When Nabon Marisco experienced a Covid-related health scare in 2020 that landed him in the hospital for over a month, he had a lot of time to think. Mostly he thought about his wife, Amy, and their children and how much he wanted to be able to pass something valuable on to them after he was gone. Amy, an accountant by trade who had taken time off to raise their kids, was immediately on board when he suggested they research opening a business.
“We had always talked about being business owners and having something we could potentially pass on to our children,” said Nabon. “We also found value in being able to work for ourselves and something that would provide lots of financial stability.”
Although they didn’t have a business in mind, they were interested in the homecare industry. Research eventually brought the Mariscos to Right at Home, and they immediately felt connected to both the business opportunity and the mission.
“Right at Home resonated for us right from the very beginning,” said Nabon. “From first looking at the website to our early conversations with Trevor, everything just seemed great and in line with what we wanted.”
Buying An Existing Territory
When the Mariscos first started chatting with Right at Home, they were interested in opening a new territory. However, during the process, an opportunity arose for them to purchase an existing franchise. They jumped at the chance.
“The first year has been a rollercoaster, especially the first six months,” said Amy, who owns and operates the day-to-day business.
Amy’s greatest challenges were mainly around becoming proficient in all the systems Right at Home uses for payroll and billing. She knew that coming into an established business meant they couldn’t afford to make a lot of mistakes in order to keep operations running smoothly.
“I was just trying to get a grasp on everything—I didn’t really know what I was doing at the beginning! I made a lot of calls to corporate, and they would immediately set me up with a coach, walk me through everything, and after a while, I started to get the hang of it.”
Tapping Into the RAH Network
Amy is the first to admit that corporate has been one of her main go-to resources since becoming a Right at Home franchise owner. They are always ready with a contact or recommendation and never bat an eye with each new request.
However, the most invaluable resource for Amy has been connecting with other Right at Home franchise owners.
“I absolutely love having a network of other franchisees to talk about whatever challenges I’m dealing with,” said Amy. “There’s always going to be a stressful day and random things that pop up that require immediate solutions.”
The Illinois group is a tight-knit network that welcomed Amy with open arms. As a result, it’s been such a fulfilling experience for the Mariscos as new owners.
“There have been nights where we’ve put the kids to bed, and we’ll talk through a situation that is going on with the business,” said Nabon. “We’ll talk about different approaches, but then Amy will have subsequent conversations with various owners, and it will align with what we were thinking. But, they would tweak it a little bit based on their own personal experiences. Having that type of a resource has been really, really helpful.
“I haven’t met one other owner that I can’t jump on the phone with to ask questions; I’ll always get an honest answer.”
Focusing on Helping People
In the first year of business, Amy not only needed to get the hang of all the systems and business operations but also needed to get to know all the clients and their families.
“Within the first year, I tried to get out and meet as many people as I could. After a while, you get to know them and know all their little quirks,” she said. “It gave me a better understanding of the specific care they needed and the specific caregiver that would be best for them.”
The way Amy has structured her week, she gets all the admin/paperwork out of the way early on and then dedicates the rest of her week to both clients and caregivers. This allows her to maximize her time with everyone, ensuring both parties are happy with their Right at Home experience.
“On Wednesdays, I meet with our office staff, and we go through every client and caregiver status. Thursdays and Fridays, I make sure to go out to see clients. After a while, you really get to know the clients and learn more about the care they need, which helps me match them with the right caregiver.”
When asked what advice she might have for other potential franchisees, Amy doesn’t hesitate before responding: “Make sure you’re going into it for the right reason. We chose Right at Home because we agreed with their philosophy. We chose homecare because we wanted to help senior citizens.”
“Find your purpose and make sure it’s in alignment with the business opportunity and values,” added Nabon. “That way, you’ll be able to find some level of joy in each day, no matter how stressful.”
Learn how you can join the Right at Home at home family today, at rightathomefranchise.com/.
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