Eyebrows are shooting up all over the world of franchising at news that a Blossom Home Care franchisee has almost broken even only three weeks after launch.

Amy Shearsmith, Blossom Home Care’s newest franchisee, achieved her astonishing feat in Beverley, Yorkshire, unaware that the average franchise in the UK takes six to nine months to break even while non-franchised businesses take two or three years to turn a profit.

“We thought we’d be breaking even in the fifth month but we’ve almost done it in three weeks,” she says.

“We didn’t think we’d be doing the hours that we are, especially with such competition around us.

“But we’re really being really supported by the community and the phone never stops ringing.

“My goal was to make sure we had at least 200 hours in the first month but, actually, we’ve got 400 in the first three weeks,” she says.

“Once you get into the swing of things, it’s really good. I’m just doing my second payroll now and we’re only a few hundred pounds short of covering everything. That’s incredible, really, as it includes all the wages.

“We’re nearly at break-even – it’s fairly close – and would have done it in our first three weeks if a couple of packages hadn’t pulled away through ill-health.”

Amy attributes her success to hard work spreading the word on social media and in the community, plus the wraparound support she received from John and Fiona Leggott, the franchisors behind Blossom Home Care.

“They gave me guidelines on what I should be doing, and what processes to follow, and if they hadn’t given me that guidance I wouldn’t have gone through so quickly.

“John’s always at the end of the phone. I remember calling him in hospital after he’d fallen off his horse, and he still wanted to answer my question.

“I’m so glad I’ve done it because it’s made a massive impact on the carers and the clients’ lives.”

The 50-minute visits give carers time to care and build relationships with clients, and make the business easier for Amy to run because fewer visits and fewer carers means everything is so much simpler.

She works nine to five, has a great work-life balance, and intends to expand by opening two new offices.