Life is too short to spend your days doing something you hate.
The most important things are not things.
If your occupation is going to occupy most of your waking hours it should be meaningful and make a difference.
New challenges may be scary, but you open yourself up to untold blessings and growth when you embrace them.
We can do hard things.
With those lessons in mind (and for a bunch of other reasons I'm not going to go into) we decided that this year was our year to take a leap of faith and start our own business.
Mike has always wanted to be his own boss but wasn't sure of the best way to go about it. We contemplated several different options and finally settled on the idea of pursuing a franchise business. We felt that as business beginners it would serve us well to have a proven business model to work with, not to mention the support network that comes with it. We looked at several different concepts and even worked with a franchise consultant who helped us identify our strengths and articulate our goals. After extensive research into several different companies, a trip to Omaha and a lot of time on our knees, we eventually made a decision in May and signed on with a company called Right at Home. It was in an industry we both knew nothing about but it just felt right. I know that can sound like such a cliche, but it was really true for us.
In a nutshell, Right at Home provides non-medical in-home care and assistance to the elderly or others who may need it. We will hire and train caregivers to go into client homes to help out with basic activities of life (laundry, meals, errands etc.) so that those individuals can stay in their own homes. This allows them to avoid going to nursing homes before absolutely necessary and also relieves some of the burden on family caregivers. (whoa--sorry about the sales pitch, I really didn't mean it. I've just been living and breathing this non-stop for months and that just came out!)
Now I know you may be thinking, "How in the world is an Army officer and a school teacher supposed to run a home care business?" Believe me, I've asked myself that question a thousand times. In fact, that question was weighing very heavily on my mind when we returned to Omaha in July to attend our two week training class. It was an intense couple of weeks as we tried to learn everything about the industry in general and how to specifically make this business successful. But it was also very validating to get to know the others in our training class, people with more smarts and experience than I, and realize that we were among good people trying to do good things. And as we learned more about the ins and outs of this business we continued to feel better and better about our decision.
The past few months have been absolutely crazy as we have worked to get this business off the ground. I honestly had no idea what it took to get an office up and running. But our start-up check list is almost complete and as of today we are officially open to start hiring caregivers.
It's a big day for us and I am actually very overwhelmed (you may notice the time of day on this post--I can't sleep when I'm this anxious!). But I just have to keep reminding myself to take it all one day at a time, have faith and stay on my knees!
10 comments:
HUGE step for you guys. Can't wait to hear more about it as you guys go further along the path. Now get some sleep. :D
This is just fantastic, good for you! Best wishes on your journey and success with your business!
Good Luck! This is a very exciting step.
Sounds like you are ready to roll. There may be a need right in the family for such services! I'll be interested in hearing how it goes and what the steps are for getting the help.
Good luck in your venture.
Love ya
My Dad had a massive stroke following heart surgery in Sept. of 2001. He was in a coma for 3 weeks. When he finally woke up, he was very altered mental and emotionally and was paralized on his left side. It was pretty terrible.
Mom and I had to put him in a nursing home after he was ready to leave the hospital but before we could bring him home.
We looked at a lot of places and all but one of them made us gag or cry. We did find one clean and comfortable place for him to have therapy but even then the care was spotty.
Many times we caught the night attendents asleep at the desk. If Daddy had an accident it took forever for them to clean him up. We were so grateful to bring him home. It wore us out trying to work and be with him.
Mom, with some help from me, took care of Daddy at home for almost a year before she died unexpectedly.
Heavenly Father was watching out though, Mom was feeling poorly the week before she died but wasn't sick (she died from a blood clot that went to her heart) so I had decided to stay with her that week before she died.
I found Mom in the morning, on the floor, gone. If I hadn't been there, I might not have known something was wrong for a whole day. And Daddy would have been alone.
After Mom died, we (Jason and Ross and I) moved into Daddy's house to be with him and take care of him, he was totally helpless.
In desperation, my sister and I did some research and discovered that Daddy was entitled to VA assistance, enough to hire a 40 hr per week sitter/helper, Sam. She made all the difference. She let me focus on Ross and run errands and just get a break. Best of all, she really loved my Dad and treated him like family instead of some sick old guy.
Daddy only lived 8 months without Mom, he just couldn't take it without her.
It sounds bad to say it, but it was a relief for all of us, especially Daddy.
Those were the worst 2 years of my life, they felt like an eternity and I don't know how I got through them. They were a trial and a blessing.
Mom and I were very close when she passed. I have a much greater love and appreciation for my wonderful husband. My sister and I bonded again. But at the time I felt trapped and overwhelmed.
I think what you are doing is wonderful! You will really make a huge difference in people lives.
Have you had contacted the Church Employment Office in your area for some referals? At our office, we get a number of older ladies who would make great sitters.
Good luck with your new business, I look forward to hearing how it is going. Sorry this is so long.
I wish you the best of luck. What a fulfilling line of business to be in.
Congrats on getting the business up and running! It sounds like a great service to be providing.
It was lovely to see you and your hubby a few weeks ago, albeit briefly. We'll have to get together for longer next time I'm in town. I miss you!!! xoxo.
How exciting!! It must be great to see it start to come together. It really is rewarding to work for a start-up business...scary, but rewarding. (Trust us, we know.) I can't wait to hear the next update. Good luck to ya!
You are such a great writer! It has been fun to catch up on some of your latest posts. Way to take a leap of faith and follow your dreams. I'm excited to hear how your business grows in time and wish you the best of luck.
Wow, guys. I'm so impressed you took that leap of faith. Can't wait to see where you land. I'm sure it will be somewhere fantastic!!
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