For many entrepreneurs, one of the biggest challenges of business ownership is figuring out where to spend their time. There are clients to serve, employees to manage, projects to coordinate, emails to answer and new business to generate. As the company grows, trying to personally handle every responsibility can quickly become the very thing that limits further expansion.
For Dershie Kurtz, owner of Caring Transitions of Boerne, Fredericksburg and Kerrville in Texas, learning to manage that balance has been an important part of scaling her franchise.
"At first, I wanted to work in the business and know everything from the bottom up in case I had to do anything and everything," Kurtz said. “But as you grow, you have to work on the business, not just in the business.”
That shift has helped Kurtz build a team, delegate responsibilities and, most recently, acquire an additional territory. Her experience illustrates how Caring Transitions franchisees can use their time more strategically while still providing the personal, compassionate service families expect.
There is no truly typical day for a Caring Transitions franchisee, and Kurtz considers that variety one of the advantages of the business. "Every day is definitely different, and I enjoy that," she said. “I usually have two or three hours a day for paperwork or computer work, catching up on emails and making sure everything is going smoothly.”
But Kurtz doesn't spend the entire day behind a computer. She intentionally remains connected to clients and employees without feeling the need to personally manage every detail.
"I still like to go out to my job sites, stop by, check on my managers and make sure everything is going smoothly," she said. “I'll say hi to the client and pop into different projects. I don't do that every day, but if we're working on an auction or a pickup, I'll usually show up for a little while and see how things are going.”
She also continues to conduct many client consultations herself. "I still do a lot of my own consults," Kurtz said. "I love that part of it because you get to work directly with the client and meet them."
For many entrepreneurs, delegation can be one of the hardest skills to develop. In the early days of a business, doing everything yourself can even be beneficial because it helps an owner understand how every part of the operation works. Eventually, however, growth requires giving other people responsibility.
"As entrepreneurs, you always want to be in control, but you have to let a little bit go," Kurtz said.
For Kurtz, that has meant building a team around different areas of the business. She has a marketing professional handling much of that function, managers overseeing projects and employees who can take responsibility for specific parts of the CTBids auction process.
"With CTBids, having someone do the back end of the auction when it comes to editing pictures and those kinds of things is really important," Kurtz said. “When the auction closes, it's important to teach someone how to handle that process, too. You have to take time out of your day to teach other people to do it.”
Training requires an upfront investment of time, but the payoff is greater capacity later. When an owner is no longer the only person who knows how to complete an essential task, the business becomes less dependent on that owner's availability.
That same philosophy has helped other franchisees scale. Michael Marchand, who operates multiple Caring Transitions territories in Massachusetts, approached ownership with the goal of building a company that could eventually function without his constant involvement. "I didn't want something that was dependent on me to succeed," Marchand said. “I wanted to build a business that could exist without me.”
After learning the business himself, Marchand began putting the right people in place. Today, he has a team he trusts while maintaining the flexibility to travel and spend time with his family.
Delegation becomes even more effective when employees aren't forced to reinvent processes every time a new project begins. That's where Caring Transitions' franchise infrastructure can help owners create repeatable workflows.
The brand provides franchisees with training, coaching, operational resources and technology designed specifically around senior relocation, downsizing and estate sale services. Rather than developing those systems independently, owners can begin with an established framework and focus on executing it effectively in their markets.
CTBids, Caring Transitions' proprietary online auction platform, is one example. The platform gives franchisees a system for managing online estate sales and reaching an established bidder audience, and owners can build internal teams to handle different parts of the auction process.
The same principle applies to hiring, project management and business development. The more repeatable the operation becomes, the easier it is for an owner to move away from being the person who completes every task and toward being the person who makes sure the overall business is moving forward.
Caring Transitions also provides coaching that owners can turn to as their businesses evolve. Kurtz described that support as a major difference between her franchise and her earlier experience building an independent business.
"We have business coaches that we can call on anytime we need help," she said. "Also, connecting with other owners is very helpful."
As a Caring Transitions franchise gains momentum, staffing becomes another important component of time management. Without enough capable employees, additional business can simply create more work for the owner.
"As you grow, you definitely need more people," Kurtz said. “Hiring is part of my typical week. We're constantly trying to hire people and looking at that.”
Nathan and Sommer Bradds, who operate Caring Transitions across Greater Dayton, Ohio, have followed a similar strategy. After acquiring two neighboring territories, the couple grew revenue roughly 50% in their first year and doubled their staff to more than 30 employees.
"We are continuing to put people in positions that will help us expand," Nathan said.
Importantly, the Bradds have remained disciplined about taking on only as much business as their organization can support. That allows them to pursue growth without compromising the quality of service that created their reputation in the first place.
"We are really exceeding every goal we have set for ourselves, but there is so much more business to be had," Sommer said. "We are really trying to stay within the confines of what we can handle."
In a relationship-driven industry, efficient growth doesn't necessarily mean spending more hours prospecting. It can mean developing a reputation that generates business organically.
"Customer service is really one of the best and most time-efficient ways to grow your business," Kurtz said. “If you have great customer service and you do a good job at what you do, your business is going to grow through word of mouth.”
In senior transition services, those relationships can become an important source of repeat business. Once a franchisee earns the trust of local professionals and organizations, referrals can continue well beyond a single client.
"We have some senior living communities that we have become the primary referral partners for, and [real estate agents] and probate attorneys have become a huge part of revenue for us as well," Nathan said.
Those relationships can continue bringing in referrals over time. A family may recommend Caring Transitions to someone they know, while professional referral partners can become a steady source of new business.
For Kurtz, learning to delegate and prioritize has done more than make her schedule manageable. It has created the capacity for another stage of growth.
"We just acquired a nearby territory," she said. “It was one that we were actually getting calls for already. Being up there and being around those different smaller towns, I could tell it would be a great territory to own.”
Now, some of the time Kurtz once spent completing individual operational tasks can instead go toward strategizing about the new territory, hiring employees and laying the foundation for expansion. As Kurtz has learned, sometimes the most important step toward growth is simply recognizing that you don't have to do everything yourself.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit: https://1851franchise.com/caringtransitions/info.
Caring Transitions
SPONSORED
Caring Transitions franchisees scale efficiently by focusing time on high-value tasks, building strong teams and creating repeatable processes.
For many entrepreneurs, one of the biggest challenges of business ownership is figuring out where to spend their time. There are clients to serve, employees to manage, projects to coordinate, emails to answer and new business to generate. As the company grows, trying to personally handle every responsibility can quickly become the very thing that limits further expansion.
For Dershie Kurtz, owner of Caring Transitions of Boerne, Fredericksburg and Kerrville in Texas, learning to manage that balance has been an important part of scaling her franchise.
"At first, I wanted to work in the business and know everything from the bottom up in case I had to do anything and everything," Kurtz said. “But as you grow, you have to work on the business, not just in the business.”
That shift has helped Kurtz build a team, delegate responsibilities and, most recently, acquire an additional territory. Her experience illustrates how Caring Transitions franchisees can use their time more strategically while still providing the personal, compassionate service families expect.
There is no truly typical day for a Caring Transitions franchisee, and Kurtz considers that variety one of the advantages of the business. "Every day is definitely different, and I enjoy that," she said. “I usually have two or three hours a day for paperwork or computer work, catching up on emails and making sure everything is going smoothly.”
But Kurtz doesn't spend the entire day behind a computer. She intentionally remains connected to clients and employees without feeling the need to personally manage every detail.
"I still like to go out to my job sites, stop by, check on my managers and make sure everything is going smoothly," she said. “I'll say hi to the client and pop into different projects. I don't do that every day, but if we're working on an auction or a pickup, I'll usually show up for a little while and see how things are going.”
She also continues to conduct many client consultations herself. "I still do a lot of my own consults," Kurtz said. "I love that part of it because you get to work directly with the client and meet them."
For many entrepreneurs, delegation can be one of the hardest skills to develop. In the early days of a business, doing everything yourself can even be beneficial because it helps an owner understand how every part of the operation works. Eventually, however, growth requires giving other people responsibility.
"As entrepreneurs, you always want to be in control, but you have to let a little bit go," Kurtz said.
For Kurtz, that has meant building a team around different areas of the business. She has a marketing professional handling much of that function, managers overseeing projects and employees who can take responsibility for specific parts of the CTBids auction process.
"With CTBids, having someone do the back end of the auction when it comes to editing pictures and those kinds of things is really important," Kurtz said. “When the auction closes, it's important to teach someone how to handle that process, too. You have to take time out of your day to teach other people to do it.”
Training requires an upfront investment of time, but the payoff is greater capacity later. When an owner is no longer the only person who knows how to complete an essential task, the business becomes less dependent on that owner's availability.
That same philosophy has helped other franchisees scale. Michael Marchand, who operates multiple Caring Transitions territories in Massachusetts, approached ownership with the goal of building a company that could eventually function without his constant involvement. "I didn't want something that was dependent on me to succeed," Marchand said. “I wanted to build a business that could exist without me.”
After learning the business himself, Marchand began putting the right people in place. Today, he has a team he trusts while maintaining the flexibility to travel and spend time with his family.
Delegation becomes even more effective when employees aren't forced to reinvent processes every time a new project begins. That's where Caring Transitions' franchise infrastructure can help owners create repeatable workflows.
The brand provides franchisees with training, coaching, operational resources and technology designed specifically around senior relocation, downsizing and estate sale services. Rather than developing those systems independently, owners can begin with an established framework and focus on executing it effectively in their markets.
CTBids, Caring Transitions' proprietary online auction platform, is one example. The platform gives franchisees a system for managing online estate sales and reaching an established bidder audience, and owners can build internal teams to handle different parts of the auction process.
The same principle applies to hiring, project management and business development. The more repeatable the operation becomes, the easier it is for an owner to move away from being the person who completes every task and toward being the person who makes sure the overall business is moving forward.
Caring Transitions also provides coaching that owners can turn to as their businesses evolve. Kurtz described that support as a major difference between her franchise and her earlier experience building an independent business.
"We have business coaches that we can call on anytime we need help," she said. "Also, connecting with other owners is very helpful."
As a Caring Transitions franchise gains momentum, staffing becomes another important component of time management. Without enough capable employees, additional business can simply create more work for the owner.
"As you grow, you definitely need more people," Kurtz said. “Hiring is part of my typical week. We're constantly trying to hire people and looking at that.”
Nathan and Sommer Bradds, who operate Caring Transitions across Greater Dayton, Ohio, have followed a similar strategy. After acquiring two neighboring territories, the couple grew revenue roughly 50% in their first year and doubled their staff to more than 30 employees.
"We are continuing to put people in positions that will help us expand," Nathan said.
Importantly, the Bradds have remained disciplined about taking on only as much business as their organization can support. That allows them to pursue growth without compromising the quality of service that created their reputation in the first place.
"We are really exceeding every goal we have set for ourselves, but there is so much more business to be had," Sommer said. "We are really trying to stay within the confines of what we can handle."
In a relationship-driven industry, efficient growth doesn't necessarily mean spending more hours prospecting. It can mean developing a reputation that generates business organically.
"Customer service is really one of the best and most time-efficient ways to grow your business," Kurtz said. “If you have great customer service and you do a good job at what you do, your business is going to grow through word of mouth.”
In senior transition services, those relationships can become an important source of repeat business. Once a franchisee earns the trust of local professionals and organizations, referrals can continue well beyond a single client.
"We have some senior living communities that we have become the primary referral partners for, and [real estate agents] and probate attorneys have become a huge part of revenue for us as well," Nathan said.
Those relationships can continue bringing in referrals over time. A family may recommend Caring Transitions to someone they know, while professional referral partners can become a steady source of new business.
For Kurtz, learning to delegate and prioritize has done more than make her schedule manageable. It has created the capacity for another stage of growth.
"We just acquired a nearby territory," she said. “It was one that we were actually getting calls for already. Being up there and being around those different smaller towns, I could tell it would be a great territory to own.”
Now, some of the time Kurtz once spent completing individual operational tasks can instead go toward strategizing about the new territory, hiring employees and laying the foundation for expansion. As Kurtz has learned, sometimes the most important step toward growth is simply recognizing that you don't have to do everything yourself.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit: https://1851franchise.com/caringtransitions/info.
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