With the Blossom Home Care franchise, you don’t need experience or a background in the home care or healthcare industry. Fortunately, Craig Godbold has plenty of experience to go around, selected as a new franchisee for Dorset, England. We expect the new branch to become operational in a few months.
Craig’s new Blossom team is set to deliver premium holistic home care services to clients throughout Dorset, including regions like Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole, Wimborne Minster, and all surrounding areas. He’s ready to take on several new clients, paving the way for his business’ success.
Since we were intrigued about his journey from NHS Clinical Lead to a Blossom Home Care franchise business owner, we had a chat with Craig over a cuppa to discuss his experience, his hospital involvement with discharging patients, and his plans for his new franchise.
Can you tell us more about your career up until now?
I have a background in physiotherapy as a specialty. I spent most of my NHS physio career assisting the elderly, whether it was in an acute or community setting. Eventually, I became a team leader in the front-of-house therapy team that covered the emergency department and rapid assessment units. I progressed to the Clinic Lead role, working for the NHS Dorset system, where I supported patient discharge and flow throughout the county.
What were the main experiences you gained from these roles?
There were so many. The experience with the main relevance is obtaining valuable insight into how significant it is to discharge clients timeously. If we deemed them medically ready with proper support and safe within their home, we would let them leave. However, this wasn’t always possible due to limited care capacity. It caused a massive knock-on effect on patients who were in dire need of care and also the flow of patients preparing to leave the hospital.
How much were you involved in the hospital patient discharge process?
I had a pivotal role in supporting timely hospital discharge, using all care and rehabilitation resources at my disposal, and ensuring care recycling once patients no longer needed that level of support to get home. In order to achieve this milestone, I built strong relationships with discharge team members, community health groups, and the local authority. In this way, I supported the NHS Dorset system in designing new pathways out of the hospital.
How did this shape your future career thinking?
I received my first taste of wanting my own care business by working in the community. The system needed to be better for elderly patients living in their own environments. I wanted to ensure we could provide them the care and compassion they needed to remain independent in their homes for as long as possible.
What were your main drivers for starting a Blossom Home Care franchise?
Delivering high-quality care is important to me, but it’s more than that. I wanted to reduce care visits as soon as it was safe to do so, cutting down client costs. My main strengths are in leadership, establishing a positive environment of unity, and valuing staff members. In this way, we create a happy workforce eager to deliver the best care possible. Fortunately, Blossom had the same mindset and ethos of this idea, and that’s where my journey with this brand began.
What were your biggest concerns about starting your own home care business?
Since I primarily have a healthcare background, my biggest concern was my sheer lack of business experience. That’s the main reason for me entering franchising. The Blossom Home Care brand held the expertise and support to teach me from a true and tested model, which was invaluable. The head office and franchise network will always be there to aid me. In all honestly, recruitment concerns me the most. Thankfully, I already received 24 applications for my Registered Manager role. I’m expecting the same level of demand for my services under the Blossom name, if not more.
How has Blossom’s head office helped you overcome your worries about becoming a business owner?
Anyone would naturally find investing in a franchise daunting. Yet, I’m confident in my future success. Co-founder Jon Leggott has provided me with brilliant guidance, even with the toughest decisions. Blossom has given me the time and space needed to get up and running, while John has responded to all my questions. It’s been a fantastic experience!
Have you also received support about the practical business elements of starting a franchise, such as business plans and cash flow forecasts?
Absolutely! It’s been a massive learning curve for me, especially since I’m a methodical and structured person and understand what I need to do. Thanks to the support that Blossom provides, plus my time and effort into understanding the numbers, I have a better idea of how the business model works. When you don’t have business experience, it’s frightening. However, companies like Blossom make you feel more comfortable, especially when you have clear projections in front of you. I can’t wait, and I’m excited to start providing the home care services my community deserves!
How can I become a Blossom Home Care franchisee?
As you can tell, Craig is eager to get his healthcare business up and running. Starting your own Blossom Home Care franchise is as easy as contacting us using our website’s contact form. One of our team members will contact you to discuss this opportunity in more detail.
Thanks to the benefit of our immense support and expertise, you’ll join a nationally recognised brand and an award-winning company. You’ll also own a highly lucrative home care business that’s easy to run and positively contributes to the elderly community.
So why wait? Contact us to learn more about starting your own Blossom Home Care franchise today!
Shaun M Jooste, Point Franchise ©
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