Despite an already-large U.S. footprint, the home care franchise Right at Home is still looking to grow. It did so last year, and plans on planting more flags in 2024.
In 2023, Right at Home closed the year with 24 signings and 17 openings. The company attributes that growth to its strong lead generation and marketing strategy.
“We’ve only got so many open and available territories left in the United States, so it’s all about smart marketing and advertising, and looking for people to work franchises in markets that we have open and available,” Jennifer Chaney, vice president of franchise development at Right at Home, told Home Health Care News.
Based in Omaha, Nebraska, Right at Home has more than 700 franchise locations across the U.S. and six other countries.
The company’s successful expansion should come as no surprise to those who have been watching closely. Last year, the company ranked 100 on the Franchise Times’ top 400 list, which ranks the largest franchise systems in the country annually.
Chaney pointed out that there are roughly 300 territories left to sell in the United States. All of these territories are an opportunity for Right at Home to reach more seniors across the country.
“All 300 of those territories have seniors and adults with disabilities that need care,” she said. “We just laser focus on those open and available territories, and we continue to see that growth.”
Even with Right at Home’s “laser focus,” barriers to home care franchise growth still exist.
One barrier that is top of mind is a crowded and competitive senior care market.
“I think that this is the case with any franchise concept,” Chaney said. “Our business model is senior care. It’s no secret that there are a lot of senior care options to choose from. One of the challenges of that growth is when people are looking at joining a franchise, specifically a home care franchise, they’re shopping around with multiple brands. They’re comparing us to others, and they have lots of options to choose from. Our goal is just to shine brighter than the rest and show them what we have to offer.”
One of the ways that Right at Home does so is by focusing on franchisee validation. This means giving potential new owners access to all of the company’s current franchise owners.
This gives potential owners the opportunity to connect with current owners and learn more about the Right at Home franchise network, as well as all of the support and resources the company offers, according to Chaney.
“It’s in the name, franchisee validation,” she said. “These franchise owners are validating everything that we have educated these prospects on, everything that they’ve read about online. For us, franchisee validation is where we really shine because this is direct feedback from our franchise owners, who are running these businesses day in and day out.”
With 2023 in the rearview, Right at Home is focused on strategies for 2024. The company has a footprint goal of 24 new territories this year.
“We have the same aggressive goal as we had last year, but we’re doing things with a little bit more experience,” Chaney said. “We tried a lot of things last year. It was a learning year for us.”
Right at Home also earmarked markets that it is interested in growing in. Those include: Sierra Vista-Douglas, Arizona; Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; Johnstown, Pennsylvania; Warner Robins, Georgia; Sebastian-Vero Beach, Florida; Waterloo-Cedar Falls, Iowa; Bangor, Maine; Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Gainesville, Florida; Yuma, Arizona; Amarillo, Texas; and Barnstable Town, Massachusetts.
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