How a CareYourWay franchisee built a £1m+ turnover business in their first year

Owning a CareYourWay franchise presents an unparalleled opportunity for delivering not only a life-affirming positive impact on your community, but also strong financial success.

An ideal showcase of this potential is the rapid ascent of CareYourWay Hertfordshire, owned by husband-and-wife duo Shahid Shoeb and Sobia Farooq.

With the demand for genuinely compassionate, quality home care services continuing to rise, they were perfectly positioned to capitalise after launching in September 2022.

In their first year alone, Sobia and Shahid’s franchise achieved a turnover of more than £1 million.

This surpassed all their business plan expectations, proving that with the right dedication and support, amazing success is possible with us.

From nursing to entrepreneurship Sobia’s background in healthcare put the foundations in place for her transition into home care franchising.

After leaving school, Sobia went straight into training as an adult nurse. Following her graduation, she spent several years working as a cardiac nurse and within the community, before going on to complete a Master’s degree in specialist community public health nursing.

“When COVID hit, I was out there vaccinating people, despite the risks,” Sobia recalls. “This reinforced my passion for looking after people and making a real difference in my community.

Her husband, Shahid, agreed. He saw how hard Sobia was working in the NHS, with exhausting days and endless late nights, and encouraged her to consider a different path.

“He gave me the belief that I could do something on a bigger scale, where I could really make a difference.”

Those conversations planted the seed that would eventually grow into their own CareYourWay Hertfordshire – but not before exploring other franchisors along the way.

Why CareYourWay’s values were the perfect fit

Sobia and Shahid explored several other home care business opportunities, but were left unimpressed by them all.

“Other franchises didn’t care about our background, experience, or values – only if we had the money to invest,” explains Sobia.

“It meant that if another franchisee joined who didn’t share our core values, and set up next to us, they would harm our reputation. That just didn’t sit right with me. For us, care is about real people and real lives, not just business numbers.

“CareYourWay stood out immediately when we spoke to them. They took the time to get to know us and understand exactly why we wanted to do this. It was clear they had a genuine passion for care, and that’s exactly what we wanted to be part of.

“Being a family-run business was really important to us, too. They were the sort of company values I wanted to gravitate to, and that's exactly how we felt as soon as we met them.

“We never met anyone else after that!”

Hitting the ground running as CareYourWay’s first-ever franchisees

CareYourWay Hertfordshire officially opened its doors in September 2022, becoming the very first franchise to join our burgeoning network.

As Sobia experienced first-hand, one of the biggest advantages of this was the ability for her and Shahid to tap into an established brand and proven business model.

“With a franchise, you have everything you need ready to go – from marketing, branding, and experienced support,” Sobia explains.

“I’m not a branding expert by any stretch, but I don’t have to be because the head office team provides everything – and it’s all beautiful! And if I ever have new marketing ideas, I just let them know and they bring it to life.”

Sobia has found the ongoing support we provide invaluable, too.

“I would have no idea where to start a new care business from scratch, because it’s a completely different skill set, mindset, scale, everything.

“I like to think of being a franchise as having an umbrella over us. It doesn’t matter whether it’s day one, or two-and-a-half years in, I can always pick up the phone and get the guidance I need. That kind of support makes a huge difference in keeping the business running smoothly.”

Remarkably, Sobia and Shahid secured their first client within days of opening. It happened so quickly that the head office team was still on-site assisting with the business setup.

Although this was a great achievement in itself, it was just a sign of the phenomenal things to come for their business.

Growth beyond their biggest expectations

CareYourWay Hertfordshire has seen extraordinary growth since their launch, hitting their business plan goals way ahead of schedule.

They met their six-month target for care hours within the first month of opening, and by the end of year one, they had generated a turnover north of £1 million.

“We’ve been on a constant upward trajectory since day one,” Sobia says. “We put in the hard work, we do what we need to do, we’re consistent, and we never take our foot off the pedal – a mindset we’ve had from the very start.

They are now providing over 6,500 care hours per month to 60 clients – a phenomenal achievement less than three years into the business. And there’s no sign of their growth slowing down.

Watching the CareYourWay family grow

As our maiden franchisees, Sobia and Shahid have had the unique experience of watching our franchise network expand from the outset.

“It’s so lovely seeing new franchisees join and flourish,” Sobia explains. “We’re all from different backgrounds, so we learn so much from each other, we share our experiences, and it just feels like one big family.

“Seeing CareYourWay grow so quickly is so exciting, because we know we were part of something from the very beginning.”

Looking ahead to an incredibly bright future

The future for CareYourWay Hertfordshire is full of exciting goals and aspirations. Sobia has a long-term vision for the business and is deeply passionate about its continued success.

“My main goal is to achieve an Outstanding CQC rating, just like head office,” she says. “We also want to continue growing at a healthy and sustainable rate, while maintaining a happy workforce and ensuring our clients receive the best care possible.

“We want to keep making a difference every single day and ensure clients have the time of their lives every time our carers visit.”

Shahid envisions a potential sale in the next decade, but for Sobia, CareYourWay is a long-term commitment.

“I love this business too much to let it go – I don’t think I could cope without it! I dream of my kids joining when they’re grown up to make our franchise a real family business.”

Whatever the future brings for Sobia and Shahid, one thing is for sure: they are now recognised as a leading home care provider in Hertfordshire, as part of a brand that is rapidly gaining national recognition.

And they are ready to show the way to replicating their incredible success to every franchisee who joins the CareYourWay family.

Ready to start your CareYourWay journey?

Sobia and Shahid’s journey proves that with the right mindset and unwavering commitment, incredible success with us is within reach.

If you’re passionate about making a difference in people’s lives while building a thriving business, a CareYourWay franchise could be the perfect opportunity for you.

Interested and want to know more about CareYourWay?

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