Right at Home

<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-t-71829924/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=navy-supply-officer-purchases-right-at-home-franchise-in-virginia-beach-2727789" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Dan Tifft</a>, a Navy veteran and former corporate marketing professional, recently purchased the&nbsp;<a href="https://rightathomefranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=navy-supply-officer-purchases-right-at-home-franchise-in-virginia-beach-2727789" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Right at Home franchise</a> in Hampton Roads, Virginia. With a deep connection to seniors, inspired by his 100-year-old grandfather’s experience with in-home care, Tifft found his calling in senior care. Combining his entrepreneurial spirit, leadership experience and passion for service, Tifft aims to expand&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/rightathome/info">Right at Home’s</a> high-quality care in his local community, serving seniors and veterans alike. "Right at Home really believes in the mission of improving lives, and they’re incredibly supportive,” said Tifft. “One of the biggest challenges our generation faces is how to provide quality care for the aging population, and Right at Home has been a leader in that for over 30 years. The support they provide, along with a large number of other successful owners, made me feel confident that I can succeed."1851 Franchise spoke with Tifft to learn more about his story, his journey to franchising and his plans for the future.&nbsp;1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?Dan Tifft: I graduated from UNC Chapel Hill and spent several years with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.teachforamerica.org/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=navy-supply-officer-purchases-right-at-home-franchise-in-virginia-beach-2727789" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Teach for America</a>. I also taught English in Puerto Rico, where I met my wife. Eventually, I became interested in business and leadership and took a marketing role with what is now Keurig. I spent about 10 years in the coffee industry.&nbsp; I’m also a Navy supply officer in the Navy Reserves, having served both active duty and reserves in the Virginia Beach area. What I missed from my Navy career was the sense of serving others. I started looking for something that allowed me to care for people, and senior care really jumped out to me. I love talking to seniors — my grandfather just turned 100, and caregivers made a huge difference in our ability to spend time with him. That experience made me realize the importance of high-quality in-home care, and I wanted to bring that to my community.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?Tifft: In corporate America, I was happiest when I worked with brands and small businesses. I loved the entrepreneurial aspect and working with inspirational people, which gave me the entrepreneurial bug. My military background also influenced me, especially leading my own teams. When I decided to buy a business, I knew the importance of branding from my time in marketing, and that’s why I went with a franchise.1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?Tifft:&nbsp;Right at Home really believes in the mission of improving lives, and they’re incredibly supportive. One of the biggest challenges our generation faces is how to provide quality care for the aging population, and Right at Home has been a leader in that for over 30 years. The support they provide, along with a large number of other successful owners, made me feel confident that I can succeed.1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth?Tifft: Our plan is to provide excellent care for our current clients and ensure that seniors in the area know they have a reliable partner. The business already has a solid reputation and we plan to build on that. We’re veteran-owned, and we want the community and our partners to know that we’re here to help.1851: What is the one thing about your story you want us to know?Tifft:&nbsp;I have a soft spot for fellow veterans. Having lived in Puerto Rico, I also speak Spanish and I recognize that the Latino community here is underserved. We’re excited to serve all members of our community.1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming a franchise owner?Tifft:&nbsp;Talk to as many people as you can, both within the franchise you’re exploring and competitors. Understand each brand’s reputation, talk to caregivers and get their perspective because they are the heart of this business. It’s important to gather insights from both owners and the people working in the field.Learn more about franchising with Right at Home:<a href="https://1851franchise.com/rightathome/"> https://1851franchise.com/rightathome/</a>.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 five other countries. If you're interested in taking the next step in making a difference in your community as a Right at Home franchisee, visit<a href="http://rightathomefranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=navy-supply-officer-purchases-right-at-home-franchise-in-virginia-beach-2727789" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> http://rightathomefranchise.com</a> or to read more about franchise ownership, visit our blog at:<a href="https://rightathomefranchise.com/forc/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=navy-supply-officer-purchases-right-at-home-franchise-in-virginia-beach-2727789" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> https://rightathomefranchise.com/forc/</a>.

Right at Home Franchisee Dan Tifft Shares His Story of Service and Success

1851 Franchise

After a career in education, corporate America and the military, Dan Tifft’s passion for service leads him to senior care franchising.

This brand page has been paid for by RIGHT AT HOME. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

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Long before she became a&nbsp;<a href="https://rightathomefranchise.com/">Right at Home</a> franchisee in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rightathome.net/janesville">Janesville, Wisconsin</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-villa/">Katie Villa</a> had spent much of her adult life as a caregiver. She started in the field during college and continued in patient care after becoming a nurse. This past year, she took care of her grandfather during his end-of-life hospice care.&nbsp;“That was very eye-opening and really showed me the importance of having seniors age in their home and providing them that dignity,” she said. “And also having caregivers in the home who are compassionate and provide quality care.”Katie began looking into in-home care, including hospice nursing, as a possible next step. Around that time, she came across a newspaper article about&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/rightathome/info">Right at Home</a> and sent it to her mom,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryjovilla/">Mary Jo Villa</a>. Mary Jo encouraged her to learn more, and before long, she was interested in the opportunity, too.Mary Jo spent her career in human resources and operations for a group of newspapers and radio stations, where she held almost every seat except the newsroom. Now, she works for a large holding company, where she supports 20 different companies with benefits work.&nbsp;“When Katie saw this article and sent it to me, my first piece of pride was, ‘Yes, she's still reading the newspaper.’ But I told her we should absolutely explore it,” Mary Jo said. “I have been so impressed with Right at Home. They were clearly selecting us, and we were selecting them.”From the early discovery process through onboarding, the Villas were impressed with how much structure and support the brand provided. The training programs and ongoing business coaching gave them confidence in the business.&nbsp;“Katie's only 30 years old, and so yes, she has me, but you need someone other than your mom validating what your mom says,” Mary Jo said. “So I’ve been extremely impressed with the expertise coming out of Right at Home corporate&nbsp;and how they bring new owners on.”<h2>What It’s Like Working as a Family</h2>Working with your mom, or any family member, isn’t for everyone. It can often be polarizing, with some people not recommending it at all, and some not being able to recommend it enough. Katie and Mary Jo see their different strengths, and the time they spend together, as part of what makes the partnership work.“I never could have imagined doing this without my mom,” Katie said. “Obviously, her knowledge and her expertise, but also her support. I think that we're so fortunate to have a close relationship. I've watched her my entire life. She's been a boss my entire life and this really embodies that and being able to continue that legacy in our family.”For Mary Jo, one of the most rewarding parts has been watching Katie step into her own expertise. Katie oversees the caregiving and client side of the business, while Mary Jo handles operations and strategy, giving the two a natural division of responsibilities.“I'm here and highly involved and working, but Katie is the principal operator,” she said. “I've worked in family offices my whole life. You just draw those boundaries. There are the things that you're going to make a mutual decision on and there are the things that you say, ‘No, this is your decision’ or 'This is my decision.’ And then you don't second-guess each other.”Because their skill sets are so different, the partnership has been easier to navigate. Katie leads decisions around care plans and client relationships, while Mary Jo takes the lead on business systems and financial structure.“We enjoy being together and we laugh a lot. We believe in hard work, but we have fun. There's nothing that is so profound that it would affect our mother-daughter relationship,” Mary Jo said.&nbsp;<h2>How They Are Building a Presence in Janesville</h2>The Villas are building their business with a strong focus on their community. Having lived and worked in the area for decades, Mary Jo sees that as a major advantage.“I've been established in the community for almost 40 years,” she said. “We consider our entire family a part of this, even if they won't be employed, so to speak. Our whole family is going to be in T-shirts at events. We'll be out as a public face in the community.”As a young owner, Katie plans to stay involved and continue building both the client base and the caregiver network. She sees Right at Home as an opportunity to serve seniors and create opportunities for people in the community who want to step into caregiving roles.“I want to be able to be the go-to person in this community for both our clients, for the seniors, but also for our caregivers,” she said. “Whether you're a student, whether you've been a caregiver for your family, whether you're retired and looking to help out somebody in the community, I really want to encourage people and empower the caregivers to do those things and come up with creative ideas to help grow the business.”If you're interested in taking the next step in making a difference in your community as a Right at Home franchisee, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://rightathomefranchise.com/">https://rightathomefranchise.com/</a>.&nbsp;

Why This Mother and Daughter Team are Opening a Right at Home Franchise Together in Janesville

Katie Villa’s experience caring for her grandfather during hospice showed her the value of dignified in-home care and inspired a new chapter with her mother, Mary Jo.

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<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremystarkel/">Jeremy</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-starkel-941880112/">Kristen Starkel</a> built their careers in Omaha, but both came from smaller communities in rural Nebraska. Over time, they began thinking about what it would look like to return and build something in the places where they grew up, close to family, friends, and the people they knew best.“We were really drawn back to home,” Jeremy said. “This is where we were born and raised, where our friends and family are. We wanted to do something that would give back to the community and align with our skills and our passion, whether that was healthcare from a staffing standpoint or more hands-on patient care.”That decision led them to&nbsp;<a href="https://rightathomefranchise.com/">Right at Home</a>, where they now operate five locations across northeast and central Nebraska, serving a wide range of rural and farm-based communities.<h2>Meeting a Real Need in Rural Markets</h2>Many residents in rural areas live miles from the nearest hospital or clinic, with limited options in some cases. This creates a real challenge for older adults who want to remain at home.“We serve a lot of the farm communities, the gravel roads, the cornfield areas of Nebraska where people don’t have access to care as much,” Jeremy said. “We don’t have a lot of nursing homes or hospitals in some of these areas, so people have to drive a long distance. It’s nice to be able to go to them and help them in their homes.”In many of these communities, home care is one of the only consistent options available, especially for seniors who are not ready or willing to relocate. That creates a steady, often urgent demand for&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/rightathome/info">Right at Home</a>. It also allows providers to step in as a reliable solution where other parts of the healthcare system may be harder to reach.“So it’s really rewarding to be able to give people that option,” Jeremy said. “There just aren’t a lot of choices out here, and if someone wants to stay home, we can help make that possible.”<h2>Overcoming Logistics and Building Scale</h2>Operating in rural markets comes with its own unique challenges. Travel distances are longer, hiring can take more time and scheduling requires flexibility across a wide geographic area.“It’s not unusual for someone to drive 45 minutes to an hour to get to a client,” Jeremy said. “We have to set that expectation upfront with our care staff. The clients are there and they need the care, but you might not have someone right next door, so you have to be willing to drive.”Having coverage in more remote areas can also be a challenge, especially when caregivers are not available nearby right away. But the team works to coordinate care as soon as possible, sometimes even collaboratively with other providers.&nbsp;“You might not have a caregiver in those areas already, so it can take a little bit of time to get care lined up,” Kristen said. “At the end of the day, we want to make sure the client gets taken care of one way or another.”<h2>The Advantage of Small-Town Trust</h2>Though it can be more logistically challenging in rural areas, these areas offer trust that’s usually difficult to replicate in larger markets. Reputation spreads quickly in small towns and relationships carry even more weight.&nbsp;“A lot of it is word of mouth,” Jeremy said. “If you have a good reputation in a small community, people talk. We’ve built trust over time by providing quality care, and people share their experiences with neighbors, friends, and family. That’s been a big driver of our business.”That has allowed the Starkels’ locations to expand without relying heavily on traditional advertising. New clients often come in having already heard about the brand from someone they trust.<h2>A Business That Feels Personal</h2>In rural markets, the work often feels more personal because of how closely connected communities are. Many clients are not strangers but people the Starkels and their team already know.“I’ve taken care of school teachers of mine, and we’ve worked with friends’ parents and grandparents,” Jeremy said. “When people need help, they already know we’re here and they know they can call us. That’s a really neat part of being in a small community.”The team also actively participates in local events, partners with organizations and volunteers their time to support the people they serve. That involvement helps strengthen relationships and keeps the business closely connected to the communities it serves.“We do a lot of volunteering and community involvement, whether it’s working with senior centers, partnering with the VA or helping with local fundraisers,” Kristen said. “We’ve been fortunate to be where we are, so we want to give back and be part of the community, not just operate a business in it.”<h2>Why Rural Markets Are Worth the Investment</h2>Rural markets may not always be the obvious choice for starting a franchise. Population size and geography can raise questions about scalability, but the Starkels’ experience shows that those concerns are often outweighed by opportunity.“When we were first looking at it, people might say a market like Norfolk, Nebraska isn’t big enough or doesn’t have the population to support it,” Jeremy said. “But I think we’re a testament that that’s not necessarily true. It’s really what you make of it.”In rural areas, where options can be limited, Right at Home provides a path for individuals to remain in their homes and communities. For many families, that option would not otherwise exist.“For a lot of people here, especially farmers, they don’t want to leave their homes,” Kristen said. “Being able to provide that option, to help them stay where they’re comfortable for as long as possible, is incredibly rewarding.”If you're interested in taking the next step in making a difference in your community as a Right at Home franchisee, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://rightathomefranchise.com/">https://rightathomefranchise.com/</a>.&nbsp;

From word-of-mouth referrals to gaps in care access, rural markets offer both purpose and long-term opportunity for home care providers.

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