Medical and Finance Professionals Open Seniors Helping Seniors® Franchise to Serve Their Georgia Community

Priscilla and Prince Biney have never had business ownership experience. But that didn’t stop the couple, who recently decided to venture into the franchising industry, from signing up to open a Seniors Helping Seniors® franchise in Georgia, where they will be serving territories such as Southwest Gwinnett County, Lilburn,  Stone Mountain, and surrounding communities. 

Although they both came from different professional backgrounds, Priscilla being an internal medicine physician and Prince an accountant in the banking and finance industry, they were drawn to the franchise’s business concept and its potential to help the senior community.

Now, the Biney couple is preparing to open their doors to the public and begin offering services to their community as early as this summer.

1851 Franchise recently spoke to the couple to learn how they’re preparing for their future in the franchising industry.

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

Priscilla: I'm an internal medicine physician. I work primarily in a hospital and mainly with adults, and a good portion of my care receivers are seniors. Because of my previous work experience, I understand what it takes to serve the older population. We were at a point where we were interested in new business opportunities. We didn’t look at healthcare franchises from the get-go, but one of the opportunities we eventually looked at was Seniors Helping Seniors®. It really hit home for me. We did a lot of research into the brand and loved how well it played into my experience. So we decided to contact the corporate team, and the rest is history.

Prince: My background is in banking and finance. I’m an accountant by profession and all my life I’ve worked in the financial industry. The business concept of Seniors Helping Seniors® really created a lot of excitement for us. We really like that Seniors Helping Seniors® allows us to connect with seniors in our community, and provides us with financial freedom. We’re creating value on both ends and that’s something I’m really excited about.

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?

Priscilla: I appreciate the franchising model. If you decide to open your own business and start from scratch, it takes a lot of effort to build something from nothing. But with franchising, there’s already an established system in place. I always found franchising to be an easier and more fluid way to get into business ownership. Franchises allow you to scale your business, and they typically have a great support system in place to help you succeed.

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

Priscilla: It really resonated with my experience. Through my background, I’ve gotten to know a lot of seniors in my network who have stuck with me. I knew a woman who wanted to go back home after being in the hospital for a few weeks, but the medical staff didn’t think it was safe for her to be alone due to her age. She really wanted to stay in her own home, and I was touched by this story. I felt a personal connection to her because I’ve had family members go through the same thing. I’ve met a lot of people who I believe will be able to benefit from the type of service that Seniors Helping Seniors® offers. This brand helps make seniors feel like they are part of a community and aren’t someone who is just being taken care of. The Seniors Helping Seniors® model of care provides emotional support and connection for patients, which is just as important as medical treatment.

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

Priscilla: I’m really looking forward to being able to help seniors who need this kind of work. For now, we cover one territory, but we are hoping to grow and add a couple more territories. I’m pretty positive it’s going to go well, and once we’ve shown that we’re able to run our own territory, we’ll possibly seek to add more.

Prince: We definitely hope to expand. The pinnacle of doing business is making money, right? But one of our biggest motivations is that we want to be able to expand to reach more care receivers and give jobs to more people in our community.  

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

Priscilla: Even though Seniors Helping Seniors® is a non-medical home care franchise, I think my background in healthcare is a huge plus. If I get a call from one of my caregivers, I can possibly recognize the issue, and recommend they seek appropriate medical help. 

Prince: Priscilla’s experience in healthcare really compliments the rest of the services we will be offering. We can play both roles in senior care, and at the end of the day, that will allow us to add value to our care receiver’s lives and enable them to live comfortably.

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

Priscilla: Franchises are great because they have systems already set in place. Follow the system, and don’t try to create your own. If you have a good idea and think a change can be made, communicate that with your franchisor. On top of that, opening a franchise is a lot of work, and it takes a lot of dedication. Don’t give up.

Prince: If you want to start a new business on your own, you bear a lot of risk. But with franchising, sure there are royalty fees and ongoing fees to pay, but you’re following a proven system that works. The risk is minimal compared to starting a business on your own.

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. For more information on Seniors Helping Seniors®, visit https://seniorshelpingseniors.com/.