When three people, with three distinct background areas, found they enjoyed the same passion for community care, they chose Just Better Care to start their business. 20months on, strong community ties and a solid team are two of the ingredients in Just Better Care Western
Victoria’s recipe for success.

“Everyone has brought a skill,” Mick said. “We work well together, we bounce things off each other.” 

Husband and wife Craig and Emma, and their friend Mick, combined their various skillsets and shared knowledge of the region before branching out on their own, founding Just Better Care Western Victoria in their local Horsham community.

Emma came to the team with 20 years of experience in disability, and an incredible depth of knowledge to connect with customers. Mick has a background in community services, with specific skills in mental health. Craig’s background is in finance.

“Starting off fresh with Just Better Care was the best thing we could do,” Mick said. “We started on a clean slate.”

Like many new ventures, things started slowly with work building up gradually. From opening in April, they hoped to break even in nine months, but success came earlier than expected – they managed it in seven.

“In 16 months, we’ve gone from two to 1400 hours a week,” Mick reported.

The team say their best marketing strategy is to mix with the community and use their established reputations and industry knowledge to spread the word about their services.

“We haven’t done a lot of advertising – there’s just been a continual flow of business that hasn’t really stopped.” 

Now, Just Better Care Western Victoria has the equivalent of 37 full time staff, made up of about eight office staff and 110 field staff. By drawing on their experience in the sector, they focused on finding the right fits for their franchise – something that helped the team with customer growth later on.

“We’ve employed the right people and we’re very pleased with the way we’re heading.”

The team was inspired to join the Just Better Care family after the launch of the NDIS.

Mick says the team’s knowledge of the region, local support networks and background in community service meant they were well versed in the considerations of community members looking for support.

“We know what we’re doing. Emma, especially had a good range of knowledge of disability so people trusted her.” 

They said Just Better Care Australia offers great support, with a solid framework for new franchises. But it was Just Better Care’s combination of being equally staff and client focused that really attracted them to join the company.

“The values aligned with what we wanted to receive,” they said.

The team say Just Better Care Australia has been supportive during the whole process, and they have even befriended other franchise owners at conferences and Just Better Care events.

“They are approachable and more than happy to help. They know that their business relies on ours” said Mick.

This year, Just Better Care Western Victoria was recognised by their community when they won an award at the Wimmera Business Awards. The team has also been honoured by Just Better Care with an outstanding customer service award.

Now with a strong team behind them, and more customers every day, Just Better Care Western Victoria have become a fixture in their community. But it’s held together by the original three who made it all happen.

Find your dream career and make a real difference in your community, with a Just Better Care franchise. Talk to us about franchising opportunities in your area.