When starting a new homecare companies, there are a lot of things to consider:
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When do you need to register with regulatory bodies?
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How are you going to get staff
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How are you going to get clients
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How are you going to manage everything?
There is a lot to do, but you should be proud of taking that first step of setting up and providing homecare; doing so will have a real impact on people’s lives, both the clients receiving the care and their families.
Also, the fact that you are here reading this article about starting a new homecare company means that you are heading in the right direction to ensure a smooth start already. 😊
What first steps should be taken to set-up a new homecare company?
If you don’t have the experience already, the first step should be to find out as much as you can about the care industry.
Reach out to the regulatory bodies (e.g. CQC in England), and specialist organisations who will assist you in getting started (such as the Homecare Association), and consider working with someone that has hands-on experience in dealing with care, either a care worker or a care manager, but someone that knows the industry.
How can new homecare companies succeed?
In the last five years, there have been over 1800 companies started in the UK. Out of these, over half of them are now out of business. The main reason for this is because they do not have enough time to manage their company properly. So starting on the right foot, with the right management strategy, is the best way to ensure success.
This is where Nursebuddy's homecare software can help your business. We know that getting up and running takes a lot of time. We also know that when registering your business, inspectors and governing bodies check if you are planning for the future, and how you are going to manage to grow your business. With Nursebuddy's domiciliary care management software, we offer you our entire toolset, with training, so that you know what to do when you are up and running.
Can I start with just paper records while my new homecare company is small?
It’s totally understandable to want to start with the simplest option when you first launch your domiciliary care business. You’re probably thinking that it’s not only cheaper but simpler to use pen and paper in the beginning. However, in our experience of automating hundreds of domiciliary care businesses, many of our customers came to us because pen and paper were slowing down their management and growth. So if you are a care director aiming to grow your homecare business bigger in the future, starting to adopt and utilise technology from the beginning will benefit you, your business and your staff in the long run.
Anyone with experience in the care industry will say, the best time to learn about care software is at the very beginning. The CQC will definitely say this. Once you grow, it becomes more cumbersome to move data across into a digital format (though of course, we have services to help you with that at no extra cost!). And although it may seem easy at the start, once you grow, keeping track of paper copies of care plans, risk assessments, medications and visit notes can take a lot of filing space!
How can I start getting customers for my new homecare business?
Let us be honest here, no business can be successful without customers or someone who needs your service and is willing to pay for it. Domiciliary care is no exception. We’re not here to tell you to buy our service without really wanting to help you to succeed because your success is our success.
So we've put together this helpful guide on how to get more homecare customers. Why not download it now?
Marjaana Jokinen is Customer Success Manager for our Finnish customers, helping them to get the best possible value out of Nursebuddy's homecare software platform. She guides them from initial enquiry, through onboarding and training, to growing their businesses with Nursebuddy. Being a caregiver to her own mom, makes the homecare industry a meaningful place for Marjaana to work in.
