Walfinch Franchise
Walfinch provides personalised, high quality home care. You don’t need care experience as you don’t do the care work yourself.
Franchise Information
9/10 people say that if they need care, they’d prefer to receive it in their own home.
An alternative to care homes, Walfinch franchisees address the need to remain independent at home.
Regulator Registration Made Easy
One of the biggest challenges when you’re setting up a home care business is getting your business registered with your regulator.
If you haven’t done this before, it can be a long and laborious process. Most franchisees didn’t work in the care sector before joining Walfinch, so didn’t have any experience of the registration process.
For example, Dimpu Boppuri, who runs Walfinch Milton Keynes and Bedford, worked in IT for Santander, Barclays, Mastercard, and other large financial institutions before joining Walfinch.
Dimpu got his Bachelor of Technology from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in Hyderabad in the early 2000s before getting a job with Barclays in Knutsford.
Since then, he’s had 2 children, one who loves to play cricket, and he’s had his own IT company too.
With no care experience, Dimpu didn’t know where to start when it came to getting his home care business registered with CQC.
This is where Walfinch come in. When you join, you’ll be supported by an experienced Quality and Compliance Manager whose job is to get you registered with your regulator as quickly as possible so you can start trading and focusing on growing your business.
![Walfinch Image](https://static4.franchisedirect.ie/dims4/default/b9787fd/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1389x928+0+0/resize/800x534!/quality/95/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffranchisedirect-40-prod-ops.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff7%2F0f%2Fd29725664c51a7b3e4fbf23e4c9c%2Fwalfinch-pic-1.jpg)
What training and support does Walfinch provide franchisees?
Most Walfinch franchisees do not come from a care background, so your training is extensive and ongoing:
Initial Training:
- 5 day face to face programme for 2 directors, followed by 5 days online.
- Support registering your business with your regulator
- Help recruiting your first Registered Manager
- 8-week compliance training programme, with weekly 1 hour sessions
- Help finding your first office
- Business plan and launch strategy
- Support setting pay and charge rates
Ongoing Training:
- Annual support calendar including 10-12 online workshops, 3 face to face regional meetings for you, 3 for your Registered Manager, and an annual conference
- Support during regulator site visits
- Assistance buying additional territories
- Guidance on recruiting the right people
- Regularly reviewing KPIs to help you hit your targets
- Weekly marketing surgery
- Assistance selling your business when you’re ready
“When you are new to the industry, there is a lot of technical knowledge around care and assessments that you need to know. That’s why I chose to get into this sector with a franchise, and the training and support you get from the Walfinch franchise support team is very good.” - Sarah Wickham, Managing Director, Walfinch Suffolk Coastal, Walfinch West Suffolk, and Walfinch Norwich
![Walfinch Image](https://static4.franchisedirect.ie/dims4/default/a2ab1e1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1386x927+0+0/resize/800x535!/quality/95/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffranchisedirect-40-prod-ops.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff4%2Fa8%2F69a1e16d419188f2d60345d3a8bc%2Fwalfinch-pic-2.jpg)
Growing Need
You’ll be providing a much-needed alternative. Over 430,000 people live in care homes in the UK. Life expectancy for care home residents between 2021 and 2022 was just 7 years for people aged 65-69. Life expectancy for non-care home residents in the same age group was over 23 years, so your services will reduce the quick deterioration observed in care homes (ONS).
Not only that, 9 out of 10 people say that if they need care, they’d prefer to receive it in their own home.
You’ll have access to a growing and under-served market. The number of over 85s in the UK, the group most likely to need home care, was 1.6 million in 2018. By 2048, this is projected to rise to 3.5 million and 5.1 million by 2066 (ONS).
You’ll be in demand. Requests for care were 6% higher in 2021 than in 2015/16 and requests exceeded 2 million for the first time ever in 2022-2023 (The King’s Fund).
Your market is far bigger than just the elderly. There were 22.2% more requests for care from the working-age population in 2022 than in 2015/16 and 900,000 additional working-age adults were living with a disability in 2021 than in 2011 (Institute for Government).
You’ll have potential clients from the start. More than half a million people were waiting for adult social care in May 2022 and the proportion of those waiting more than 6 months reached 36.5% in March 2023 which is up from 20.2% in November 2021 (Home Care Association/Institute for Government).
You’ll be in demand all year round so you’ll experience continuous growth, and you’ll have multiple sources of income because you’ll be offering a range of specialist services to lots of different age groups including hourly visiting care and 24/7 live-in care.
Reach Your Professional and Financial Goals More Quickly
While there is vast opportunity to run a successful home care business, setting up any business alone is difficult.
You’ll face unexpected hurdles and things will not always go to plan.
When you set up a business with a franchise, it’ll still be tough at first, but you’ll have a support system in place to help you overcome any challenges much more quickly.
This support system means you’ll also reach your professional and financial goals more quickly.
The “Mum Test"
Everything we do at Walfinch is based around the “Mum Test” which is something Founder and CEO, Amrit Dhaliwal, came up with when he was a home care franchisee.
When deciding what care is best, how it should be delivered and who should deliver it, we always ask ourselves: “Would I like this for my own mum?” If the answer is no, we think again.
We believe that high quality care starts with our teams of carers – so we prioritise and support them with above-average pay and working conditions, which attracts and retains the best people. 8/10 carers remain with us year-on-year which is much higher than the care sector average.
Your Time, Your Terms
When you buy a franchise, you have full control of your own time.
Dhan Ramjuttun, who runs Walfinch Greater Manchester South with his wife Sham, was a Mental Health Nurse in the NHS for 25 years before joining Walfinch.
Dhan is from Mauritius and studied Health Care Management at Keele University in the 90s before forging a long and successful career in the NHS.
Dhan is into gardening, cycling, and football, and self-employment has given him the opportunity to do more of these things than he could when he was working in the NHS.
Franchising is about growing a successful business so you can do more of the things you want to do personally, as well as making a difference in your community.
![Walfinch Image](https://static4.franchisedirect.ie/dims4/default/faf0623/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1375x919+0+0/resize/800x535!/quality/95/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffranchisedirect-40-prod-ops.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd8%2F2d%2Fab08499a4d41be7f0e948c66b0d1%2Fwalfinch-pic-3.jpg)
How much does it cost to become a Walfinch franchisee?
Start-up costs can vary, but the minimum investment required is £100,000+VAT. This includes a franchise fee of £33,000+VAT.
You will need at least £39,600 of your own money to invest before borrowing.
The company also charges a management support fee (MSF) of 5% (plus VAT).
What’s the earning potential of a Walfinch franchisee?
On average, Walfinch franchisees exceed £1 million in turnover by year 4, with a healthy profit margin of around 20%.
FAQ
How long will it take to launch from the time I sign the franchise agreement?
Normally 3 – 4 months depending on things like CQC registration, finding an office and recruiting carers.
Will you help me with a business plan for the new business?
Yes. We will provide a business plan template and this will allow you to adjust key figures to ensure that it is ideally suited to your territory.
Are there any other costs I can expect?
Yes, other costs to budget for include a local office, local advertising, computer, office rent and working capital. Working capital will depend on how much money you need to draw from the business during the set-up of the business.
What is my expected break-even and how long should it take me to reach it?
The time to reach break-even is governed by how long it takes to find carers and clients for your business but our experience is that it normally takes anything from 12-18 months to achieve profitability.
Do I need any healthcare training or background to join Walfinch?
No, but a background in business and an understanding of how a business operates is desirable.
Will you help me find clients?
Yes, we train you to find your first 100 local contacts in your territory and provide training on the business development system. This enables you to find and retain key contacts in your area, who will keep referring clients to you.
How will I know what to charge clients?
Completing a local business plan will clarify the charges which reflect a fair hourly cost for Walfinch services. We help you with a territory review to understand pricing in the territory. This allows you to pay carers well and make a fair profit.
Is this opportunity full time or part-time?
Walfinch is a full-time management franchise opportunity. Initial franchisee training provides you with the know-how and support to set up and run a care business, as well as giving you an understanding of the care sector.
Are locations available? Could you help me choose a location?
We have territories available across the United Kingdom with strong demand for home care. It is possible to own and run more than one franchise with us.
CLICK BELOW TO REQUEST MORE INFORMATION ON THIS INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY!
Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 |
£319,000 | £585,077 | £852,800 | £1,050,944 | £1,227,936 |
With a Walfinch Care Career, I’m building a Future for Myself and My Family
![Walfinch Image](https://static4.franchisedirect.ie/dims4/default/65390ba/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1125x2436+0+0/resize/800x1732!/quality/95/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffranchisedirect-40-prod-ops.s3.amazonaws.com%2F03%2F73%2F3def8575431111959661ae5501c9%2Fsian.jpg)
So says Sian Smith, Care and Compliance Supervisor at Walfinch homecare in Mid & South Buckinghamshire. Sian fits her work around being a mum to Bobby, 10 and Jaxon, 3, and studying for the City & Guilds Level 4 qualification Lead Practitioner in Adult Social Care, sponsored by Walfinch.
“Yes, it takes a lot of energy,” says Sian, ”and I couldn’t do it without the support of my husband, and Greg Renk, the owner of Walfinch Mid & South Bucks, and all of our care team.
“It’s also hugely rewarding to know that working in the care sector I’m making a big difference to the lives of our clients and the care team.”
From class clown to a care career
Sian, now 35, left school with no qualifications. She admits: “I was the class clown – but now I hope my sense of humour helps to keep our care clients and the whole care team happy.”
She found her first job, in an office, boring and swapped to care work – something her mum and grandma had done. Her first job in care offered no career progression and she left to become a probation officer.
“The work was fine, but when I became pregnant with my second son, I felt vulnerable in a job like that. I left to go back into care, because I knew it would fit around a family,” she says.
“Having a family changed my priorities. When I was single I used to be real party girl, but having children made me determined to develop my career and expertise, to build something for us as a family.”
Sian also thanks her mum for being an inspiration. “She brought up me and my sisters as a single mum, while doing two jobs. If she could do that, the sky’s the limit for me, with my supportive husband and employer.”
Developing my skills
Sian started working evenings and weekends for Greg’s team. She says: “He valued my skills and knowledge and when I told him what I wanted from my career, he created my present role especially for me and researched courses that would develop my knowledge.”
The Lead Practitioner in Adult Social Care course has many modules and assignments and takes 12-18 months to complete. “My speciality within it is policies and procedures,” says Sian. “Alongside the course I am taking courses in maths and English, so my education is progressing fast. I had no idea that all this was possible until Greg found out about it for me.”
The course is funded by Walfinch and Sian gets paid time out from work to study. She says: “I feel like I have a winning lottery ticket. Which other sector offers jobs like this? I get paid time off to study, my employer in investing in my career, and I have a flexible job I can fit around my family. All care companies should invest in their carers like this.“
Using my experience as a mum
Sian also feels that her experience as a mum makes her a better carer. “I learn a lot from being a mum – things like communication and how people react to illnesses. The secret of good care is being compassionate.
“Walfinch believes in the power of ‘The Mum Test’ - we should treat clients in a way we would like our own mums to be treated. It’s a simple idea and I fully agree with it,” she says.
“There are so many great things about this job but the bit I like best is the moment when a client suddenly starts to trust you. It can take days, weeks or even months, and it’s a team effort, but you can tell when it happens.
“When that moment is reached, it always sparks an internal celebration, for me and the whole team!”
Career prospects
Currently, Sian’s job involves training and shadowing carers and reviewing clients’ care plans after talking to them about how their needs can be met.
She says: “Care is a great career with lots of prospects for anyone, but with the right employer, it can solve the problem that many mums face, of how to combine a career with a family. I’d recommend it to anyone!”
![Ian Thompson | Why I Joined Walfinch](https://static4.franchisedirect.ie/dims4/default/132988c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/480x313+0+24/resize/767x500!/quality/95/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2F5h9KaUTe3UM%2Fhqdefault.jpg)
![Ian Thompson | Why I Joined Walfinch](https://static4.franchisedirect.ie/dims4/default/132988c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/480x313+0+24/resize/767x500!/quality/95/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2F5h9KaUTe3UM%2Fhqdefault.jpg)
Ian Thompson | Why I Joined Walfinch
![Sarah Wickham | Walfinch Franchisee Testimonial](https://static4.franchisedirect.ie/dims4/default/7c7ae89/2147483647/strip/true/crop/480x313+0+24/resize/767x500!/quality/95/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FXI6Zy0GxFoY%2Fhqdefault.jpg)
![Sarah Wickham | Walfinch Franchisee Testimonial](https://static4.franchisedirect.ie/dims4/default/7c7ae89/2147483647/strip/true/crop/480x313+0+24/resize/767x500!/quality/95/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FXI6Zy0GxFoY%2Fhqdefault.jpg)
Sarah Wickham | Walfinch Franchisee Testimonial
![Walfinch Franchise Testimonial | Greg Renk](https://static4.franchisedirect.ie/dims4/default/dc66d2b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/480x313+0+24/resize/767x500!/quality/95/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2Fn5bXzpiQ2rI%2Fhqdefault.jpg)
![Walfinch Franchise Testimonial | Greg Renk](https://static4.franchisedirect.ie/dims4/default/dc66d2b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/480x313+0+24/resize/767x500!/quality/95/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2Fn5bXzpiQ2rI%2Fhqdefault.jpg)
Walfinch Franchise Testimonial | Greg Renk
![Walfinch | The Franchise Opportunity](https://static4.franchisedirect.ie/dims4/default/221046b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/480x313+0+24/resize/767x500!/quality/95/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FECu4OZxD_ZY%2Fhqdefault.jpg)
![Walfinch | The Franchise Opportunity](https://static4.franchisedirect.ie/dims4/default/221046b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/480x313+0+24/resize/767x500!/quality/95/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FECu4OZxD_ZY%2Fhqdefault.jpg)
Walfinch | The Franchise Opportunity
![Tracy Lezar - Why Did You Choose Walfinch?](https://static4.franchisedirect.ie/dims4/default/b79bd8d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/480x313+0+24/resize/767x500!/quality/95/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FF4YHgP6SrKA%2Fhqdefault.jpg)
![Tracy Lezar - Why Did You Choose Walfinch?](https://static4.franchisedirect.ie/dims4/default/b79bd8d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/480x313+0+24/resize/767x500!/quality/95/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FF4YHgP6SrKA%2Fhqdefault.jpg)
Tracy Lezar - Why Did You Choose Walfinch?
![Fiona Hutchinson | Walfinch](https://static4.franchisedirect.ie/dims4/default/fa3d279/2147483647/strip/true/crop/480x313+0+24/resize/767x500!/quality/95/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FXhdc5Au76rU%2Fhqdefault.jpg)
![Fiona Hutchinson | Walfinch](https://static4.franchisedirect.ie/dims4/default/fa3d279/2147483647/strip/true/crop/480x313+0+24/resize/767x500!/quality/95/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FXhdc5Au76rU%2Fhqdefault.jpg)