Franchisee Jim Carteris Credits Team Culture and Training for His Success
FirstLight Home Care franchisee Jim Carteris respects the power of a healthy business culture. With FirstLight, he says, the culture starts at the top, with excellent corporate support passed down to franchise owners and their employees. FirstLight services range from in-home assistance and companionship for seniors, dementia patients and veterans, to filling in for a client’s other caregivers.
“FirstLight Home Care’s culture makes the franchise unique,” Carteris says. “They have set up a foundation that not only cares for the clients but also the caregivers. The whole team — including the BrandONE consultants who are growing the franchise — is friendly. They’re all very easy to work with and always there to help.”
At his San Francisco Bay-area FirstLight franchise, he maintains the brand’s collaborative spirit. “We invest in our team. We want the best. We spend a significant amount of time and resources on individual as well as group training. We celebrate our successes and learn from our losses.”
Carteris launched his franchise in early 2020 at the suggestion of a friend who owns the FirstLight franchise in Marin County, Calif. “He’s very successful, and based on his experience, I decided to move forward with them.”
Carteris spends most of his workdays promoting his franchise, FirstLight of the San Francisco Peninsula, while delegating many other duties. “We have hired a great team. The vice president of operations and our director of human resources and staffing handle the day-to-day running of the business.”
His franchise’s biggest challenge is hiring and retaining high-quality personnel, something he’s experienced in after owning a staffing business for 18 years. “Like in every business with high demand, locating really good caregivers is the challenge.” This challenge is only growing as the need for caregivers rises along with the aging population. In fact, by 2030, every Baby Boomer (people born from 1946 to 1964) will be 65 or older, according to Statista.
Support and Training
FirstLight, founded 15 years ago, provides every franchisee with a full suite of online and in-person training. Franchisees learn best practices for FirstLight’s operating system and business model along with hands-on instruction for optimal home care processes.
Jim Carteris.
The franchise’s business development directors visit virtually and on-site, and all franchise owners are assigned a dedicated launch specialist who guides them through their first nine months in business. In addition, the franchisor offers vast marketing guidance and resources to foster the growth of every unit. In fact, Carteris already has been scaling his business. “We’ve doubled the size of our business each year for the last four years. We have acquired additional territories and will continue to hire amazing team members as we grow.”
The FirstLight Home Care franchise has 200-plus locations operating worldwide, and 20 more are in development; 30% of FirstLight owners are multi-unit operators. In addition to starting a unit from scratch, owners of other in-home care businesses may convert to the FirstLight brand. Military veterans are eligible for a 15% discount off their initial franchise fee.
FirstLight In-Home Care
FirstLight’s in-home care services provide the daily support adults need to live a life of dignity, with as much independence as possible.
- Medication monitoring and reminders.
- Cooking, feeding, cleaning and doing laundry.
- Bathing and other hygiene assistance.
- Help with mobility challenges.
- Companionship and friendly conversation.
- Respite care so the primary caregiver can take breaks. This allows the primary caregiver to, for example, engage in a leisure activity, get a haircut, take a trip, see a dentist or doctor, attend religious services, etc.
- Help monitor and manage symptoms caused by dementia.
For more information about the FirstLight Home Care franchise, visit https://www.firstlightfranchise.com/.
