A franchise consultant by trade, Bram first entered the support industry over 10 years ago, after being involved in the setup of the Just Better Care franchise system.

Bram recalls caring for his late mother. He was frustrated at the time by the lack of appropriate facilities and support available.

“I thought the services available were inadequate,” he said. “Mum ended up in a hospital because there was nowhere for me to support her with quality one-on-one care.”

He was impressed by what he had learnt about Just Better Care – as a franchise consultant - and decided to open an office of his own. 

It was an experience that inspired a decade of quality personalised care. Bram says that along with building relationships with his customers and staff, the consistently evolving nature of support makes working in the industry so rewarding, emphasising that adapting to change is an important part of the job. 

“You need to stop and take a moment. Accept that there are different ways of life and adapt. Every customer is different, and we have a responsibility to be flexible.”

Opening his business at a time where the market was dominated by a handful of well-known and established players was a challenge, yet some strategic thinking led to winning business through the Commonwealth Home Support program (CHSP) and the Queensland Department of Community Services.

More recently, Bram has adapted his business again with the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and the Home Care Package Program.

Customers have changed in this time. Now, Bram said they are supporting more baby-boomers, who have different needs to his older customer base.

“Their demands are different. They don’t accept the same boundaries – they choose the type, date and time of the support they believe is right for them.”

Bram said he enjoys the challenges of working in an industry that consistently evolves, to better care for its customers. “It’s fulfilling because it gives people choice while reducing frustrations,’ he said. ‘Boundaries are no longer a hindrance.”

It was this attitude that led to Bram’s expansion to Northern Rivers this year.
“We recognised a gap in the market in the Ballina and Lismore areas and took the opportunity to fill it,” he said.

A unique attribute of Northern Rivers is its close ties with the local Indigenous community.

Bram said his staff have taken the time to get to know the community and learn about their needs, to ensure services are culturally appropriate. A key part of this has included hiring support professionals from the local Indigenous community.

He said every community’s needs are different. You need to be open and adaptive.

“You need to take the time to sit and talk to build a relationship. You need to establish that trust over time.” 

Today, Just Better Care Gold Coast and Northern River’s 160 support workers assist over 800 customers, including 70 NDIS customers.

Find out how you can reach your business goals with Just Better Care. Talk to us about franchising opportunities today.