She Started a Business to Allow Seniors to Stay at Home — Then Grew Revenue By Nearly 40% and Expanded Into 3 Territories

When Beth Copeland reflects connected her profession successful elder care, the memories of her grandfather are ne'er acold from her mind. His last days — spent distant from the location wherever he wanted to beryllium — shaped her life's mission: Ensure that arsenic galore group arsenic imaginable tin property successful spot pinch dignity. "My 'why' was: I want to make judge anybody that wants to beryllium astatine location tin beryllium astatine home," she says.

That individual thrust has carried Copeland, a erstwhile nurse, from managing personification else's Griswold Home Care franchise to owning 3 territories crossed Delaware and Maryland, earning nationalist nickname on the way. In 2024, Griswold named Griswold's Franchisee of the Year for her forward-thinking leadership, beardown maturation and her committedness to innovation.

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From individual nonaccomplishment to master calling

Copeland's introduction into the manufacture wasn't planned. A move from Atlanta to the Delaware beaches to beryllium person to her aging parents led to a chance opportunity pinch longtime Griswold franchisee Mary Ann Murray, a protégé of institution laminitis Jean Griswold. When Murray unexpectedly needed a caller manager, Copeland stepped in. "She virtually conscionable handed maine the keys and said, 'Go,'" Copeland recalls.

Over the adjacent 5 years, she transitioned the business from an independent contractor exemplary to afloat employment, gaining power complete hiring, training and benefits — and cementing her belief that serving seniors intends caring arsenic for caregivers. Around this time, she promised laminitis Jean Griswold she would transportation guardant the founder's vision: You complaint the slightest you can. You salary them the astir you can. Somewhere, location is simply a surviving to beryllium made.

In 2019, Copeland purchased the Delaware territories she had been running. A twelvemonth later, the pandemic tested each presumption astir really to safely supply in-home care. While galore operators shifted to virtual consultations, Copeland and her squad kept showing up successful personification — pinch precautions — to support the individual connections they felt clients needed. That determination became a cornerstone of her maturation strategy.

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Embracing technology

Copeland's occurrence besides stems from her willingness to merge exertion that complements — alternatively than replaces — quality interaction. In 2023, she implemented Sensi.AI, an audio-based artificial intelligence level that monitors for information and well-being successful the location without utilizing cameras. The strategy detects changes successful routine, imaginable falls, aliases signs of distress, triggering real-time alerts for intervention.

"It's expensive, but I decided to do it and not up my fees, but connection it arsenic portion of our modular of care," she says. The results person been striking: since October 2023, her business has seen a 36% summation successful gross gross and handled 23 emergency calls that mightiness different person gone unnoticed.

Michael Slupecki, CEO of Griswold, says Copeland has struck the correct equilibrium betwixt innovation and the individual quality of the work. "She's not going to fto the individual aspects of this business change, this is conscionable connected apical of each of that. She's bringing a different penetration into what's going connected pinch her clients and it's opening doors for her," he says.

Copeland has besides adopted CareAcademy, a integer training level that delivers state-compliant and skill-building courses to caregivers connected demand. She credits it pinch improving retention by giving unit the devices and maturation opportunities they opportunity they want

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Building relationships

Copeland attributes overmuch of her maturation to reframing trading arsenic relationship-building. Rather than simply dropping disconnected brochures aliases making acold calls, she invests clip successful getting to cognize referral sources personally — often becoming friends pinch them. "The full business is astir relationships, and you person to deliberation astir it that way," she says.

This attack has allowed her to grow her squad from conscionable a fewer staffers to 15 agency labor and galore much caregivers. It has besides helped her successfully adhd a 3rd franchise territory connected Maryland's Lower Eastern Shore successful 2023. Her attraction for the coming twelvemonth is bringing that marketplace up to the capacity level of her Delaware operations.

Slupecki says her accomplishment group makes her exceptional among franchise owners. "She's a awesome leader, and that's wherever it each starts," he says. "She has the nursing inheritance to bring credibility successful aesculapian settings and the strategical acquisition to standard a business. That operation is uncommon and it's a large portion of why she's been truthful successful."

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Recognition and the roadworthy ahead

When Copeland was named Franchisee of the Year, she was genuinely surprised. She had assumed specified awards went to newer, smaller franchisees who could station immense percent gains much easily. Instead, the grant acknowledged her sustained growth, heavy engagement pinch the franchise network, and committedness to Griswold's mission. "To beryllium acknowledged for moving pinch them and being successful, it meant a full batch to me," she says.

Looking ahead, Copeland plans to proceed refining her usage of exertion while expanding her Maryland territory's reach. She's watching intimately for devices and services that tin further heighten some customer outcomes and caregiver satisfaction. Her goal: replicate her Delaware occurrence without losing the personal, mission-driven attack that sewage her here.

For Copeland, each determination comes backmost to that defining infinitesimal pinch her grandfather — and the committedness she made to the female who started it all. "This business is wholly astir relationships," she says, "when you committedness something, you present — that's really you gain spot and support it."

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