Finding My “Why” in Homecare

My journey into the field of homecare is both fascinating as it is exciting.

As a kid, I wanted to be a doctor and specialize in neurology. The main reason was to cure people and look after them however the more compelling factor was that there was something about the human brain and its intense complexity that had me attracted to it throughout my childhood. When you think of getting into medicine, you rarely give much thought to what studying the actual degree will be like (or at least, I didn’t). I was fairly sure I’d enjoy being a doctor, and that I could give it a pretty good shot of getting in. As time went, I soon realized that in order to go into medicine, I would have to deal with a lot of cuts and blood, which wasn’t my cup of tea and that was the end of that. The underlying interest of looking after people and thoughts around it always was at the back of my mind, and that never dwindled…

As I grew up and in my early teens, I was fascinated by computers, software coding, and algorithms. All this kept my interest alive in the complex human brain however it was clear I would be looking for a career IT or software development rather than in Neurology. I had moved away from studying the human brain to making use of its potential. I had dreams of building complex software and websites and living well as a netpreneur – the term coined for internet entrepreneurs.

I left Mumbai for the University of Edinburgh in 2006 with these dreams still fresh in my mind and heart. In 2008, I graduated with a Master’s in Business Information Technology; I was ready for the corporate and IT world. Fast forward another 12 years, today, I am running my own home care business – A very different path from that which had been burning in my heart since my younger days. So, what happened in between? Why did I veer off my chosen career to take up a business in elderly care?

Choices, choices…

I’d been very clear on my academic choices and the career path I thought I should choose, but if I am honest, a true passion for it was lacking. My goals slightly changed, and I was now focused on having a business of my own. Working for several multinational corporates gave me a lot of experience however I never felt any of the roles to be personally rewarding. I had also done a bit of consulting in IT and soon realized I needed to move sector. Over the next few years, I came across some franchised businesses and they seemed promising. I started looking at successful models like McDonald’s and some other well-established brands. I attended franchise exhibitions and found out more about what it takes to launch, grow and maintain a franchise. I went to several seminars and met a lot of people who had tried and succeeded in building their franchises. I continued to research different brands and models, informing myself of exactly what was needed in terms of capital to invest and skills to make a success of it.

But I never took the plunge, I was not sure if this is what I wanted.

Time went on, life progressed for me and my attention was consumed for a while by my lovely wife, baby boy and the house we had bought. I took a step back from all the research but in the back of my mind, I never let the idea of running a business drop. I then actually set myself a target, that by the age of 35 I would have a business in something I was passionate about.