Managing Your Caregiver Business with Ease

We at uCarenet are aware of the value you bring to families and the community. You are one of many who are, or plan to, provide elder home care for Canadian families. This article is dedicated to you, as we know how hard it can be to manage your caregiving business online. In this article you’ll read tips for starting and managing your senior care business. This includes information about our booking portal and homecare booking platform that’s designed to assist you with your business.

That’s right! The information provided here is for you, whether you already have home care experience, or are ready to begin a career in elder care. You’ll read about business ideas, tips for getting started or improving business processes, and the benefits you’ll find here with uCarenet+, our information feature that is devoted to Canadian home caregivers.

Best Senior Care Business Ideas

Families seeking elder home caregiver services have a wide variety of needs. These may change with time as their parent or other loved one ages. These needs include:

• Companion care and transportation: Caregivers who provide this service are there to converse, read, sing, and do activities with clients. They may also provide rides to healthcare appointments and community and faith-based functions. The purpose is to make the person in their care feel engaged with life and their personal interests.
• Personal care and safety: Caregivers fulfilling these services assure that their senior clients are clean and well cared for. This includes helping with toileting, bathing, dressing, and moving about, as needed. Thus, safety is a key part of caregiving. The caregiver may also be responsible for some home care and meals.
• Home care and meal preparation: Some families first need is a caregiver who will do housework and provide meals for their loved one. That elder may live on their own or in a household with working adults. The purpose is to lighten their home workload. This may be combined with companionship and personal care.
• Live-in caregiving: You can become a live-in caregiver in situations where a family needs extra support for an ill or senior family member. These jobs mean that you’ll have your own room.

All of the above service needs can be mixed and matched into a business plan that also meets your skills and interests. You’ll want to be sure to address your financial needs as you think about the services you’ll offer.

Websites with Information for Starting or Growing Your Business

It takes time to find the right websites to help you start a business. Or, if you already have one, to be sure you’re on the right track. We’re here to save you time and assure that you are turning to the best sites for help. Most are government sites focused on business planning.

• There’s a lot of information on this page about turning your ideas into a business. It’s worth looking over, as it may help with your planning.
• This page has collections of small business guides.
  • Please note that one collection is multilingual.
  • Feel free to call the ‘Get In Touch’ phone number or contact them by email as being a private home caregiver is still quite new.
• This page provides information for families interested in hiring a private in-home caregiver who is a Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW). If this is you, you’ll find helpful information for you too! It has links that:
  • Go to other pages that give details about wages and work conditions.
  • Offer the reminder that you, as a worker, are protected by Canadian law.

Another term you’ll find as you search for information is “Home Support Worker.” This is a pilot program of the Canadian government that is exploring the program’s ability to meet the needs of Canadian families. The Home Support Worker page describes what you need to know to become part of the program. Note: Some sites also refer to the job as Personal Support Worker.

Creating a Business Plan

This step can seem daunting as you may think of business plans as being more like a term paper! Yes, they can get involved, although that is not really necessary. In fact, a simple one or two-page business plan really helps your home care business take shape. You may want to update or create your resume at the same time. That is covered later in this article.

Here’s what to include in your business plan, in addition to the points made on this business plan guide template:

• Your business vision is what you want your home care business to look like in the future.

Example: X Home Care serves seniors who wish to live independently as long as possible.

• The mission of your business is the values and beliefs your work represents.

Example: X Home Care is dedicated to providing Canadian elders the home care they deserve.

• Market analysis is another step that can seem daunting and really is not.
  • This is about looking into the services that seniors most need to living safely at home.
  • You then get to match these with what you do well and are interested in doing.
  • Another part of looking at the home care market is finding areas that are underserved. This can be a service area such as meal preparation, or communities or groups of people that need more home care services.
• Your sales or marketing strategy includes the steps you take to let families know about your elder care services. Our platform helps you do this!
• The basic financial plan is similar to a household budget, as you’ll list:
  • Your expenses aside from what you need for basic living. This includes extras like vacation, special clothes, or another computer.
    • Keep in mind that some expenses, such as your vehicle, phone, computer, and some clothing may be part of your business expenses.
    • You can consult with a small business office or tax consultant to learn more about this.
  • What you need to live on. That’s the money that keeps your household going, such as food, fuel, and your vehicle.
  • To figure revenue or business income, plan what your rates need to be to cover business expenses and have a living wage, while working a reasonable number of hours.
• The next step is to prepare a few business objectives. This step also sounds like it is harder than it really is. After all, you’ve already fulfilled objectives at home and any job you’ve had. A few beginning objectives are enough to get you started.
  • An example is that you pay your bills on time. That is measurable so you know if it’s 100% of the time or 75%.
  • Business objective example 1: 90% of families rate quality the quality of my care at 9 out of 10, with 10 being high.
  • Business objective example 2: I work 35 to 38 clocked hours per week at X dollars per hour.
• You then move on to picking a few strategies or actions you’ll use to reach each objective. For instance:
  • You can conduct a simple satisfaction survey of clients and families every few months. This lets you know their rating of care you provide.
  • By tracking the number of hours you work each week, you can figure if you need to adjust your objective to meet your income needs.

At this point, you have the main points of your business plan in place! You do want to include the tools you’ll use as part of your work. Our uCareMAP app is likely the most important tool you’ll own for managing your business as it gives you:

• Electronic invoicing and payment ability
• Detailed client records
• Shift and wellness reports
• Revenue tracking
• Marketing tools to make your service delivery options stand out, giving you the chance to earn more!

Prepare for Interviews

You now have almost everything in place to get started! By reading the uCarenet and uCarenet+ webpages that feature blog posts for families, you can stay informed about what you need to know as you prepare for interviews with potential clients. Here are samples:

• A blog for families to prepare them for doing background checks on potential providers. This blog includes information that will help you prepare.
• This home care assessment is a tool that can help you plan your business. It gives ideas about the services you may hope to provide. Much of this assessment can be used to inquire about a family’s care needs for their loved one.
• As you review the blogs, like this one on individualized care, note the skills that make you a standout! It’s easy to take your own abilities for granted. As you read about the type of care families want for their loved ones, you realize you are capable of providing the quality they want.
• Prepare a clear, concise resume that includes:
  • Related caregiving positions. If you were employed in long-term or home care, give a brief description of your role.
  • Your education and any certifications or training related to being a home caregiver, sometimes referred to as personal support worker.
  • Special skills or assets, such as being multi-lingual, having unique baking or cooking skills, or enjoying reading aloud. Only include those skills that you’re happy to do with a client.
  • Try to keep your resume to one or two pages. Have a couple of trusted friends review it to be sure it’s clear and without typing errors. Avoid fancy formats as they can detract from your message of care and compassion.
  • Have a list of references ready. Be sure to talk with those people ahead of time to get their permission to be called, emailed, or texted. And only use those whom you trust to give you a very good reference!

How uCarenet + Helps You with Your Business

We at uCarenet are in the business of helping families who want care for their elder loved ones. We are also in the business of supporting you with your private home care services. That is why we have an app and are developing systems to link families with you!

uCarenet+ for Care Providers supports the growth of the ‘gig economy’ by providing you as a self- employed caregiver entry and continued success in a freelance environment. uCarenet gives you and other paid and volunteer caregivers an easy-to-use mobile app for marketing your skills and services. These get matched with clients based on your availability. You set your wage requirements based on your experience and the skills you offer.