Increasing numbers of people are recognising the huge opportunities of the social care
sector.
Now a team from Walfinch home care is offering ambitious investors the chance to
discover more about it and explore the various ways to get into it, at The Founders Table, a
select event at Manchester’s Soho House club.
“The social care sector shows high current and future demand for its services in the
Manchester area and across the country,” said Amrit Dhaliwal, founder and CEO of home
care franchise Walfinch.
Amrit, who was recently profiled in the Sunday Times business pages, answered our
questions about why investors are queuing up to obtain inside information and advice about
entering the home care business.
BM: What’s so attractive about home care?
Amrit Dhaliwal: “The demand for care is huge and growing. Nearly half of home care
providers cannot meet current demand, according to the Homecare Association, and the
National Audit Office predicts that 57 per cent more adults aged 65 and over in England
alone will require care in 2038 compared to 2018.
“More people are recognising the potential, especially for private social care services, which
is why over 300 people applied for just 15 places at our previous Founders Table event.
“I realised the opportunities in social care in my 20s, after becoming a home care franchisee,
and went on to found my own care franchise, Walfinch. From small beginnings I have built a
multi-million pound company in 12 years. The Founders Table reveals everything I wish I’d
known before I started.”
BM: What’s the best way to get into home care?
AD: “There are two main routes: you can set up independently or invest in a franchise. At
The Founders Table event we explain both, so you can make an informed choice. Setting up
on your own looks as though it delivers the most freedom, but you may find yourself learning
about it the hard way. The franchise route, which I followed, means you can launch and grow
faster. Care is a highly-regulated sector, and franchisees benefit from the franchisor’s
experience, which helps them avoid the potential pitfalls.”
BM: What kind of people thrive in home care?
AD: “Home care entrepreneurs combine business savvy with a genuine desire to improve
the lives of people in their local communities, and they appreciate the double rewards of
thriving financially while making a positive difference to society.
“They don’t need care sector experience, but management skills help as they run teams of
carers. I swapped into home care after building two successful hospitality businesses, and
over 50% of our nationwide network of franchise owners swapped in from other sectors.
They include people from marketing, accountancy, banking and more. All of them were
looking to start sustainable and ethical businesses.”
BM: What are the potential earnings?
AD: “The Founders Table offers a face-to-face chance to meet franchisees who have built
£1m+ turnover businesses (we have several), and to discuss how they started and grew
their businesses and what it takes to succeed.
“We also offer the chance to benefit from free information and advice from business
development specialists about both franchising and the care business. It’s about education and insights from the sector, and not about selling. Home care is not for everyone, and the aim of The Founders Table is to enable you to decide for yourself whether or not it’s right for you. We believe that well-informed people who choose for themselves to enter the sector are more likely to succeed.”
The Founders Table is on July 4 at the Soho House, Manchester. To apply for an invitation, direct message: Amrit Dhaliwal on LinkedIn.
