Growing with Corporate Support: Meet Franchise Owner Mark Ross

Getting ready to celebrate a milestone anniversary - 10 years in business as a Right at Home franchisee - Mark Ross, owner of Right at Home, East Atlanta, has been reflecting on the wins and challenges that come with business ownership.

“Through the years, we’ve gone through our challenges and we’ve always relied on corporate to help us with some of the analysis of our numbers, work on improving our structure, or figuring out the right Key Performance Indicators—all things that help with the top line and support the bottom line as well,” said Mark.

Support You Need to Launch a New Business

Prior to opening his Right at Home franchise, Mark had spent 5 years as a lawyer before shifting into real estate development. When the market crashed in 2008, however, Mark felt like it was time to try something new. Together with his wife, Dr. Nicole Ross, they assessed a variety of opportunities and settled on homecare, which had strong potential for growth.

“We spoke to other franchise owners and everyone was very honest with us about the hard work it requires to run a successful homecare business. We appreciated that they didn’t sugar coat anything for us,” Mark said. “We didn’t know anything about homecare, but it became clear that the franchise system was about hard work and following the playbook that corporate lays out for you to become really successful.”

After completing Right at Home’s Right Start training program, Mark and Nicole felt incredibly confident about their decision to open a Right at Home franchise. 

“The Right Start program was tremendous for us,” Mark said. “We came back bright-eyed and full of energy to hit the ground running. We felt very supported. Whatever our corporate liaison couldn’t answer for us because it was a local issue, she helped us find answers by putting us in touch with people in the Georgia area who had been through it already. That was very meaningful.”

Positioning Your Franchise for Growth

After his first year in business, Mark realized that the business would be sustainable, and was poised for growth.

“Right at Home developed performance groups that allowed us to figure out how to become profitable as an agency,” said Mark. “They have plans and systems in place to help you create structure. The analytics and reporting built into the staffing software allowed me take a deeper look at my business and see which areas we need to work on.”

Since launching Right at Home East Atlanta, Mark has bought two additional territories and is working on expanding the business. He credits his success, in part, to knowing his strengths and his weaknesses and figuring out how to use both to his advantage.

“If you’re a people person, you should be out there in the community, meeting people and spreading the word about the business,” said Mark. “If you’re more of a numbers person, then you’ll have to hire someone to go out into the community and help you market your business. Being honest about your strengths and weaknesses means you don’t just work hard, you work smart.”

Mark is really hands-on with the business, although his day-to-day duties have changed. He learned to wear a lot of hats when the business first launched—he’s done everything from bookkeeping to the front desk to scheduling to marketing—but he’s since built out a team that not only allows the business to survive, but thrive.

“I’ve built an amazing team that supports what we do. My role is more about being the Chief Encourager and making sure that our team is able to block and tackle every day,” said Mark. “I make sure that we can provide the best services to our clients, and I’m also focused on strategic growth for the wider business.”

Staying Focused on Your Why

Although running a successful business is an admirable goal, having a passion to keep you motivated makes it all worth it.

“The people we take care of could be your family member or your neighbor and when you do the job the way it’s supposed to be done, folks really appreciate it,” Mark said. “The work we do allows the family caregivers to go back to just being a family member, and allowing for more meaningful interactions with their loved ones.”

When asked if he has any advice for potential franchisees, Mark barely takes a beat before responding.

“If you’re looking to make a change, homecare is the industry to be in and Right at Home has all the virtues and characteristics of being the best. If you’re interested in helping people, doing good, and making a living, then your values are in alignment with Right at Home’s.”

To learn more about the Right at Home Franchise Opportunity please visit https://rightathomefranchise.com/

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