Franchisee Feels Right at Home With Senior Care Franchise In His Hometown

Franchisee Vishal Patel, along with his wife Leia Patel, had their eye on a second Right at Home* territory that included parts of Rockland and Orange County, New York. As luck would have it, the previous owner decided to put more energy into his other territories and was ready to sell the territory in question. Together, they spoke to the corporate team to make the transfer, and now, the two multi-territory business owners work together and share clients.

Patel already had a background in franchising in the hotel industry before getting involved with Right at Home in 2021. 

“We were considering different franchises in a variety of industries,” explained Patel. “But then I just turned to my wife and asked ‘What do you think about a business that sends caregivers to help seniors so they can stay at home?’ Without any hesitation, she said, ‘Yes, let’s do it.’”

Since making the decision to sign with Right at Home, the couple hasn’t looked back. From hiring a caregiver who attended his elementary school to awaiting the day he can help his high school friends’ aging parents, Patel looks forward to increasing access to care and growing his business within Rockland County and parts of Orange County, New York.

Patel spoke with 1851 Franchise to share the details of his two-time journey into franchising. 

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?

Patel: I have been in business for more than 20 years. Ever since I graduated college, I've been working in the hotel hospitality industry. Some of those years have been through a corporate company, and then the majority of the years have been with family-based ownership groups of hotels. We have properties that we are associated with in Arkansas and New York. 

I was responsible for a staff of up to 30 people per property, and it was up to me to motivate and retain staff. I am actually still doing that as the director of operations for the Holiday Inn Express in Fort Montgomery, New York. 

In 2019, my wife and I felt we had enough extra time on our hands and started thinking about looking into another business opportunity. I started to research brands in 2019 and opened in 2021 after the whole COVID situation.

We immediately felt like we were able to align with Right at Home as a brand. My wife and I loved the idea of a business that helps seniors stay at home. What was really great with Right at Home was that the territory that we live in, which covers the Highland Falls, Fort Montgomery area, was the first territory we started with. Now, we have recently expanded and [taken] over the territory that represents the rest of Rockland. It worked out so well. Although we have one office, we're able to operate two territories, and it's contiguous of all of Rockland County and southern Orange County.

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?

Patel: I have more than 25 years of franchise experience in the hotel industry, and I’ve worked with multiple brands across the board: IHG, Marriott, Hilton choice and Best Western franchises, for example. I've had the opportunity to work with performance coaches and quality inspectors, as well as with board members of these franchise groups. 

I was never looking for a business opportunity that wouldn't be franchised because when you go with a franchise, they give you a roadmap to show you what you should be doing and the way to be doing it to ensure your success. They have tried-and-true ways to set you apart. 

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

Patel: Right at Home really presented itself with a solid mission. The mission is to improve the quality of life for those that we serve. That makes a lot of sense to me. Our caregivers obviously have a clear mission, which is just that: to improve the quality of life for those that they serve. However, we're easily able to see that the mission doesn't stop with the caregivers. It becomes our daily life as a franchisee. The brand itself, the corporate members included, value and live by that same mission to improve the quality of life for those that they serve. It becomes a big circle with us because our caregivers are serving the clients. As an owner, it's my job to be serving our caregivers. If I support our caregivers, they can live up to that mission.

You don't see other agencies and other places of employment always doing that to a high-enough level. I can use my personal experience in HR and staff retention, and apply it to this mission. I realized that I am micromanaging less now and taking more interest in the life of our employees because that’s what happens when you provide care and support. Our employees are taking more ownership. Because everyone is so committed, it gives us an opportunity to grow.

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

Patel: In our first year in October of 2021, we had just one client a week. Our sales equated to $208 a week at that point. Now, we are approaching our two-year anniversary on October 25, and our sales are about $15,000 a week. I am confident we will continue growing, but I have to take a look at where we came from and feel proud of how we grew this business. We are essentially taking care of 20 clients now with 15 to 20 caregivers on staff. 

1851: Why were you interested in expanding with Right at Home?

Patel: When we initially wanted to open a Right at Home, I was interested in finding a way to serve Rockland County. The first territory that we bought gave us half of Orange County and half of Rockland County. Some of the areas that were not in my initial territory were the areas where I grew up and went to school. I thought one day we will have to find out what's going on with that territory too. 

We ended up building a relationship with the owners of that other territory, the Right at Home territory, that was responsible for the area where I grew up. The owners had other territories that were taking a lot of their attention.

It ended up being a mutually good opportunity. They were looking to sell that territory, and I was looking to buy. They were great to work with, and we worked hand in hand in the transfer. We still work together and support each other now. We actually share clients at times. 

We went to the corporate team to explain the transfer and to let them know both parties were on board. The corporate team worked with us to do that, and the transition was finalized on October 1st. 

1851: Why were you so interested in taking on the territory in your hometown? 

Patel: I take a lot of pride in it, that I can help people in the community where I grew up. It also provides a lot of comfort to our clients to know I am from their area, and I understand what’s going on in their lives and their community. It’s a great way to form a connection and build trust.

I'm just waiting for the day that someone I went to high school with needs help with their parents, and they're going to call and realize they know me. To be able to rekindle some relationships in that way is such a unique, cool thing. 

One of the caregivers that we hired went to the same elementary school as I did. They were younger than I was, but they had all the same teachers that I had and were taught the same values. That connection really lends a lot to being able to trust our employees. There is a shared experience and an immediate rapport between people who have the same background.

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

Patel: We grew up in this community. We live in the community, and we're here to help people that need it. We want to do that and grow our company, that is our goal. We know there's a need for this as an alternative to nursing homes. If we can act as one solution and provide an answer that families can't get elsewhere, then we’ve done our job.

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

Patel: Franchising is a good way to go if you want to open a business. I believe that no matter what industry it is, you will go through the ups and downs of owning your own business. You have to be able to have the emotional intelligence to deal with the downs, and make sure you celebrate the wins. 

Learn from the franchise itself and follow the rules they give you because they have those rules to help guide you toward success and protect you from failure. If you can find a franchise that you feel like actually cares about your success, it can be a really great partnership.

Learn from your losses. Realize that you're not going to win over every customer. Most importantly, stay focused on the reason you are doing this. 

The initial investment required to start a Right at Home franchise ranges from $88,719 to $157,669. For more information on franchising with Right at Home, visit 1851franchise.com/rightathome/info. 

ABOUT RIGHT AT HOME

Founded in 1995, Right at Home offers in-home care to seniors and adults with disabilities who want to live independently. Most Right at Home offices are independently owned and operated, and directly employ and supervise all caregiving staff. Each caregiver is thoroughly screened, trained and bonded/insured before entering a client’s home. Right at Home’s global office is based in Omaha, Nebraska, with more than 700 franchise locations in the U.S. and seven other countries. For more information about Right at Home, visit rightathome.net or read the Right at Home blog at rightathome.net/blog.