Why Visiting Angels?

A Unique Approach

We proudly acknowledge that our approach to business is different to anything you’ll have seen in the franchise care space until now. In addition to being carer centric, our model isn’t based on building a network of hundreds of franchisees. We believe in quality over quantity. Why?

Mutual gain: by focussing on your individual business, its growth and success, all parties benefit

Share of voice: as one of 100, your share of voice is greater and more influential as a franchisee

Size matters: your territory is large enough to sustain substantial business growth

Family values: our network is a family. We want you to genuinely know your fellow franchisees

Face time: Limited our network size ensures that everyone gets regular 121 time with stakeholders

Fundamental differences in our model

1) By being truly carer-centric, you’ll spend less time and money recruiting carers, you’ll provide a better quality support service and your business will ultimately be more commercially successful.

Sure, you can run a care company that is more profitable in the short-term by the type of work that you do or the way in which you treat your staff. But at Visiting Angels, we take a view on stability and staff retention for the long term. Our aim is to help you build a profitable, sustainable business that is robust and efficient.

2) Being invited into someone’s home is a privilege, not a right. Our ‘Choose your Caregiver’ initiative ensures families are involved in this sensitive decision and also ensures we meet the needs of our caregivers too.

We take time to understand our client’s health and care needs. As well as their interests, hobbies, personalities and backgrounds too. We then provide a shortlist of suitably matched carers with complimentary personalities, skills and interests for the client to choose from. We ask that two to three caregivers are selected and then commit to these same carers visiting the client for the duration of the contract – with the exception of holidays of course!

3) Our service carries a minimum one hour care visit. This isn’t just so that clients receive personal, comprehensive and high quality care. It’s also so our caregivers don’t feel rushed or stressed – something which would impact on their demeanour and the support they can offer. By never visiting for less than an hour, both parties can relax – our clients feel respected and well supported and our caregivers feel valued and confident that they’ve done a good job.

We want to make fifteen-minute care visits, rushing from client to client and carers having to tell people they haven’t got time for a chat, a thing of the past.

Training and support

Initial training is your opportunity to learn from our industry experts; people who have spent decades in both the care and the franchise industry, and who know how to make this business work.

For your first week’s training, you’ll fly out to our worldwide Headquarters in Philadelphia. Here, you’ll meet the international franchise support team for four days of classroom-style training. Once back from home, its straight into week two of training at our UK Head Office. This intensive training course covers:

  • Recruitment and retention of caregivers
  • Sales, marketing and networking
  • Handling enquiries and overcoming objections
  • UK care operations: legislation and CQC
  • Systems and procedures for: Client Assessments, Care Plan production and Review
  • Staff and care visit scheduling
  • Accounts and payroll.

Knowledge for life

We don’t believe in training you once and sending you on your way. We provide regular, ongoing training for the life of your franchise. A combination of e-learning, live webinars, group and one-to-one sessions provide a comprehensive programme, designed to help you to be the best business owner you can be.

The support of a global giant

Setting up a care business is a complex process. That’s why we’re with you every step of the way. And this is where our international size and scale really comes into its own – we’ve honed the support we offer our 600+ franchisees over the last 20 years and now, bring the very best to you.

1) Pre-launch support: prior to launching your business, our expert team will guide you through essential set-up tasks like your CQC registration, locating suitable premises and recruiting your Registered Manager. Generating interest for your service through marketing and networking will be a top priority at this stage too.

2) 12-week jump-start programme: upon launch, this 12-week intensive programme helps you get off to the best possible start.

3) Business support programme: we pledge to support you from day one, but most importantly, we’ll continue to support you for the life of your business.

We recognise that one of the main reasons for joining any franchise brand, is to benefit from a wealth of knowledge and expertise as you launch and grow your own new business. We’re committed to delivering exactly that.

The private care opportunity

Visiting Angels serves the private pay and top-up care market. We don’t work with Local Authorities on packages that are wholly funded through local council budgets. This is because we pay our caregivers well and offer work-related benefits to appropriately reward them for the incredible work that they do.

Local Authorities hand out hundreds of hours of care work to at-home care providers. But in taking them, these companies are caught in a vicious cycle of paying their carers minimum wage, offering 15-minute care visits and constantly being pressured to accept reduced rates as Local Authorities struggle with budget cuts.

The socially funded care market is characterised by high competition, low margins and high staff turnover. And, as you now know, that’s not the Visiting Angels way!

Your typical client

There’s no such thing as an ‘average client’. We don’t believe so, anyway. What we can tell you, is that we’ve spent a lot of time getting to know our market. The typical demographic of our actual clients and who takes responsibility for organising care in the first place. What types of media they consume, how they like to reach out to us and when they are most likely to make what is, essentially, a buying decision. Albeit one that’s often made at an emotionally challenging time.

Our research tells us that our typical client is over 65, within the top 20% wealth bracket for the area and pays for their care with their own funds. They require a mix of personal care and companionship and value their independence and dignity. The first contact we receive from this particular client is usually from their son or daughter.

Marketing for growth

We have combined our own extensive research with expert external knowledge – such as that of our geo-demographics profiling partner. This provides vital insight into how our target audience interacts with our business, what messages resonate best and, of course, ensures you know where in your territory to focus your marketing efforts.

Together, we will help you to design an integrated marketing plan:

  • Own website, regularly updated with advice and news content
  • Print advertising in community mags
  • PPC and Social Media advertising
  • PR to generate coverage in your local media
  • Leaflet drops with affiliate businesses in the community
  • Running Dementia Friends training and events
  • Networking with key healthcare and community contacts.

Your route to market

Whilst your team in the office will be responsible for the delivery of daily care, your role, as franchisee, is to develop and grow your client base. Firstly, by raising awareness and educating the local community about who you are, and how your new business is different. Secondly, by generating interest in the service through showcasing the benefits of our carer-centric approach to prospective clients, referrers and affiliates alike. And thirdly, driving enquiries by consistently networking and being a visible, active member of your local community.