Former Wall Street Businessman Turned Homecare Entrepreneur Opens Two Right at Home Locations

Walter Ochoa found success on Wall Street for years but, in 2010, decided to change career paths to follow his business ownership dreams. Ochoa then discovered the in-home care franchise, Right at Home*. He immediately loved the concept that would not only allow him to open his own business but provide assistance to those in his community who needed it.

After owning two Right at Home territories for 12 years, Ochoa has expanded his business into Staten Island and Park Slope. He is looking forward to being an active part of the communities and helping even more people with his new locations. Ochoa doesn't plan on stopping there, though. His personal goal for the business is to double the size of his territory once again within the next five years by hiring more caregivers to serve the community.

PROFILE QUESTIONS

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Walter Ochoa: I’m an electronic engineer by trade. I came to the U.S. in 2001 and began trying to get a job in that field, but I ended up working on Wall Street, where my wife also worked. I worked for some major corporations like Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. In 2010 I decided to change careers. I had always dreamed of owning my own business, so I started working towards that. 

When I left Goldman Sachs, they had this great program that would help you transition to other roles and positions to set you up for success. Someone from a franchising consultant company was introduced to me. I loved the idea of starting a business and gaining knowledge of the industry without a trial and error process. The franchise consultant gave me three companies that would be a match for me, and from there, I chose Right at Home.

1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Ochoa: I always thought of franchising as Mcdonald's and Burger Kings. I wasn’t really sure how to gain access to the franchise world before working with a consultant. The consultant made the process a lot simpler and narrowed my choices down for me.

1851: What makes you stand out as business owners in your local community?

Ochoa: As a business owner, I think it’s important to be involved in the community. When you first open a business, you wear all the hats. But once you begin to grow your business and can hire the best team of people to help the success of your business, then you need to shift your focus to outreaching the community. You do that through giving time and expertise. People will get to know you on a deeper level, and that is crucial to any business.

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Ochoa: I did Discovery Day for two brands. I could tell that Right at Home was just very genuine from the beginning. They weren’t pushing me to buy, but they were being honest about the process and what to expect. That made me lean towards Right at Home. I was also considering factors like potential growth opportunities and the impact they have on the communities. That Discovery Day experience was the final seal on the envelope.

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth? 

Ochoa: We recently expanded our territories. We were able to double the size. I am constantly exploring growth opportunities within the territories I already have so we can help as many people as possible. In the next five years, I want to double the size of my territory again by hiring more caregivers and helping more clients.

1851: What is the one thing about your story you want us to know?

Ochoa: Right at Home isn’t just about me. It’s about the teams that I can put together. I’m not intimidated by hiring the best people for the job, people who could be better than me at a role. I try to hire honest, hardworking people. That is crucial to the services that we provide because it means that the service will be high quality. The Right at Home team is a strong leader in the community providing great impact.

1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming a franchise owner?

Ochoa: Do your due diligence and take your time choosing which brand is best for you. You should make calls to currency franchisees and go to Discovery Day so you get a firsthand experience with the brand. I would also highly recommend knowing your finances and being conservative with them the first couple of years. You need to be prepared for the long term, and doing this can set you up for success.