Experienced franchise owners prepare for new challenge with RaH venture

The flash of a camera capturing a single moment in time has changed the lives of two new Right at Home Franchise Owners.

Michelle and Martin Hillman have expressed their excitement to be joining our network, and it’s all thanks to a chance meeting with two established RaH franchisees at their photography studio in Southampton.

Martin said: “The Owners of Right at Home Portsmouth, Joe and Madeline, came to our studio for a family portrait. We got chatting and they told me all about their business.”

“I’m a firm believer that these things happen for a reason, and I thought that what the guys do over in Portsmouth is so incredible that we had to pursue it.”

The husband-and-wife team have been running their photography franchise for 12 years and are now ready to take on a new venture that will enable them to give back to their community and leave a special legacy for their two children.

Their current business will continue to operate behind the scenes but supporting people to live safe and well at home will be their number one priority when they open their Right at Home office next year.

“We’re very proud of the business we have built, but it’s a very different type of business. We’re now going to be able to add value to our local community and that’s a lovely feeling to have,” Martin said.

As well as wanting to make a positive difference to the lives of others, Michelle and Martin are keen to run a business that has growth potential.

Michelle explained: “With our current business, we are limited to the number of slots we have in our diary, so the potential is limited. But with Right at Home, the hours you deliver can always grow as you recruit more staff and take on more Clients.”

Martin added: “We’ve achieved the same turnover year on year for the last 12 years with our photography business. Right at Home gives us the opportunity to change that, so that’s a big drawcard, from a business point of view.

“We’re also very family oriented and we want to leave something behind for our children. This is a fantastic opportunity for us to do that.”

Career background

South African-born Michelle and Martin moved to the UK 20 years ago. They had been working in Botswana for four years – Martin as Head of Graphics for a television station and Michelle as an Insurance Claims Manager – before setting up a new life in the North East of England.

There, Martin lectured in Animation and Multi-Media Design at the University of Sunderland and Michelle worked as a PA for a public health consultant.

Seven years later, they were ready for a new challenge and moved to Southampton to open their photography franchise.

“I’d worked in quite a fast-paced environment over in Botswana and after doing something for seven years that wasn’t quite so fast-paced, I wanted a new challenge. I was head of my department at the university, and I’d pretty much gone as far as I wanted to go with the role,” Martin said.

“We looked at the territory availability for our current business and chose Southampton. We didn’t know the area and knew no one, but we’re no strangers to taking risks and making big decisions – we’ve been doing this our whole lives.”

Michelle and Martin set up the photography franchise in 2012, and it wasn’t long before a simple conversation during the RaH Portsmouth Owners’ family portrait led them down an entirely different path.

Michelle said: “Martin came home that night and said, ‘this is what we’re going to do!’ One week later we got in touch with Kate [Dilworth, Head of Network Development at RaH] and the rest is history.”

Michelle and Martin researched other homecare franchisors online, but knew RaH was the one for them.

“When you know, you know,” Martin said. “Right at Home’s potential is skyrocketing and I honestly feel so proud to be involved with it.”

Why franchising?

National Office will now continue to support Michelle and Martin with guidance and expertise as they prepare to open their new RaH office, which will serve Clients in Salisbury and Andover.

The husband-and-wife team are excited for the future and, speaking from experience, they believe the backing of a successful franchise network will stand them in good stead.  

“We like the structure of a franchise model and the guidance that you get from a franchise support network. If you open a business on your own, you don’t have that level of support,” Michelle explained.

Martin added: “With our current franchise, there are certain people we’ve connected with in our network who have become lifelong friends. We speak regularly, sometimes once a week, and we don’t just talk about business – we have a good chat, and I think that’s something a franchise delivers that no other business can.

“We’re super excited to start on our Right at Home journey. We can’t wait to get going.”