Inspired Entrepreneur Expands Seniors Helping Seniors® To Michigan

Anna Attard comes from a family with a strong entrepreneurial background. With her parents and grandfather owning and operating bookstores, Anna has also explored various business ventures on her own. However, she always felt a deep calling to contribute more to her community, which led her to search for new opportunities. 

That’s when Anna and her husband were introduced to Seniors Helping Seniors®, the in-home non-medical senior care franchise. In May 2023, she signed on to open her own franchise. She now serves multiple counties in her home state of Michigan, including Livingston, West Oakland and Southern Genesee.

1851 Franchise recently spoke with Anna to learn more about her motivations for choosing to franchise with Seniors Helping Seniors® and her plans for the future.

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

Attard: My grandfather and parents owned bookstores, so naturally I worked with my family most of the time while growing up. But I knew I wanted to do more. Eventually, in my early 20s, I went off on my own and opened my own resale shop. Then I got married, and my husband and I had a daughter. I wanted to stay home with my daughter as much as possible, so I eventually taught myself how to sew, and I opened an Etsy shop. I did that for a while, and it was pretty successful. But I still thought there was more I could do, and I wanted to be able to give back to our community. So, my husband and I started looking at the possibility of starting our own business. We knew we didn’t want to start something from scratch, and we ended up meeting with a franchise consultant. That’s who introduced us to Seniors Helping Seniors®.

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?

Attard: I thought franchising was exclusive to wealthy people. When I first thought of franchising, I pictured McDonald’s or businesses that were only available to people with a few million dollars. I didn’t understand the industry, or how many franchising opportunities exist for everyday people.

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

Attard: Working with seniors was the main draw for us. We both have loved spending time with our grandparents. We’ve noticed that Michigan is not a place where young people tend to stay, but we have a large community of seniors. And seniors really just want someone to come in, help with chores, talk to them and keep them company. Seniors Helping Seniors®’ business model is focused on having active seniors help out other people in their generation in order to live an independent life. That really stuck out to us, and we understand that there’s a need for this type of service in our community.

Plus, during COVID, I had a stressful experience with a nursing home with my own father. He was placed in quarantine while at the facility, and I wasn’t allowed to see him for weeks. We ended up getting him out, but through that I learned about so many others who had dealt with similar situations. That broke my heart. Our seniors raised us, and they deserve so much better.

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

Attard: It’s still pretty early on for us, so we haven’t looked at the possibility of buying another territory just yet. Our main focus is trying to reach as many people in our current territory as possible.  

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

Attard: The main reason we decided to franchise with Seniors Helping Seniors® is because it will allow us to help other people. Interpersonal connections are so important, and I really want to bring people together and help build connections between people in the communities we serve.

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

Attard: Choose something that has a mission and values that align with what you believe in.

ABOUT SENIORS HELPING SENIORS®

Seniors Helping Seniors® 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 moving to the U.S. in 1995 and marrying 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 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® stands apart from competitors as the only company that prioritizes hiring active seniors to provide care services to their less-active counterparts. Seniors Helping Seniors® aligns caregivers and care recipients based on the abilities and needs of both by offering a wide range of care services. Seniors Helping Seniors® has grown to nearly 200 locations in 30-plus states and seven international locations, with 125 franchise partners. The cost to open a Seniors Helping Seniors® franchise ranges from $82,240 to $144,390. For more information on Seniors Helping Seniors®, visit https://seniorshelpingseniors.com/.