Canada’s population is aging at a rapid rate, with seniors expected to make up a quarter of all Canadians by 2040. Fortunately, franchisees in the senior care niche are meeting increasing demand while owning their own businesses. These brands are improving the day-to-day lives of seniors beyond medical care, by providing healthy meals, stylish clothes, or simple companionship when they need it the most. Better yet, they’re often a relatively low-cost investment because they don’t require an office or brick-and-mortar location. Read on for CFA member brands that are supporting the healthcare industry with much-needed senior care.
Mobile Senior Shop
For older adults, the process of clothes shopping can be a chore. Instead of trekking to the mall, picking through racks of clothing, and struggling to keep balanced while trying on clothes, senior shoppers can rely on a franchise that brings the goods right to their door. Mobile Senior Shop does just that.
The brand provides seniors with an easy, convenient, and personalized way to shop for everyday clothing essentials.
“We specialize in delivering comfortable, stylish, and practical clothing directly to seniors’ homes—everything from casual wear to sleepwear, outerwear, and seasonal items,” says Jenny Walters, CEO.
For seniors, limited mobility, lack of transportation, or difficulty finding time can make traditional shopping experiences extra challenging. Walters says Mobile Senior Shop allows them to maintain their independence and reduce the burden on family members.
Mobile Senior Shop, which launched in 2015, is an emerging franchise. Walters says the brand offers “comprehensive initial training that covers key areas such as inventory management, customer service, our product offerings and the logistics of home delivery.”
She says the franchise’s goal is to provide the right tools, mentorship, and resources to help franchisees build a strong, sustainable business while feeling connected to an emerging brand poised for long-term success.
The ideal franchisee is empathetic, detail-oriented, and enjoys working with seniors. “We look for individuals with a strong customer service orientation and an interest in helping people feel their best,” Walters says. “Experience in retail, sales, or customer service is beneficial, but the most important qualities are a commitment to service excellence, a passion for helping seniors and the ability to connect with customers on a personal level.”
Franchisees should also be self-motivated with strong organizational skills.
Walters says that people considering becoming a franchisee should first ensure the brand aligns with their values and passions. “[It’s important] particularly in sectors like senior care, where empathy, patience, and a genuine desire to help others are essential.”
Heart to Home Meals
“We believe life should get easier as you age,” says Dave Galley, a Heart to Home Meals franchisee based in Windsor, Ontario.
Not only has his meal delivery franchise made the lives of a lot of Galley’s senior customers easier, but being a franchisee has improved his own life too.
“I wish I’d known how much I would enjoy the whole experience,” says Galley. “As a truck driver I was rarely met by happy customers pleased I had arrived with yet another truckload of steel. Now easily 99 per cent of my customer interactions are positive, happy, and grateful.”
The franchise is geared toward seniors, with 80 per cent of customers phoning in to place orders after perusing the brand’s 75-page menu. The franchise also accepts cash and cheques at the door, in addition to digital ordering.
Galley says the delivery process is unrushed and easy.
“Our customers get to know their delivery driver—many look forward to their weekly visit. Part of what makes us special is we’re always willing to place the customer’s order directly in the freezer for them and have a conversation. We may be the only person they talk to that day. We want that interaction to be special.”
The franchise serves its customers while keeping franchisees in mind by providing a large but manageable product line. The Heart to Home marketing team is always available and responsive to ideas, and franchisees get access to weekly business insight reports, regular Zoom meetings with different departments to share corporate plans and updates, and an annual conference.
Galley says for incoming franchisees a background in customer service helps. “You must be willing to go into the community and meet with health care practitioners, home care providers, senior groups, and attend health fairs and community events.”
“If you have the means and opportunity, it’s extremely rewarding,” he says with a smile. “I’m still early in the journey, but I look forward to work every day.”
FirstLight Home Care Canada
Sam Riad, president of FirstLight Home Care Canada, recalls a particularly rewarding interaction with a client.
“This client, a former pianist, had slowly lost touch with his love for music due to memory loss. One day, our caregiver noticed an old piano in his home, covered in dust. She gently encouraged him to sit down, placed his hands on the keys, and started humming a tune he once loved. To everyone’s surprise his fingers began to move effortlessly across the keys, playing a song he hadn’t played in years. In that moment, his face lit up with joy, and his family, who happened to be visiting, was moved to tears.”
It’s those moments that can make operating a FirstLight Home Care franchise so special. “It’s going beyond caregiving to create meaningful moments that make a difference,” says Riad.
In 2020, FirstLight Home Care, a leading home care provider in the U.S., expanded its services to Canada.
FirstLight Home Care Canada’s value proposition is centred around providing compassionate, high-quality, and personalized home care services that empower seniors and people with disabilities to live independently while ensuring their safety and well-being.
The franchise boasts professionally trained, compassionate, and dedicated caregivers, personalized care plans, and trusted and reliable 24/7 support.
The franchise provides support and resources to help franchisees succeed and grow their businesses. This includes comprehensive training, ongoing business coaching, marketing, and brand support. The franchise also collaborates with healthcare organizations, retirement communities, and local businesses to expand opportunities for franchisees. Territories are also available for new franchisees across Canada.
FirstLight Home Care Canada franchisees don’t need specific experience in the industry but rather should be compassionate and service-oriented, with strong leadership and management skills, an entrepreneurial mindset, sales and networking abilities, and the ability to follow a proven business system.
ONESource Moving Solutions for Seniors, Professionals, and Families
Nicole Ridley, a franchisee of ONESource Moving Solutions in Durham, Ontario, emphasizes that her role extends far beyond simply moving people from one home to another.
“When I take on a new client, I’m spending hours with them. We almost become part of the family. Sometimes we’re dealing with 40 or 50 years of clutter. You have to build a rapport with your clients.”
ONESource Moving Solutions provides white-glove move management services for seniors, professionals, and families.
Ridley explains that the franchise helps seniors, professionals, and families with every aspect of their move. “We make your bed, hang your art, install your electronics, design your closet. We unpack everything, remove the boxes, paper, and debris, and vacuum our way out the door.”
For seniors, this support is invaluable.
“Seniors specifically might not have children, or their children might not be local,” Ridley notes. “Even if they are, they [may] have their own kids and their own full-time jobs. So, we’re the support that a family can’t provide.”
Ridley values the ongoing support from ONESource Moving Solutions’ leadership.
“We’ve got business developers. They generate leads and they are available seven days a week if I have any questions.”
Operating in seven locations in Ontario, ONESource Moving Solutions plans to expand across Canada.
As for prospective franchisees, Ridley emphasizes the importance of networking and community engagement.
“You have to be a go-getter, be social, go to events, networking meetings. You’re going to have to do cold-calling, get your name out there, and introduce yourself and your services.”
With a background in hospitality, Ridley believes in treating clients with care and respect. “You have to be passionate about what you do. I love what I do. If I can, I’m going to do it until I am 80.”
