A care franchise, done differently

Visiting Angels is looking to welcome 10 new franchisees into the UK franchise family by the end of 2019

Established in the US in 1998, Visiting Angels is a global care giant with community-based values. Today, the franchise is one of the largest care franchises in America and proudly supports 600-plus franchisees across five countries.

In 2017 Visiting Angels was launched in the UK by franchise veteran Dan Archer, successfully running the pilot office in Sheffield, South Yorkshire and refining the American model for the UK market.

Carers first

Dan explains: “We have achieved global success by doing things differently - we put our carers first, with great rates of pay and work related benefits to ensure they can achieve real work-life balance.

“Why? Because only happy, loyal carers who feel truly valued can give their all to our clients. Many companies say that they put their carers at the heart of their business, very few actually do it.”

Dan feels Visiting Angels is a care business the likes of which the UK has never seen before: “Our model directly addresses the problems in the market and empowers our caregivers, our clients and our franchisees to reap the benefits for years to come.

“Most care providers struggle to find carers because they work for the local authority on poorly paid contracts and can therefore only afford to pay minimum wage. The Visiting Angels way is to work solely on private client care at a higher rate, which means caregivers can be paid better and rewarded for loyalty.”

Visiting Angels believes that, by treating carers well, they are empowered to deliver an exceptional service with genuine care.

It’s no secret that carer recruitment and retention is an issue for UK companies and, after 20 years’ success in the USA, this franchise knows how to attract the right people and, most importantly, keep them. The staff turnover rate for the UK business is already almost half the national average.

“If you’re looking at a franchise in the care sector, you will no doubt already understand the scope for business growth,” Dan says.

“The care sector has always been a growing market and it always will be. Increased life expectancy, better living conditions and pharmaceutical advancements mean people are living far longer than they used to.

“While increased life expectancy is to be celebrated, old age brings with it a plethora of complications to health and well-being. Retirement ages continue to creep up, meaning sons and daughters - still working - can’t offer the same level of support to aging parents that they once did.

“Families now tend to live further apart and the needs of aging loved ones become increasingly complicated. Calling on the services of a care company is no longer a last resort, it’s a necessity.

“The funding of care through the local authority is a problem area and many families are recognising the problems that come from this sort of care. They are voting with their feet and deciding that if they want better care for their mum or dad, they are going to have to pay a little towards the cost of their care. Private duty care is the only real opportunity for growth in the sector, in my opinion.”

Training and support

As a well established franchise, Visiting Angels offers comprehensive initial training and ongoing support. Initial training is your opportunity to learn from a team of industry experts - people who have spent decades in both the care and the franchise industry and who know how to make the business work.

For your first week’s training, you’ll fly out to Visiting Angels’ worldwide headquarters in Philadelphia. Once back home, its straight into week two of training at the UK head office.

“We don’t believe in training you once and sending you on your way,” Dan says. “We provide regular, ongoing training for the life of your franchise. A combination of e-learning, live webinars, group and one to one sessions provide a comprehensive programme, designed to help you to be the best business owner you can be.”

Wealth of knowledge

Setting up a care business can be a complex process, which is why Visiting Angels is with you every step of the way. Having honed the support it offers to franchisees over the last 20 years, the company can now bring the very best to you.

“We recognise that one of the main reasons for joining any franchise brand is to benefit from a wealth of knowledge and expertise as you launch and grow your own new business,” Dan says.

“With us, you would be doing this under the umbrella of a brand that quickly becomes a byword for care delivered well. We’re committed to helping you realise your selfemployment vision.

“In our business, profit isn’t a dirty word. It’s okay to want to make money in the care sector. At Visiting Angels, we trust that you want to make a difference too. We are confident that if you follow our model and employ our values, you can replicate our results.”

Potential returns

The Visiting Angels franchise builds to be a substantial business with sixfigure turnovers in year one and the potential for a million pound turnover business by year three.

With great potential returns, the business requires a total investment of around £90,000-£100,000. Bank funding is available and you would need access to around £30,000 in liquid capital funds.

Visiting Angels is looking to welcome 10 new franchisees into the UK franchise family by the end of 2019.