with a team that can offer innovative ideas—sometimes even better solutions than you might have had yourself. Effective leadership is about empowering your team to contribute their expertise while guiding them to refine those ideas into something exceptional.
Emily: One of the biggest challenges I encountered was managing surprise audits across multiple locations. At one point, I had a situation where two of my locations were undergoing audits from different state contracting agencies, plus a franchise audit, all at once. That’s a lot of moving parts and multiple teams involved—definitely a “many cooks in the kitchen” scenario.
The hardest part of this was the surprise element. I’d be in one location when I’d get a call saying, “The state just showed up.” Thankfully, I had prepared for this situation by training my team to handle audits, so the person calling me knew exactly what to do without making mistakes. However, I quickly realized the importance of creating a more structured contingency plan.
I implemented an SOP for the second-in-command at each location, outlining how to greet auditors, where to set them up, and what to provide them. I also stressed the importance of maintaining a positive, friendly atmosphere to ensure we started on the right foot.
Brandy : Creating personalized care plans is key to ensuring caregivers know exactly what to do. I begin by listening closely to a potential client’s needs during the initial call, considering factors like medical conditions (e.g., Parkinson’s, dementia, cancer treatment) to guide the care plan.
I also identify ways my caregivers can add value, such as continuing physical therapy for someone coming home from the hospital.
Next, I conduct a home visit to assess the client’s environment and daily needs, such as transportation, meal prep, and companionship, while also checking for safety hazards.
After discussing the client’s preferences—like gardening, walking, or puzzles—I update the care plan to reflect these details.
Finally, I follow up after the first care session to ensure everything went well, making adjustments as needed. This ongoing communication with both the client and caregiver helps ensure the care plan remains effective and meets the client’s needs.
And that’s a wrap, folks! These nuggets of wisdom come straight from the home care pros who’ve been around the block more times than a delivery truck. They’ve been there, done that, and have the stories (and the wisdom) to prove it!
From personalized care plans to leveraging technology like home care franchisor software and tracking KPIs, these experts know how to turn challenges into triumphs. Brandy’s tip on flexible scheduling and Emily’s “let’s fix it, not blame it” culture are absolute breakthroughs for any home care franchise owner.
Armed with their insights, you’re now ready to scale your franchise and deliver top-tier care like never before.
The future of home care is in your hands!
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