Frequently Asked Questions

While a number of our owners have qualifications in business or health care, this is not a requirement. It is an advantage, however. What we look for are people who have a desire and passion to work in the industry, people who are willing and eager to learn about the industry and are willing to seek advice from financial advisers before they start. An ideal candidate will have the finance and a positive history in small business or experience in the industry.

Home care is largely unregulated. This being said, the industry has standards in relation to staff that work in the industry and since July 2019, all home care companies providing services directly or indirectly funded by the federal government, must meet the Aged Care Quality Standards. This includes mandatory national Police Checks for all owners and employees.

As an employer, we also need to be aware of National Employment Standards, Fair Work, Consumer Law and regulations such as workplace health and safety.

Some states (SA, VIC and QLD) have what is called a Labour Hire Licence. It is required if you are doing any brokerage or sub-contracting work with larger home care companies who have more clients than they can service themselves.

Because we are primarily a home care company (and not a health or nursing services provider), you do not need a registered nurse on staff. However, most owners do have a contract RN available for skilled services. If you are planning to offer services as part of the Home Care Package program, you will need a registered nurse to conduct assessments and design the Care Plan. Discuss this with the Franchisor.

Senior Helpers do not have clients waiting for services and waiting for new owners. We will work with you to develop strategies to find and recruit clients. This is part of Initial Training. However, we do have broad contacts to be able to point you in the right direction and get your business up and running very quickly.

We are always happy when candidates are excited and wanting to get started. However, there are required activities that need to be completed before signing a franchise agreement, and there is a cooling-off period required by law in relation to your agreement. Generally, it can happen in about 60 to 90 days, but this depends on the process. We want you to take your time and make a good decision for yourself and for your family.

Yes, you will have an exclusive territory. However, we also live and work with the Australian policy of Consumer Directed Care. This means that clients can request services from whomever they choose, and this may mean that the client wants you, but lives in another owner’s territory. The Franchisor will work with both franchisees to develop an agreement. Generally, issues only arise in relation to marketing in another owner’s territory.

The franchise fee and agreement allow you to use the Senior Helpers’ brand and name, it covers Initial Training, access to all the Senior Helpers business systems and materials, including assistance with applications for accreditation (Home Care Packages and NDIS), training with the software and the company training programs and materials (Senior Gems®, Parkinson’s Care, Multiple Sclerosis and others).

We strongly recommend that a franchise operates with two principals. We find that when there is only one operator, aspects of the business, such as marketing, are not fully activated and this reduces client recruitment and ultimately service hours and therefore a reduced income.

This is a very frequently asked question, and it is a logical one to ask. The problem is, every location and state is different and every owner will have different skills and different client profiles. We will never be able to tell you how much you WILL earn. Earnings vary according to a number of factors: how much you charge for your services vs your overheads, location (rents in Sydney are much higher than Ballarat), some owners are less adept at marketing and some areas are saturated with home care providers. Before you sign an Agreement, we illustrate how you can make your own financial projections. As we are working within the Franchising Code, we strongly recommend that you seek independent financial advice from a CPA as part of your business planning.

In 2021 the average sales each fortnight was $45,000.00

When you are looking for a new service or item, the most common approach is to look for it on the web. If the address of a business is a PO box or is not stated, that business is questionable to the general public. As you will interview a good number of people who you may not employ, you would not be advised to do this from a home address. We want you to be SEEN in your community. This means a commercial space that is accessible to your staff and potential clients. If you are visible in your community, you will be remembered.

Generally, at head office in Launceston. All travel and accommodation costs are covered by the franchisee. We do guide you to a variety of accessible and affordable options within walking distance to the office.

If your Agreement is within term, yes. We will guide you through the process.

We would like you to aim for this. Owners come to Senior Helpers with varying experience and talents. We like to work with owners to begin with services according to their talents and experience and to expand these within the first 12 months. As we have flagship Alzheimer’s and Dementia programs, this is a priority and we do encourage the owners to offer this particular program.