As Covid-19 plunges Britain into the deepest recession on record, redundancies could reach 735,000 by Christmas, meaning 2.5 million people unemployed.
For Mark Darnell, co-owner of Home Instead Senior Care East Northants franchise, redundancy was no stranger and ultimately the springboard to success.
Mark explains: “I had enjoyed a long career as a finance director in a large manufacturing group, when in my 50s I was made redundant twice in a short time period due to internal reorganisations. It was very daunting and stressful, with a growing family to support, home to run and bills to pay, not to mention the care of my elderly mother-in-law.”
Disillusioned by corporate life, Mark was driven by the desire to take control of his own destiny, but it was the difficulties experienced in securing high quality care for his mother-in-law, and previously his father, that made Mark re-evaluate his career. Mark began to explore the Home Instead franchise opportunities and in 2010 he put his redundancy payment to good use by setting up the company based in Higham Ferrers at the time, in partnership with his wife, Rosina.
Home Instead Senior Care is the world leader in providing non-medical care allowing older people to remain in their own homes for as long as possible – and with an ageing population, the demand for this service is high, allowing franchisees to enjoy huge growth opportunities, building successful and profitable businesses.
Over the past 10 years Mark’s franchise has grown rapidly and the team are proud to have delivered a staggering one million hours of care and have employed 761 staff.
Mark says: “Having begun as a new start up, celebrating 10 years of successful business is a massive achievement. I would recommend a Home Instead franchise to anyone facing redundancy and contemplating the next steps. The brand is well recognised and trusted, and the management-led business model is proven to deliver outstanding care and outstanding results, and the support you receive from our National Office and the network is invaluable.”
