Technological Infrastructure Boosts FirstLight Success

By BEN HEINEMANN

•With an aging population, availability of non-medical in-home senior care is more important than ever

•To allow for the industry’s growth, franchise options need to be affordable

•Proprietary technology allows FirstLight* to grow quickly while keeping owner costs at a minimum

With the potential to become a $70 billion dollar industry, at a time when the baby boomer generation continues to age, it’s no wonder non-medical in-home senior care franchises are taking off. The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, part of President Obama’s health care legislation, further encourages the growth of the in-home senior care industry, as members on both sides of the aisle can see the benefits of reducing hospital stays and readmissions, reducing the economic impacts on state and federal levels. This is all well and good, but for the in-home senior care franchise industry to have an impact, potential franchisees need to be able to buy in at a low cost, enabling quicker growth. Founded in 2010, Cincinnati-based FirstLight Home Care not only has a low barrier to entry, but also unique technology which allows for minimum operating costs, a double edged sword that has allowed FirstLight to be as successful as it is. With a franchise fee of $30,900 and a total investment that ranges from $69,530 to $95,765, FirstLight is capturing a large share of an industry that, according to CEO Jeff Bevis, is very fragmented. “No company in this industry has more than 1 percent market share - we really didn’t see a leader,” said Bevis.  “In addition to filling a need for these services and uniting a fragmented industry, franchisees are considering us because we have a technology platform that is not like anything else in this industry.” That platform, called FirstConnect, is a suite of cloud and internet-based software solutions that allows franchisees of home-based FirstLight offices access to programs like back-office accounting services, staff scheduling software and proprietary business metrics. “This business truly runs on a technology platform,” explained Bevis. “It’s an integrated system that really is the backbone of FirstLight.” In addition to accounting and staffing solutions, FirstConnect software also gives franchisees access to calendars that show client and caregiver availability anywhere there is internet access. Chat rooms that operate 24 hours a day allow the company to hear instantaneous owner feedback and provide support for franchisees. “They don’t have to buy servers or additional computers,” said Bevis, something that reduces operating costs right off the bat. “With so much of the paper work and issues being taken care of through this software, our franchisees are actually able to focus on networking and recruiting, which are growth-drivers of the business.” Bevis notes that a lot of potential franchisees go into the industry with the best intentions, however quickly realize that owning their own business isn’t as much as a walk in the park as it can be a nightmare. With FirstConnect software taking care of a majority of the admin duties, franchisees can truly work on growing their business with a higher rate of success. “The experience we have in this business and this industry helps owners avoid a lot of the trial and error, keeping the owner costs down. They don’t have the wasted expense on trying this or trying that on marketing or recruiting,” continued Bevis. In addition to the benefits of FirstConnect software allowing franchisees to focus on business development and growth, having a tech-based infrastructure already in place allows new FirstLight franchisees to go to market faster. “They get up and running two and a half times faster than the industry average,” Bevis noted. With 66 offices operating in 23 states, FirstLight will continue to grow and evolve just like our aging population. As the business continues to evolve, so will the technology. “Despite the economic climate, we know the continual leveraging of technology is going to be key to our growth,” said Bevis. “We have and will continually make technology investments in our platform so our owners don’t have to, allowing everyone involved to cope better with the aging of America.”