7 lessons from a decade in franchising and 50+ franchisees

Helen Whait is an award-winning occupational therapist and innovator and the founder of ActivOT, Australia’s first occupational therapy franchise. She reveals the seven biggest lessons she’s learned from a decade in franchising.

In 2002, I took a leap into the unknown and started my own occupational therapy private practice. After ten years working as an occupational therapist in a mixture of government and not-for-profit settings, I was disillusioned, burnt-out and ready for change.

I was sick of paperwork over patient outcomes, cost-cutting over care, and wanted to be the change I wanted to see in healthcare.

Like many new business owners, the journey (yes, it’s been a journey) opened my eyes to the pitfalls of running your own business – the loneliness, the potential for burnout, never being able to switch off, and the need for a good support network. These challenges were heightened in health care, where the focus is – quite rightly – on the delivery of patient outcomes, rather than the running of a business.

But it also opened my eyes to the opportunities of being my own boss – the freedom to innovate and the flexibility to make change happen. I was free to put the needs of my clients first whilst still being present for my three boys. It was the perfect solution for our family.

Be the change you want to see

But still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the occupational therapy system needed changing and I worried for the health of my peers.

Occupational therapists are on the go all day. Back-to-back sessions; a ridiculous amount of red tape and paperwork to achieve basic client outcomes; precious resources being used up on administrative tasks. A long list of clients to be seen, many with complex needs, where the occupational therapist can only scratch the surface given the time constraints. It doesn’t make for a healthy workforce or good client outcomes.

I wanted to do something about it. I wanted to create a business that was designed for occupational therapists, by occupational therapists – helping them become business owners without burning out.

So, in 2012, I took another leap – this time into franchising – and founded Australia’s first and only occupational therapy franchise business – ActivOT.

Back then, franchising in allied health was virtually unheard of – it still is! But I was convinced it was the answer. Not only could it provide much-needed support and guidance for occupational therapists, but it could deliver better outcomes for our clients.

Ten years later, I’m proud to say ActivOT has 50 franchisees and is growing rapidly around Australia.

7 lessons from a decade in franchising

Disrupting an industry and bringing franchising to a new sector is no easy feat, particularly in health care. It’s a complex, risk-averse sector with its own unique challenges. But it can be done.

I could write a book with all the lessons I’ve learned over the past ten years (and maybe one day I will). But for now, here are seven key insights from a decade in franchising:

1. Franchising is misunderstood and needs a rebrand

Franchising is often seen as old-fashioned, inflexible and expensive, with franchisors filling their pockets at the expense of franchisees. But that’s not how it should be, nor is it our story.

A good franchisor should be an enabler, not a dictator. They should be focused on helping their franchisees succeed by providing the tools, resources and support they need to grow their business. At ActivOT, we’ve deliberately designed our franchise model to buck the old-fashioned franchising stereotype. The business does not operate as other franchises do. Instead, we’re a ‘co-operative’ of therapists, including occupational therapists, therapy assistants and physiotherapists, who pool resources and support so that everyone involved can succeed.

This collaborative model is unique in franchising. It’s built on the principle that we’re all better off when we work together and it’s something I’m passionate about.

While our franchisees benefit from a range of business systems that many franchises typically offer, ActivOT franchisees do not operate as competitors or within set geographical boundaries. Most people are shocked to find out we don’t operate with territories – which just goes to show how much franchising needs a rebrand.

So, how does it work? A central management team aims to match up the best fit between franchisee areas of expertise with each client’s needs. Franchisees collaborate to provide the best service delivery for clients and step in to cover each other as needed. It’s a system that’s built on trust, respect and mutual benefit – which is how it should be.

2. Make it truly win-win-win

The key to any good business model is making it win-win-win. Our franchisees keep 85 per cent of their earnings (plus 100 per cent of all billable travel time), ensuring their financial security. As a result, the average income of an ActivOT franchisee working full-time is 97 per cent more than the average salary for occupational therapists working full time in a government role.

This approach has proven to be powerfully effective, with the business growing rapidly and franchisee satisfaction consistently high. In the past twelve months alone, we’ve welcomed 15 new franchisees and client referrals have grown by 42 per cent.

Our win-win-win approach is a key selling point when recruiting new franchisees and I’m proud to say that our turnover rate is virtually non-existent, with most of our therapists staying on for many years. This isn’t surprising when you consider that they’re part of a supportive community, they have the clinical autonomy to practise the way they want to, and they’re making a great income while making a real difference in people’s lives.

3. Partner with people whose values align with yours

People are shocked to find out we don’t have local marketing campaigns in place – yet we service thousands of clients every year. The key to our success? Franchisees that are passionate about what they do and driven by the same values that guide me and my business.

When you have people on board whose values align with yours, they become your best advocates and help to spread the word for you. They live and breathe our values by providing the highest quality care possible to their clients and in return, those clients become our best advocates. We’ve also removed time limits on service provision, which means our practitioners are able to develop beneficial relationships with clients, and ultimately means better outcomes for all concerned.

And as a result, we have a devoted client base that continues to grow organically, with referral growth rising by 42 per cent year-on-year.

4. Protect those values and your culture like your business depends on it (because it does)

With such strong growth, it’s tempting to take on just anyone that comes along. But that would be a mistake.

Our success is built on the shared values of our franchisees. So we’re very careful about who we partner with. We want like-minded individuals that are passionate about making a difference in the lives of others. The franchisees support each other’s goals and businesses, and everything that we do is about supporting and empowering them to create their own version of success.

Our values and culture are non-negotiable, and a franchise is only as strong as the values and culture of its members.

5. It’s not one-size-fits-all, so don’t be limited by how others do things

Although I’ve created an Australia-first occupational therapist franchise, we don’t neatly fit into the franchise world and I’m doing something very different from the traditional healthcare service model and franchise model. Ten years on, people still don’t get it!

If I’d constrained myself to the way it’s always been done, none of this would be possible. Franchising can be adapted to suit any business model, it doesn’t have to be one-size-fits-all and you can rewrite your own rules.

And that’s what we’re doing at ActivOT. We’re adapting the franchise model to create something that works for us, our therapists and most importantly, our clients.

6. Make your franchisees’ lives easier

My franchisees are my family. If there’s anything I can do to make their lives easier, I’ll do it. I want them to feel supported so they can provide the best possible care to their clients.

This means offering training and development opportunities, access to our extensive resources and efficient business systems, providing whatever assistance they need along the way. We work hard to remove the burden of paperwork so that franchisees focus on their core work – treating clients.

It’s often the little things that make the biggest difference and I’ll always go above and beyond to help my franchisees succeed.

7. And finally, remember why you started in the first place …

So many occupational therapists go it alone. My guiding belief has always been that ‘well people make others well’. Conversely, burnt-out therapists cannot provide the best possible care for their clients.

This is why I started ActivOT; to create a space where therapists can do what they’re passionate about without burning out in business. In turn, thousands of Australians are benefiting from the excellent care provided to them by ActivOT practitioners, including in the high-demand area of mental health. Any business growth that follows is a happy by-product, but it’s not our primary focus.

So, if you’re thinking of franchising your business, don’t be limited by what’s come before or assumptions about how things should be done. Be open to change, innovate, and always put your franchisees first. Together, you might just create something amazing.

---

Join the soloist movement. Whether you are new to Flying Solo or looking to grow your business, our membership options will help you attract more leads, grow your network and sharpen your business skills.  Sign up to our newsletter to get the latest news and advice straight to your inbox.

Now read this: 

//corestage-cdn.flyingsolo.com.au/spotlight/soloist-stories/50-lessons-ive-learned-from-ten-years-in-business/