Seniors Helping Seniors Franchisee Celebrates 10 Years of Elderly Assistance In Fairfield, Ohio

Over the past decade, Andrew Spatt has been dedicated to helping individuals and families in Butler county,and the surrounding areas in Ohio, find the right care. And as his 10-year anniversary approaches, Andrew’s commitment and hope for the future are only growing. 

How did he reach this milestone? After being laid off and caring for his ailing father, Andrew stumbled upon Seniors Helping Seniors®, the 200-plus-unit, at-home, senior care franchise. The brand aligned with his desire to make a difference. He took the leap to franchisee in December 2013 and hasn't looked back.

1851 Franchise spoke with Andrew about his franchising journey with Seniors Helping Seniors, and why aspiring franchisees should know their “why” and persevere. 

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

Andrew: I was working as a director for a company that sold engineered parts. I traveled quite a bit and sold those engineered parts to numerous OEM (original manufacturing manufacturers) throughout the tri-state area. There was a point in time where I was laid off and around that time was when I was also taking care of my father, who was sick. I was traveling with my dad, and we decided to go back to Milwaukee to visit his two remaining siblings. While there, I ran into a dear friend. I was talking to her about what I wanted to do and how I would like to get into the health care space. She told me the concept behind Seniors Helping Seniors. I thought it was fascinating and made sense. About a day or two afterwards, we came back home and I went on their website and contacted them and told them I was interested. Next thing I know, I got a phone call. About three months later, I owned the franchise. That was December 2013, and we probably got the ball rolling in March of 2014. 

I was tired of traveling and being on the road. This was a good time and a good opportunity for me to not only take care of my dad but to take care of other people. I've always wanted to do something like this. I was in school to be a minister at one point, and I’m still involved, and my heart for helping people has always been there.  

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?

Andrew: I knew a little bit about it — the general background of it in regard to a lot of business and the foundation. I knew I needed to be prepared. And they helped me think that through. As you think through the first year, year and a half, of what financially you'll need and what you need to do in terms of your marketing plan, etc., I knew very little about it. But as I dug deeper and asked more questions, I began to feel more comfortable. 

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

Andrew: The more I spent time with the franchising team, the more I saw how cooperative and energetic they were. That’s what ultimately helped me choose this brand in particular. I liked that they had my back when things weren’t going so well, as well as, when things were going great. Within the first month, I began to understand the concept more, and I knew this was it. I knew I wanted to be here for at least 10 years,  if not more. We're having some great success. We have relatively small problems hiring people and keeping them, so we have a very low turnover rate.

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

Andrew: I want to help as many individuals as we can find the right care that they need. And what I mean is we may not be the right fit for them. Most of the time we are, but there are some things that we probably won't be good at. But we also want to be in a position where we can respect their opinion and bring out other resources for them. That way, we can help them with their care, as well as a family. We look at not only helping the individual but helping the families. Even when we hire individuals to come on board, we give them autonomy. They can employ their life experiences to help not only their client but the family as well. We also want to onboard individuals who want to make a lasting impact. Their primary motivation is “I want to help people.” 

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

Andrew: Never give up because hope is on the way. There's always hope. There's a lot that led up to me helping my dad, and I was at my wit's end. I want individuals and families to know that there's always hope on the horizon. And I want to give as many resources as my employees need to be successful and to help clients. That's what we want. That's my main job. That's all I do. I work at getting clients. I work on other business relationships. But it's always with the mindset and the respect of helping our employees and helping our clients and their families.

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

Andrew: Know why you're getting into it. Things are going to ebb and flow. You're questioning your sanity, and you question the reasons why you're doing what you're doing. If you have a solid foundation and you know your “why,” it will get you past it.

1851: Tell me about your upcoming 10-year anniversary.

Andrew: It’s wild that it's been 10 years. Around the eighth year, I realized we were coming up on 10 years, and I really thought, “We're doing great.” I plan on renewing with the brand because I still think there's more of me in the tank. There are more people that want to help us to help themselves and to help others. I hear stories all the time from our caregivers primarily, as well as our clients. And it's been great to hear the families talk about how wonderful their caregiver has been. The mutual relationship that our caregivers and our clients and their families have is just out of the ballpark. And I'm very thankful that we have the opportunity to put those two together. 

1851: How would you say the brand/business has evolved over the past 10 years? 

Andrew: It has evolved positively in regard to giving more back to the franchise owners. I think the support has been especially great in the last three and a half years from the home office. It’s more harmonious. The bottom line is we need that type of love because we're at the top of the food chain. At times, we just need to know if we're doing something wrong, as well as “Hey, you're doing a wonderful job.” We are our own worst enemies at times. We always want to do better. I think every business owner wants to do better. But sometimes, we'd like to get that feedback as well. 

To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/seniorshelpingseniors. 

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.