Independence with a Home Instead care franchise

Judith Herrod is one of our more recent Home Instead franchise owners and was selected to take ownership of the Stone franchise in Staffordshire. She began trading in January 2008.

If you ask Judith why she became involved in the care business she will tell you about her parents, an independent couple in their 70’s who travel abroad almost every month and who enjoy life to the full. She will then tell you that their biggest fear is losing their independence.

Like many others who are involved with Home Instead Senior Care, Judith fully understands the importance of supporting the elderly in their own homes and sees how, by providing this care, elderly people can gain many years of independent living.

When you ask Judith how she became involved in care she laughs: “I woke up in New York on my 50th birthday and thought – what shall I do with the rest of my life?” Judith had always been interested in the franchise model for businesses so on arriving home she went on the internet and searched for the latest franchise opportunities. It was here that she read about Home Instead Senior Care, Judith continues: “I saw the words ‘Making a Difference’ and that was it, I just knew this was the business opportunity for me.”

Prior to purchasing her franchise Judith had enjoyed a successful career as Head of Fundraising for a well-known children’s hospice in the Midlands, and before that had owned and run an estate agency/property management company in the Costa Del Sol with her husband.

Whilst Judith found her fundraising role with the hospice hugely rewarding, she did find it unrelenting. “At times I felt like a hamster on a wheel. We constantly had targets to meet and it seemed never ending. I was good at what I did and the job was well paid but I suppose when I hit 50 I decided that I needed to be my own boss again, but I still wanted to do something worthwhile.”

Judith’s friends think she is crazy setting up on her own but she says: “I have less stress now than in any of my previous jobs. Home Instead is already operating as a successful and proven business model so all the systems are there – it’s just down to me to get on with it. The team at head office are great and are there if I have any queries or need any additional support.”

She continues: “What’s really unusual is that there are no targets to meet other than those I set myself. This is the first private company I’ve found that has the ethos of the voluntary sector – they really do want to make a difference. I’ve never been happier.”