Home Instead Senior Care is celebrating its successful female franchise owners this month, with Business Women’s Day approaching on the 22nd of September. Home Instead Senior Care is a global network of locally owned and independently operated franchises and there are currently over 1,000 offices in 16 countries around the globe. In Australia alone, there are 24 franchises and this number is growing. Of those franchises, 16 are owned by females and the head office has seen these businesses in particular go from strength to strength.
Sue McGarry from Home Instead’s Sydney Upper North Shore says about owning her own franchise, “I love being my own boss. Owning and running my own business is more satisfying and fulfilling than working for someone else. It was a bit of a shock having to spend money to make money after having a well-paid job for so long. Learning to be frugal was a challenge but now I am so much better with my finances. As a woman in business, I’m so proud of taking the leap of faith and leaving my corporate life, even after I’d just received a promotion and everything was going so well. I thought, if I can get a promotion without my heart being in it, what can I achieve when it is?” says Sue.
Harriet Cox is in business with her mother, Su and the pair own Home Instead’s Wollongong office. Of their decision to buy the franchise, Harriet says, “As female business owners, it has given us enormous satisfaction and pride to be able to offer employment and training to the growing workforce of mature women who were struggling to find meaningful employment. We have been able to offer these women the opportunity to obtain a nationally recognised qualification (for many of them this was their first formal qualification). It is so rewarding to be able to deliver on a client’s wishes, particularly those clients that choose to die at home. We are humbled and honoured to care for those individuals in their last moments and feel so proud that through our organisation we can offer alternatives to hospital or residential care.”
Su came from a family of male business owners and while she dreamed of owning her own community aged care business, family demands and low self-esteem stopped her from ever pursuing this dream. “Su is now so proud of the fact that, in her 50s, she was finally able to take this step and more importantly motivate and inspire me to make this move with her,” says Harriet.
Toowoomba’s franchise owner, Donna Weis, was attracted by the challenge of building a business from the ground up. As a single mother of five children, she is no stranger to hard work but she was inspired to take the biggest risk of her career and buy her own business. “I did it all on my own. I left a secure job, sold my house and put everything I had into the business. Looking back now, I don’t know where the inspiration came from. It was a huge risk but even now, barely twelve months later, the risk is already paying off. I can now give my children the secure future I always wanted for them,” says Donna.
Suzanne McLoughlin is the epitome of a leader in her community. She owns Home Instead’s Melbourne Outer East office, chairs two Aged Care Networks and participates in four others. “I am rewarded every time people talk about me being a leader in the community regarding aged care, as that is something I aspire to. I want to really make a difference and advocate for change. I’m so proud that I inspire others to reach for the stars,” she says. Suzanne’s advice to other business women is simple but powerful. She says, “Live your life with passion and ensure what you do aligns with your purpose in life because this will always lead to fulfilment.”
Business Women’s Day aims to inspire and empower women in business. It brings businesswomen together to create professional opportunities and encourage support and equality.
About Home Instead Senior Care: Home Instead Senior Care is a specialist, national provider of high quality in-home care for older Australians. Home Instead’s CAREGivers help with a range of personal and lifestyle needs while providing welcome companionship. Its services include assistance with personal care, light household duties, meal preparation, medication reminders, and transport to appointments, shopping and social outings. The team take personal responsibility for providing the best in-home care and support to meet their clients’ needs and are committed to addressing the individual and national challenges of Australia’s ageing population.
Home Instead’s female franchise owners are:
• Sarah Warner – Brisbane Inner North and West (QLD)
• Virginia Beaufort – Brisbane South (QLD)
• Victoria Meyers – Bayside (QLD)
• Falon Newman – Sunshine Coast (QLD)
• Donna Weis – Toowoomba (QLD)
• Debbie Quirk – Sydney North Shore/Northern Beaches (NSW)
• Robyn Carver – Sydney Inner North & North West (NSW)
• Jasmine Hopcraft – Gosford (NSW)
• Sue McGarry – Sydney Upper North Shore (NSW)
• Harriet Cox and Su Middleton – Wollongong (NSW)
• Lee McBriarty – Adelaide (SA)
• Briarna Fouche and Annalise James – Melbourne Blackburn (VIC)
• Sanda D’souza – Maidstone (VIC)
• Suzanne McLoughlin – Melbourne Outer East (VIC)
• Shirley Rawnsley – Perth (WA)