Group of Friends Team Up in Business Ownership as Seniors Helping Seniors® Franchise Owners

Majed Roz, Amine Adra, Chady Saad and Monica Ferrer have decided that working together as a team beats going it alone. The group of four became good friends after migrating to the U.S. from Lebanon and Peru, meeting primarily through their similarly aged children. As they realized over time that their complementary strengths made them the ultimate team, they decided it was time to take their friendship into a new opportunity — business ownership.

Roz has experience in franchising with a variety of businesses overseas, and he is the one who posed the idea of franchising to the group. Saad and Adra had worked together before, and Adra had even considered franchising previously, but felt much more comfortable doing it with his trusty friends by his side than on his own. Saad, on the other hand, hadn’t given franchising much thought, but it was his wife who made the decision on what brand the group of entrepreneurs should pursue, and she chose Seniors Helping Seniors®, the in-home care franchise with over 100 units.

“She said if you don’t choose this brand, we are out. We were leaning towards the brand anyways, but Chady’s wife made it clear to us that this brand was worthy of our time and effort,” said Roz.

As for Ferrer, she has always had a passion for senior care and worked closely with seniors in her role as a psychologist, so she was keen to be involved in providing seniors in her southwest Connecticut community the care they need. Most importantly, however, this group of friends is most looking forward to bringing a little more joy to the seniors in their community through the companionship offered by Seniors Helping Seniors®.

“Everyone wants to have joy in their life. When you lead with compassion, the consequence is joy,” said Ferrer. 

1851 Franchise spoke with the team about their journey into franchising and their plans for the future. 

FEATURE 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?

Roz: We have known each other for a little over two years. This was a friendship that was initiated by our children. I have been working on projects for the past 10 to 12 years, mostly in franchising, but I also set up my own firm, as well. None of this was in the U.S., however. I met Amine and Chady and explained to them why franchising made so much sense to me, because I am in banking and unless I wanted to open a bank, there aren’t many transferable skills for me to branch out.

The franchise system allows me to participate in a tried and tested model. When we got into a debate about which franchise we wanted to invest in, Chady’s wife was the one who made the decision. She said if you don’t choose this brand, we are out. We were leaning towards the brand anyways, but Chady’s wife made it clear to us that this brand was worthy of our time and effort. 

Adra: It feels like it was meant to be and all fell into place. We met through work and family, and about nine months later we thought about how we could join together and invest. I had thought about franchising so many times but I needed a little nudge. I didn’t want to jump alone; I wanted someone to jump with me! We all complement each other and make a great team.

Saad: Amine and I worked together in the same company for a long time, but it took us another four years to speak after we first met in Paris. After we moved to New York at the same time, our families and wives met, and now, I can’t escape these guys! 

Ferrer: I have been involved with seniors all my life, and I have a really close relationship with my grandparents and aging parents. My background is in psychology, so I have spent a lot of time working with families. Seniors Helping Seniors® made sense to me as a brand and we make a great team working together.

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

Adra: It was not the kind of thing I would have gone for by myself, because I wouldn’t have thought of it. We had a couple of options.

It makes sense. You are replicating a mixture that has already been created for you. It is a proven model and makes sense from the perspectives of revenue and effort involved. 

Saad: I never thought I would be doing this, but Majed suggested it and the brand itself really convinced me. The mission of the brand and the framework they provide is really what inspired me to go for it. It’s been a learning curve. A few of us have Master’s degrees but we have all learned a lot. 

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

Roz: We were not comparing apples to apples so to say, as we were considering a variety of industries. I had no idea home care agencies existed to begin with. Monica had some experience with this industry, but I had no knowledge of it. 

However, when I narrowed our search, I looked at Seniors Helping Seniors®, and we had immediate enthusiasm and conviction for the brand’s history and heritage. Our founder is somebody that has lived this experience; this really inspired the desire and willingness to go beyond our comfort zone and help our community. Her experience in India and her success in the U.S. resonated well with us. 

We called a lot of franchise owners and some people with other brands were very negative. Some even said, “run!” One told us if he had the chance to do it again, he wouldn’t. When it came to Seniors Helping Seniors®, the franchise owners had nothing but positive things to say. They wished they could have started sooner.

The ultimate mission and the vision of what we are doing and the chance to make a difference in the lives of seniors is a privilege and even a calling for some of us.

Adra: The feedback we got from the franchise owners we spoke to, which was genuine and honest, gave us validation for our choice. The reaction people have to this brand’s name is so positive. People want to contribute and be a part of it.

Even our children think about how they can promote our business. They see the importance of what we are doing. 

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

Roz: We hope that we can make a small dent in the lives of the seniors in our community in a positive way and help a number of families in allowing seniors to grow gracefully in the comfort of their homes. If we don’t make a single penny but still do that, we will be pleased with that achievement. I will be proud to say that to my children and grandchildren. 

We hope to also build something for the future. If our families can participate, contribute or take over from us in one way or another, we would love that. They can learn from it and be a part of it. 

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

Roz: The four of us share a common experience in that we are all away from our parents and our elders. We wish we could be there for them and help them while they are aging. Between the four of us, that is why this brand struck a chord with us. We all agreed we would have loved to use a service like this with our own family members.

My mother lives alone back home, and there is only so much we can do because our business, family and lives are here. Being immigrants in a foreign country helped us understand and value the importance of family and having someone you can trust. Seniors Helping Seniors® provide companionship in addition to care. The care receiver is paired with someone who understands their generation, which allows them to create a bond.

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

Roz: Having done franchising concepts a few times, you need to be very passionate about what you do because it can be difficult. You also need to be part of the journey. Do not just invest in a franchise and hand it over to a general manager because you are missing out on the experience.

ABOUT SENIORS HELPING SENIORS®:

Seniors Helping Seniors® franchise system was founded by husband-and-wife duo Kiran and Philip Yocom. Kiran, who grew up in India, later worked to advance humanitarian efforts alongside Mother Teresa. After Kiran moved to the U.S. in 1995 and married her husband Philip, the Yocoms felt called to provide loving care to seniors and to cultivate an exchange of gifts at every generational level. Together, the Yocoms founded Seniors Helping Seniors® in-home services in 1998, opening the brand up to franchising in 2006. With a mission to be the most respected and rewarding homecare provider in the U.S., Seniors Helping Seniors® locations stand apart from competitors as the only company that prioritizes hiring active seniors to provide care services to their less-active counterparts. Seniors Helping Seniors® service aligns caregivers and care recipients based on the abilities and needs of both by offering a wide range of care services. Seniors Helping Seniors® network has grown to 200-plus locations, 125 franchise partners in 30-plus states and international markets. For more information on Seniors Helping Seniors® in-home care, visit seniorshelpingseniors.com.