{"id":17855,"date":"2015-12-14T12:31:06","date_gmt":"2015-12-14T12:31:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thefranchiseking.com\/?p=17855"},"modified":"2017-02-26T15:34:25","modified_gmt":"2017-02-26T15:34:25","slug":"my-interview-with-the-happier-at-home-franchise-ceo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thefranchiseking.com\/my-interview-with-the-happier-at-home-franchise-ceo","title":{"rendered":"My Interview With Happier At Home Franchise CEO"},"content":{"rendered":"

(Sponsored Post<\/em>)<\/p>\n

Happier At Home<\/strong> makes things personal. The founder and CEO <\/strong>of this franchise, Debbie Bernacki<\/strong>, is hyper-focused on the “matchmaking<\/em>” part of the business. Matching the right caregivers to the right patients, which is crucial in this business.<\/p>\n

\"my<\/a>
\n(Debbie Bernacki, CEO, Happier At Home<\/em>)<\/p>\n

What follows is my interview<\/strong> with her. If you’ve been thinking about entering the senior care franchise space, spend some time learning about the Happier At Home<\/a><\/strong> franchise opportunity.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"happier<\/a><\/p>\n

My Interview With Happier At Home Franchise CEO<\/h2>\n

Me:<\/strong> When did you come up with the idea of Happier At Home? Tell me more about the idea-and what you hope this business can do for clients and franchisees?<\/p>\n

Debbie:<\/strong><\/em> I came up the with idea of Happier At Home in 2007, after experiencing being at the mercy of a defunct Home Healthcare Agency during my mother\u2019s illness with brain cancer.\u00a0 I hope that this business will help those that are in need, or families that are in need of care management or home care to help them remain independent for as long as possible.\u00a0 I would like for the clients to be given the power to control where they live and to give them the peace of mind that their loved ones are being cared for by knowledgeable caregivers and care managers that are truly committed to reaching and maintaining their goals.<\/em><\/p>\n

I hope that the business will afford franchisees the ability to start a business that they are able to feel passionate about making a positive impact on the lives of others.\u00a0 The business will allow franchisees to establish a business that will give them the freedom to make their own schedules, be able to have their efforts create a direct impact on their financial gains, have the feeling of achievement as the business grows, and to become a part of Happier At Home and its excellent reputation.<\/em><\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> What is it about your job that gets you up in the morning?<\/p>\n

Debbie:<\/strong> Each day I focus on moving Happier At Home toward nationwide franchise development.\u00a0 I love business strategizing and challenging myself to meet the goals that I have set.<\/em><\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> What makes the Happier At Home franchise opportunity special? Unique?<\/p>\n

Debbie:<\/strong> Happier At Home is a niche franchise providing Geriatric Care Management & Non-medical home care allowing the franchisee to operate out of their home for the first year of business.<\/em><\/p>\n

Why choose Happier At Home ~ How we stand out among others<\/strong><\/p>\n

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  1. More is not always better<\/strong>~ \u00a0Have you heard the phrase, jack of all trades, master of none? \u00a0Beware of other senior care franchises with multiple lines of service. \u00a0Multiple lines of service require more training, more staff, more attention to potential regulations, varied required types of insurance, and on, and on\u2026. Happier At Home focuses on doing what we do; non-medical home care and geriatric care management, and being the best at it. This will make your company stand out among your competition.<\/em><\/li>\n
  2. We stay away from highly regulated healthcare<\/strong> ~Whereas licensed home care agencies must handle all of the red tape to deal with the very confusing and time-consuming health insurances, Medicaid and other various payers, Happier At Home keeps its focus on where the profits are, in private pay sources. Many other franchises that provide licensed care need to spread their resources to pay for training and recertification of certified nursing assistants or certified home health aides, registered nurses to physically supervise and verify the skills of the CNAs and HHAs, and personnel to remain in compliance with volumes of Department of Health regulations. \u00a0Licensed home care agencies also require expensive medical malpractice insurance and bring with it higher costs of liability and workers\u2019 compensation insurance.<\/em><\/li>\n
  3. Happier At Home\u2019s\u00a0founding company successfully established itself<\/strong> as the authority in home care in its community, and built a well-respected name, and will show franchisees how to do the same.<\/em><\/li>\n
  4. The Happier At Home name conveys warmth and the desire for what everyone wishes to do<\/strong>, to remain in their home. \u00a0As a matter of fact, we have new clients call all of the time and say that they chose\u00a0our company to call from those that they reviewed, because they love the name!\u00a0The Happier At Homename is easy to remember and will prompt phone calls for service.\u00a0\u00a0After all,\u00a0that is what their loved one wants to do, remain Happier At Home! \u00a0Happier At Home has unique, attractive branding to leave a lasting impression.<\/em><\/li>\n
  5. We\u2019ll show you how to partner with organizations<\/strong> that will provide continual referrals, keeping that pipeline full, and show you how to help them in return.<\/em><\/li>\n
  6. We invest in your success<\/strong>. We provide a\u00a0The Attentional and Interpersonal Style (TAIS) assessment. \u00a0 Performance depends on the ability to pay attention to the right things at the right times and pressure changes the way we concentrate, make decisions, and interact with others. TAIS measures these critical performance variables, helps elite performers understand the conditions that create pressure, and predicts their responses to pressure. The TAIS measures constructs crucial to effective performance, especially performance in high pressure situations. It has been used as an aid for training and selection in business, sport and the military. Organizations like Citibank, Harley Davidson, the Navy SEALS, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, and U.S., Canadian, Italian and Australian Olympic teams have all benefited from TAIS. \u00a0Your TAIS results will emphasize how you are likely to react under stressful conditions and will illustrate how pressure affects your ability to concentrate, stay motivated, and communicate effectively. This is precisely the information that will be used to \u00a0develop your\u00a0ultimate performance-enhancement program. \u00a0You will be coached one-on-one to achieve your goals.<\/em><\/li>\n
  7. Start-up Marketing Package and Web Site Provided<\/strong> ~ We want you to hit the ground running, so we provide a\u00a0package of marketing materials to\u00a0get you started. \u00a0All marketing materials have been professionally developed and will stand out among your competition.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Me:<\/strong> What types of people would you like to attract as franchisees? Who would make a great fit for your senior services franchise?<\/p>\n

    Debbie:<\/strong><\/em> The types of people that I would like to attract as franchisees are those that may be in pharmaceutical or medical sales, those that are familiar with the healthcare industry and have functioned at the Director, Executive, or VP level in a company.<\/em><\/p>\n

    Me:<\/strong> What traits do you look for in a potential franchisee?<\/p>\n

    Debbie:<\/strong><\/em> The ideal candidates for franchisees are those that thrive in a compete culture; they compete and are comfortable doing so.\u00a0 Candidates should be achievers, directors, emulators and have excellent marketing skills.\u00a0The candidates will be risk-takers that are also focused on customer service.<\/em><\/p>\n

    Me:<\/strong> What are some of the things you’ll do as a franchisor\/CEO to help your franchisees succeed?<\/p>\n

    Debbie:<\/strong><\/em> We built a well-respected name, and will show franchisees how to do the same.<\/em><\/p>\n

    We\u2019ll show you how to partner with organizations that will provide continual referrals, keeping that pipeline full, and show you how to help them in return.\u00a0 We provide a\u00a0The Attentional and Interpersonal Style (TAIS) assessment. This will be used to \u00a0develop a tailored\u00a0performance-enhancement program and will be coached one-on-one to achieve your goals. We want franchisees to hit the ground running, so we provide a\u00a0package of marketing materials and a web site included in the franchise fee.\u00a0 All marketing materials have been professionally developed and will stand out among your competition.<\/em><\/p>\n

    “I\u2019d like a potential franchise owner to be a go-getter…someone who is not afraid to speak in front of a crowd and has a passion for making a powerful impact on people\u2019s lives. The candidate should be willing to follow processes and be sure his\/her team does the same, and should be creative and an innovative problem solver.”<\/em><\/p>\n

    – Debbie Bernacki<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Me:<\/strong> What is the outlook for the senior care industry?<\/p>\n

    Debbie:<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>The aging of the population, combined with the prevalence of two-earner households of the children of the aged, creates a need for services for seniors. This aging of society brings with it new challenges for individuals, families, and entire communities. This phenomenon creates an unprecedented business opportunity. Baby Boomers hold $13 trillion assets or roughly 50 percent of United States\u2019 asset base. The first of these baby boomers turn 65 at a rate of 8,000 people per day. This generation is now driving the market for senior care.<\/em><\/p>\n

    Revenues for the elder care services industry are expected to grow 5.2 percent per year through 2016 to $319.5 billion, with home-based services to grow the fastest. Advances will be driven largely by demographic changes in light of increasing life expectancy, which is contributing to the rising number of individuals in the older population segments. Growth is further boosted by the large, post-World War II \u201cbaby boom\u201d generation entering their retirement years.<\/em><\/p>\n

    Persons 65 years or older numbered 39.6 million in 2009. They represented 12.9% of the U.S. population, about one in every eight Americans. By 2030, there will be about 72.1 million older persons, more than twice their number in 2000. People 65+ represented 12.4% of the population in the year 2000 but are expected to grow to be 19% of the population by 2030.<\/em><\/p>\n

    The number of Americans surviving into their 80s, 90s and beyond is expected to grow dramatically due to advances in medicine and medical technology, as well as social and environmental conditions. Additionally, a large segment of the American population \u2014 the baby boom generation \u2014 has begun to reach the age range of elevated risk for Alzheimer\u2019s and other dementias, with the first baby boomers having reached age 65 in 2011. As the number of older Americans grows rapidly, so too will the numbers of new and existing cases of Alzheimer\u2019s disease. By 2025, the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer\u2019s disease is estimated to reach 7.1 million.<\/em><\/p>\n

    In 2011, the Bureau of Labor Statistics began calling random Americans and asking them how they spent their previous 24 hours. The results make up the American Time Use Survey results and revealed 39.8 million over the age of 15 provide unpaid care to a family member or a friend over the age of 65. Keep in mind; these statistics are even given that some Americans are already making use of paid caregivers. One can see that much remains in the market for franchisees to capitalize on.<\/em><\/p>\n

    Me:<\/strong> Why should the readers of The Franchise King Blog-the ones who are interested in becoming franchise owners, (and the people they share this interview with<\/em>) look into owning a Happier At Home franchise instead of another franchise?<\/p>\n

    Debbie:<\/strong> See above to find out what makes us unique.<\/em><\/p>\n

    Meet Debbie:<\/b><\/p>\n