Veteran Translated Experience to Start Business

Alex Caudill Marine

In 2007, A Place At Home franchisee, Alex Caudill, felt called to serve in the United States Marine Corps Infantry so he enlisted at age 17. In 2009 to 2010, Alex was selected to serve in the White House Presidential Detail under the Barack Obama Administration.

After finishing his time in Washington D.C. Alex then joined 3rd Battalion 4th Marines, a part of the 7th Marine Division in 2010; Alex was deployed with Kilo Company to Afghanistan.
Upon separation from active duty, Alex joined 2nd Battalion 24th Marines out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Madison, Wisconsin as part of the United States Marine Corps. Infantry Reserves. Alex’s responsibilities included serving as a Platoon Sergeant and Platoon Commander for a Platoon of Infantry Marines.

During his Reserve time; Alex said he is most proud of organizing a fundraiser for a fellow Marine. “His home was destroyed in a fire so I helped raise $15,000 to ease the burden of that tragic event,” said Alex. The Marine Corps recognized his efforts and awarded Alex the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

Throughout Alex’s military career he received many awards. The highlights include the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with Combat Valor, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal x2, and Combat Action Ribbon. He also received the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, NATO Medal-ISAF Afghanistan, and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.

After ten fulfilling years in the Marine Corps, Alex saw an opportunity to make a difference in the healthcare sector. His military-taught values of duty, service, and self-sacrifice found new meaning when he became a franchisee of A Place At Home. He now helps the elderly to live a comfortable and independent life at home.

The Veteran turned entrepreneur came face to face with the challenges of this sector and chose to do something about it. As a result, he launched his first A Place At Home location in 2018 in Scottsdale, and then two additional locations in 2020 in Chandler/Gilbert and Sun City West/Surprise. He set about transforming the quality of senior care for residents in the area.

“The reasons why I got into this industry were personal. Being an owner where we provide care to seniors who cannot care for themselves, my service has a new meaning. I am driven by phone calls from clients expressing they can live the life they want thanks to our help,” says Caudill.

Caudill holds a B.S. in Business Management from Milwaukee School of Engineering. Beyond his ten years of service in the Marine Corps, Caudill has held several leadership positions in the health industry. Those positions gave him extensive experience in the management of services in that industry.

Even so, Caudill says A Place At Home is more than just business to him; it’s a way of life. He is excited about being able to employ many senior care providers who believe in our “We are CARE” philosophy. Caudill lives for the difference that he makes in the communities around him and furthermore, being able to serve Veterans. A Place At Home – Scottsdale is one of the largest service providers of Phoenix VA non-skilled care, currently serving 174 seniors in his community. He is also proud to have 60% of his office-staff that are Veteran marines like himself.

“There are days we arrive at the office before the sun is up, and work well into the night. We can rest easy when we leave, due to our understanding of what we accomplish every day. We work to provide compassionate caregivers with the opportunity to care for those who can no longer care for themselves. Every day the team at A Place At Home makes a difference in the lives of so many.”

First A Place At Home Franchisees Hit CARE Pro Status

A Place At Home CARE Pro

A Place At Home created CARE Track, a 5-step senior-focused development program, to provide franchisees with the education and tools to grow and develop their A Place At Home franchise. The final stage of CARE Track is Step 5: CARE Pro.

New candidates enter CARE Track the minute they inquire about owning a franchise to determine Step 1: Are you CARE? Potential owners begin discussions with Jerod Evanich, President of A Place At Home. They take a free psychographic assessment to discover if they can measure up to A Place At Home’s top performers. 

“We want to find owners that can keep up with the extraordinary franchisees we already have but more importantly, we want to make sure the candidate’s values align with our “We are CARE” philosophy,” said Jerod Evanich, President of A Place At Home.

After a franchise is awarded, Step 2: CARE Launch begins. From there Step 3: CARE Coaching rolls out. After some time, once their business is operating, they begin to shine in Step 4: We are CARE. The final stage of CARE Track is Step 5: CARE Pro.

Becoming a CARE Pro

A Place At Home was established in 2012 and began franchising its successful business model in 2017. After 3 years, A Place At Home is happy to announce its first official CARE Pro’s: Alex Caudill of A Place At Home – Scottsdale, Sun City, and Chandler and George and Grace Bradley of A Place At Home – South Denver.

These franchisees have qualified as CARE Pro’s because they have been in business for a full year offering a continuum of care services. Also, their revenues have exceeded $500,000 annually, they’ve grown to at least three office employees, and have excellent customer and employee satisfaction scores. They even won Best of Home Care Provider of Choice and/or Best of Home Care Employer of Choice by Home Care Pulse. 

Dustin Distefano, CEO of A Place At Home, shared, “Owners that hit the CARE Pro milestone are in this for the long-term. They will become leaders in their market and will be positioned to build momentum over the next year.”

Alex and the Bradley’s will now begin working directly with Dustin on taking their business to the next level. They will have one-on-one access weekly to develop special projects such as developing staffing contracts, increasing additional service lines, and developing new payer sources. Dustin will also be on the ground with them during this time of growth. He will help ensure their infrastructure is strong to support the growth they are after in this next year. The goal is to triple their revenue by the end of their first CARE Pro year.

A Place At Home – Scottsdale, Sun City, and Chandler

After ten years as a sergeant in the Marine Corps, one of A Place At Home’s first CARE Pros, Alex Caudill, saw an opportunity to make a difference in the health sector. His military-taught values of duty, service, and self-sacrifice found new meaning when he became a franchisee of A Place At Home in 2018. 

Alex understood how crucial the first 90-180 days were and how they could define the route his business took. Alex said, “Those first months were the hardest. I was on my own trying to get those first clients. It’s important to have a plan, execute on it, and always push forward. I never got content because being content breeds complacency. If you’re always moving forward and pushing towards your goals you’ll move past any hurdles.”

Alex said he didn’t anticipate owning a multi-million dollar business with over 100 employees within 15 months of being open. He said, “it’s a reflection of my team. This shows me the wheels are turning as they’re supposed to be. Our client and satisfaction scores are good because we’re providing good care. We follow through on what we say we’ll do, and if there’s an issue we fix things in a timely manner.”

A Place At Home – South Denver

About thirteen hours northeast of Alex’s location is the first A Place At Home franchise in South Denver. Owners, George and Grace Bradley were the first franchisees taking the leap with A Place At Home in 2017, and it’s paid off as they’ve now hit CARE Pro status.

The Bradleys started looking for different franchises that serve the senior population. They reviewed 5 or 6 different FDD’s and were ready to schedule a discovery day with another franchise but spoke with Jerod at A Place At Home. “Jerod chatted away with me about what A Place At Home had to offer. There were several things that I really liked but thought the different sources of income were a great idea. There are 4 other ways to make money not just in-home care.”

George said, “It’s an honor to hit CARE Pro status. We pride ourselves in the quality of care we provide AND the quality of caregivers we provide. Our customer and client satisfaction scores are extremely important to us and we work hard to keep communication open. Becoming a CARE Pro is validation that everything we’ve been doing is working.”

Do you measure up to our top performers?

Ideal franchise owners are tenacious business builders, goal-oriented, and have a deep commitment to success. Our unique, scalable, and proven senior-focused development program allows owners to hit the ground running. Do you think you have what it takes to be a CARE Pro? See how you measure up and take our psychographic assessment online.

5 Ways to Market Your In-Home Senior Care Services During the Holidays

Marketing During the Holidays

It’s that time of the year again! The shopping spirit is in the air, and small businesses are dreaming of big sales, of willing buyers with open wallets. However, none of that is a guarantee. Strategic marketing is needed to leverage the festivities for improved sales during the Holidays.

Remember, too, that at this time of the year, consumers are crushing under a barrage of marketing messages. If you provide in-home senior care services, your strategy should, therefore, cut through the clutter and reach the right people where they are.

Here are some excellent holiday marketing techniques for home care services:

1. Find a holiday angle to your services

The holiday feeling is about sharing and caring, and that ties in well with the nature of your senior care business. Currently, friends and family gather to share the love, and there is no better time to deliver an infomercial on your top care services.

Create a thoughtful, inspiring, and heartfelt video on the beauty of in-home senior care and how it enhances the quality of life for the elderly and their families. For example, do a video directed at family caregivers that could use a break to be “just family members” this holiday season. You offer to supplement in a few days to a couple of weeks of service and while you assist with ADL’s and medication reminders, they can focus on their family.

Be sure to share this on your social media pages, promote it on YouTube and email to local community reps. Be prepared to answer questions especially if families are bringing loved ones home from long-term care facilities and need extra help. Learn the ‘vacation’ rules for Medicaid and Medicare coverage to provide extra peace of mind.

2. Get your clients involved

The best holiday messaging should tell the story of happiness and overcoming challenges. If you have clients willing to testify for the excellent quality of your care services, ensure to leverage that. Self-proclamation and inflationary claims don’t accomplish as much as user testimonies do.

You can send out these personal client stories through email, publish them as a series of social media posts, on flyer distribution, or online video. Don’t forget to thank your clients, their families, and everyone involved, wishing them happy holidays and include a call to action. For example, they may have family in town for the holidays so offer additional hours of care so they can enjoy their company and not put them to work or worry about things that need to get done.

3. Give away something meaningful

Let your business reflect the giving that embodies this holiday season. Your current and potential clients expect to be treated this time of year. Promotions can help you break through the market even when you are just starting out.

Your holiday promotion this year can be informed of surprise gifts for the families of your existing clients, discounts to past clients or prospects, or a community senior fun event. You can also partner with other non-competitor brands, health services providers, churches, and other organizations in spreading seniors love this holiday season. Just ensure that there is an awareness value for your business in that arrangement.

Holiday gifting helps to:

  • Spread awareness
  • Increase brand love and deepen brand loyalty
  • Increase the number of referrals

4. Add a festive holiday appeal to your website

It’s a new digital age that we are living in. Pew Research reports that 70 % of seniors go online and use digital services. The inventor of the Web, Tim Berners Lee, is himself a baby boomer, and that shows that the elderly don’t live in a faradays cage of sorts. And if the seniors are not that internet savvy, at least their kids and supporters are.

This holiday season your social media pages and website should be extra interactive full of thank you messages and best wishes. Your landing pages should be holiday-themed. Your entire site needs to be current and informative, enjoyable and assuring of the legitimacy and professionalism of your services.

5. Get out, be part of the community and build a dependable referral program

Unlike most other businesses, an in-home senior care business mostly thrives on referrals. You will find that more than half of your quality client introductions come from health service providers. Introductions from community leaders and local organizations can also give you the leap you desire.

Ensure, therefore, to engage with these people often, more so this holiday season, and offer them incentives/gifts as an appreciation for their leads. Remember to also keep in touch with clients and caregivers through postcards or greetings cards this holiday season.

Don’t let your senior care business miss out on the growth potential of the holiday cheer. Follow the above simple marketing during the holiday strategies and watch your business grow.

Considering a Senior Care Franchise?

When you join our group of dynamic business owners, as franchisees of A Place at Home, you’ll have strong support, thorough training and valuable business resources to help you succeed. Contact us to learn more.

A Place At Home Opens its 10th Location

Innovative senior care company continues to expand.

A Place At Home opened its doors in North Texas on Monday, October 14th. It is the tenth APAH location to open its doors nationwide. APAH has launched other franchise locations in Austin, TX, Colorado, Michigan, California, Oregon, Arizona, Arkansas, and Papillion, Nebraska. The corporate headquarters is located in Omaha, Nebraska.

Founders Jerod Evanich and Dustin Distefano opened APAH in 2012. Both men shared a passion for making changes in senior care. They created a continuum of care model to ensure APAH would be a true solution, rather than just another home care agency. This model includes four service lines which are in-home care, care coordination, senior living alternatives, and staffing.

A widely positive response led to exponential growth, ultimately culminating in the decision to open franchising opportunities across the nation. The first new franchise opened its doors in 2017 in South Denver with owners George and Grace Bradley.

This year Evanich and Distefano celebrated their tenth location by launching the First Annual Franchise Convention, where they brought all of their new franchise owners together, giving them an opportunity to socialize and benefit from a number of seminars.

“It’s the first of many milestones for the franchise system,” said Evanich. 

“The growth we’ve seen since 2017, and hosting our first annual franchise convention, is a significant turning point for our brand. We’ve gone nationwide, and are in discussion with a prospect to potentially go international in order to reach more seniors in need of our services,” adds Distefano.

Evanich said they focus on finding the right people to expand their brand. “More and more entrepreneurs are looking for meaningful business opportunities, as well as a quality service model they can stand behind.”