Seniors Helping Seniors® Expands Its Reach in Arizona With New Franchise Signing in Apache Junction, Gilbert and Chandler

Michael and Julie Emmelhainz are not only partners for life, but they are now embarking on a new joint venture as business partners. With over 45 years of shared experiences, the couple has decided to sign with Seniors Helping Seniors®, a franchise that specializes in providing assistance to seniors.

As first-time business owners, the Emmelhainz couple will be bringing Seniors Helping Seniors® to the Apache Junction region of Arizona, which includes the rapidly growing cities of Apache Junction and Queen Creek. The pair has also signed to introduce the franchise to territories in Gilbert and Chandler.

1851 Franchise recently spoke with the Emmelhainz couple to learn more about why they embarked on this exciting new venture.

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

Emmelhainz: I retired from Boeing after 34 years. When I retired, I was a vice president and was responsible for one of their locations in Oklahoma City. Julie retired after 30 years of working in the nursing field. After I retired four years ago, I did a lot of volunteer work. I volunteered at a school for homeless children, and it was a great experience. I also volunteered with a nonprofit through our church, which does an annual event that serves about 5,000 people. We would help provide people with medical and dental supplies, haircuts, and family portraits. Throughout our time doing volunteer work, Julie and I learned we wanted to do something together. We always talked about owning a business together; we just didn’t know what that would entail.

Through our volunteering, we were introduced to Seniors Helping Seniors® by a friend of mine. He is a current Seniors Helping Seniors® franchisee. I liked the sound of it and reached out to him. The more we learned about the brand, the more we liked it. We already knew we wanted to do something that would allow us to give back to the community, and Seniors Helping Seniors® provides us with the ability to do just that. With Julie’s background as a nurse, I believe we’ve got a pretty good partnership to run a successful business. She’ll serve as the front-facing caregiver while I work on the business behind the scenes.

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?

Emmelhainz: Franchising provides a good opportunity to take on an established business, grow it and be responsible for it. Plus, you also get support from an existing business rather than starting from scratch and trying to do your own thing. I’ve been very impressed with the set of tools that Seniors Helping Seniors® gives its owners to help them be successful. They tell you to follow the script, and as long as you do, you can be successful.

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

Emmelhainz: It’s really a win-win opportunity, and it provides us with the means to help both sides of the equation equally. Of course, the client is a paying customer, but it’s so much more than that. Seniors Helping Seniors® allows us to connect with our community and help provide our seniors with a better life. There are too many instances of seniors being left alone or not receiving the care they deserve. We aim to help those individuals lead meaningful lives. It’s not about the money. It’s about helping make a difference for the people in your community.

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

Emmelhainz: We’re opening in three territories, so we’ll see where that takes us. But we plan to measure our success based on the number of people we get to serve. Before we focus on expanding, we want to first make sure that we’re taking care of the people in our territories to the best of our ability.

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

Emmelhainz: Our senior in-home care services are client-focused solutions aimed at living with assistance rather than assisted living. We want our clients to define what they want their living to be. Julie and I met when we were 15 years old in high school. We’ve been married for over 45 years. Over the years, we’ve seen and heard a number of stories of seniors not receiving the care they deserve. We strive to provide seniors with an alternate solution to aging comfortably and peacefully in the comfort of their own homes.

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

Emmelhainz: No matter which franchise you’re looking at, always do your due diligence and make sure it’s the right fit for you.

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 total investment necessary to begin operation of a Seniors Helping Seniors® franchise ranges from $86,785 to $141,390. For more information on Seniors Helping Seniors®, visit seniorshelpingseniorsfranchise.com.