How to Start a Home Care Business: A Complete Guide

Starting a home health care business can seem overwhelming. However, partnering with a reputable franchise can make the process much easier. With our comprehensive guide, you can learn what it takes to start a home care business, how to prepare, and the milestones to reach along the way.  

The Home Care Industry

As the U.S. population continues to age, there is a growing demand for proper home care services for seniors. Especially in the wake of COVID-19 when nursing homes became hot spots for infection, which deterred many seniors from wanting to age anywhere but home.

With the home care provider industry reaching a value of $136.4 billion in 2023, now is a great time for savvy entrepreneurs to consider starting a home health care business. A lot of times home health care agencies can be run from a home office, reducing overhead costs and increasing profit potential.

There are many kinds of home care. Your agency could provide non-medical services like companionship, assistance with daily living activities, transportation and errands, meal preparation, and light housekeeping. However, some agencies provide additional medical services like skilled nursing care, physical, occupational, and speech therapies, palliative care, and even hospice care. Understand that agencies who offer medical services are required to employ licensed nurses and therapists. You’ll also need to be familiar with any regulatory requirements and licensing standards applicable to providing healthcare services in your area.

How to Start a Home Care Agency: Steps to Follow

Study the following steps to build your own home care business startup.

• Assess your skillset: Conduct a bit of a self-assessment to gather a full understanding of your experience, skills, and interests. You’ll be working in your new business every day; you should be passionate about what you do! Take stock of your financial position. This includes evaluating your access to startup capital, understanding the potential expenses involved in hiring staff, securing licenses and permits, purchasing equipment, and covering ongoing operational costs.
• Draft your business plan: This is a vital step in starting your own home care business. Your business plan will act as a roadmap for your home care agency. It’ll also be presented to potential investors, so it’ll need to be clear but concise. Be sure to include an executive summary, a business description, your target audience, a strong marketing strategy, your proposed management team, and your financial projections.
• Secure funding: The second most important step in starting any business is acquiring funding. There are many ways you can generate the capital needed, including personal savings, bank loans, investors, and even crowdfunding. If you’re comfortable doing so, you can also ask friends and family. However, it’s important to have a written agreement so all parties are aware of the amount borrowed and the proposed repayment structure.
• Set up shop: Locate the best site for your home care business. Will you operate out of your home, or will you rent a small office space? Determine the radius of your service area. Are there enough seniors in the market? Obtain any necessary licenses or permits and be sure to secure business insurance.
• Hire and train staff: Depending on the services you plan to offer, you’ll need to recruit qualified people – this could include licensed nurses and therapists. Conduct thorough background checks to ensure the safety of your clients. Provide comprehensive training and ongoing support to your staff to ensure they continuously provide high quality care.
• Launch your marketing strategy: Develop a brand identity. Build a simple to navigate website that introduces users to your business and allows them to connect with you. Utilize social media platforms and other digital marketing channels to build brand awareness. You can also network with health care providers who can refer patients to your home health care business.
• Provide exceptional care: Consider hosting community events and open houses to get to know the people in your area. Be open to feedback from clients and adjust better their experience.

If handling all of this on your own seems daunting, consider joining a home care franchise. Investing with an established brand like Always Best Care allows you to start your own business with expert guidance. Franchisors have spent a lot of time perfecting their business models and have systems in place to fully support their franchisees. From comprehensive training programs to ongoing operational assistance, franchising offers a structured approach to entrepreneurship that can help alleviate many of the challenges associated with starting a business independently.

Get Started with Always Best Care

A trusted member of the home health care industry since 1996, Always Best Care has more than 230 locations nationwide – with plenty of room to continue growing. We have prime markets available for investment and even offer franchisees their own exclusive territories.

All our franchise locations offer multiple types of care, including in-home care, skilled home health care, special care services, respite care, dementia care, and even senior living referral services. We understand that everyone is different and therefore their needs are, too. We create specialized plans for each of our clients to make sure they get the highest quality care. Through our Continuum of Care, we’re able to be a trusted partner to our clients through multiple life stages, allowing them some relief even during times of change.

We’re seeking compassionate entrepreneurs to invest in our affordable franchise opportunity. Our startup costs range between $89,750 and $145,900 – including our $49,900 franchise fee. Interested franchise candidates should have a net worth of $200,000 and at least $100,000 in liquidity to qualify.

To learn more about our franchise opportunity, request information today, and one of our franchise development representatives will be in touch.