It’s no secret that the domiciliary care business is a really worthwhile area to consider if you’re thinking of starting your own business. The industry is worth billions and the demand for its services is exceptionally high. This, combined with a compassionate nature as well as a caring mindset, can really help you thrive in this industry. So, if you’re wondering how to start a domiciliary care business, make sure to keep on reading as this post covers the most important steps involved in the process.
What steps to take
1.Registrations
Like any business, you’ll need to register it first. But there is an added step in the process as you’ll also be required to register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in England as well. This is the overarching body that looks after the care industry to ensure that all industry standards are upheld and that there is fair practice involved. You will also need to ensure that you either employ or yourself take up the position of a Registered Manager, who needs to have certain qualifications in place to proceed with the business. Meanwhile, your care staff are required to have a Care Certificate. You will also be required to have this certificate in the event that you also choose to provide care.
2.Business plan
To start your domiciliary care company, you also need to have a business plan in place. This will include some of the following criteria:
- Your business’ vision, mission and goals
- Financial projections
- Sources of funding
- Budgeting for expenses, salaries, insurance, rentals and office space etc.
- Business outline: what types of services will you offer, how will you offer them etc.
3.Budgeting and finance
Whether you’re thinking of starting up from scratch or you’re thinking of buying a domiciliary care business for sale, you also need sources of finances. These can include obtaining a business loan, using your savings or asking friends and family for financial assistance. You also have to keep in mind that you’re not likely to see a profit in the first couple of months of getting started, so be prepared to hold steady financially over the next couple of months.
4.Insurance
Since you’ll be dealing with the frail and elderly, you need to be insured against any mishaps and wrongdoing that may occur as a result of a mistake one of your staff members makes. Therefore, insurance is critical and may include: employer’s liability cover, professional indemnity insurance, public liability policies, medical malpractice cover and insurance against treatments liability. Having this in place will give you more breathing space and room to manoeuvre.
5.Staff and employees
In this part of your planning process, you need to consider the fact that you’ll need to hire employees. Your employees need to be well-trained and equipped to carry out the care service and you need to make provision for their training. As mentioned above, they also need to be holders of a Care Certificate. What’s more is that you’ll need to pay your staff salaries as well and this will depend on whether they provide hourly, daily, weekly or monthly services.
6.Marketing and advertising
While you might be considering purchasing an existing domiciliary care agency for sale, you’ll still need a marketing and advertising budget to ensure that you get enough customers to help you grow your business. Building a reputation from the ground up can be a challenging and time consuming process and you need to ensure a clear, consistent and most of all catchy marketing tagline to draw more customers to your business. One way of attracting customers is to go for public tenders, but these will often seek prior experience in the industry or some kind of history in terms of providing care, which as a newbie, you may not yet have.
7.Location, location, location
It’s unlikely that you’ll be providing your services from the comfort of your home due to the nature of a domiciliary business. You’ll therefore have to consider renting office space, or even a larger building structure to possibly house some of your clients in. (This will ultimately depend on the type of services you’re going to provide though). Either way, you’ll need premises that will be easy to brand, will be easily accessible, have secure and available parking as well as access to a public transportation infrastructure network. Location is key to the start of any successful business.
Final thoughts
Starting a domiciliary care agency in the UK can just be one of the most rewarding decisions you make in your life, knowing that you’re giving frail people the right care and attention that they need to give them a life of dignity and respect. You’ll also know that you’ll be able to earn a rewarding livelihood from the services that you provide. If you’d like to begin your own domiciliary care business, we’ve outlined some of the most important steps to follow above. However, you can also choose to buy a domiciliary care agency as well. Whichever option you go for, we’re here for you every step of the way!
