IN this week’s SME Focus a veteran of the care business says bosses must never be too grand to go back to the shop floor if they want to get the most out of their staff.

Name:

Joeanne Hamilton.

Age:

47.

What is your business called?

Community Care Choice.

Where is it based?

Shawlands in Glasgow.

How many employees?

152.

What services does it offer?

We have been providing support at home and in the community for the past 13 years throughout the Glasgow area. Our services include personal care work, such as supporting people with hygiene and their mobility; domestic support in areas like cleaning; befriending; respite care and night care.

Whom does it sell to?

We look after people with learning disabilities, older people, children and their families, people with sensory impairment and some with physical disabilities.

There has been a welcome change over the last few years with people being allowed to choose who will provide their care, with funding from local authorities. We also work with clients who are self-funded.

What is its turnover?

£1.2 million. Costs are high but we are hoping to improve profitability in the next few years and reinvest that into the business.

When was it formed?

The company was first set up as a domestic service, providing cleaning services for elderly and vulnerable people in 2002. After listening to clients, I knew there was a real opportunity to diversify and develop our services to deliver personal care services, such as moving people with disabilities or mobility issues and providing support for them to do activities. I knew if I became registered with Glasgow City Council for the provision of personal care services and employed a registered nurse that I would be able to offer a more diverse service to our clients. I also come from a care background and that is where my real strength lies. Without wanting to sound like I created the company for completely altruistic motives, I really have a passion for caring and I think this reflects on how successful the company has become. In the last 13 years, the business has gone from strength to strength, covering all of Glasgow and looking after 600 service users with varying needs including domestic services, befriending services, support work and 24 hour packages.

Why did you take the plunge?

I worked in the care sector for a number of years and felt if I got the right people in place that we could offer a good service. I come from a family who have a long history of running their own businesses, including my mum who was in the pub trade for many years. We all have an entrepreneurial spirit. I also worked in business banking for a number of years, helping start-ups with loans and advice so I had a good knowledge of how a business needs to operate to make it commercially viable.

At the time, I was a single parent with two young children and a regular salary so I knew that I was taking a risk. It is a daunting prospect to know that a certain amount isn’t going to be going into your account every month and that I alone was responsible for making it a success.

What were you doing before you took the plunge?

I worked in a residential secure school for nearly 10 years, supporting young people with various social issues. This was a really rewarding job and I could see that good relationships between the support worker and those being cared for was a key factor in helping these young people turn their lives around.

How did you raise the start-up funding?

I borrowed the initial funding from the bank. Once that was paid off we have never had to rely on any further bank lending. We have grown the business pragmatically over the last 12 years by responding to demand.

What was your biggest break?

When our original clients who used us for cleaning started asking me about personal care services. It was definitely a defining moment for the business when I realised that there was not a lot of choice in the provision of personal care.

What was your worst moment?

As the business continued to grow, we were starting to outgrow our original premises in Cathcart and I mulled over for months the risks of moving to bigger premises, with obviously much larger overheads. It was a nerve wracking few months of indecision and even when we moved, I worried constantly that we would not get the business to support the move. However, worst moments sometimes turn out to be best moments and luckily the leap of faith I took at the time has worked out positively for the business.

What do you enjoy about running the business?

I really enjoy running a successful business which is highly regarded throughout the care sector. We received a five star grading in our most recent Care Inspectorate report which is the highest possible grading. Although it is a commercial business, we all really enjoy making a difference to people’s lives which is probably the reason that we continue to be successful.

What do you least enjoy?

Probably the administration of the business when I would rather be out looking after our clients. Also, matching the right staff to our clients. Relationships don’t happen overnight and you can only hope that our care workers and our clients will establish a good relationship. We try to minimise this as much as possible by making sure that our clients play a key role in the interview and selection process of who will be looking after them.

What are your ambitions for the future?

Through continuous professional development of our team, we aim to be one of the most reliable, professional and highly respected care providers within Glasgow.

What are your top-priorities for the business?

To continue to support clients in a compassionate and reliable way; to take a more strategic approach to developing the business; to continue to increase our links with the care sector and to steadily grow and expand the business as demand for our services increase.

What’s the most valuable lesson you have learned?

Although I take a more strategic role now in the running of the business, I am still very much hands on, covering for staff when I need to. Having this interaction with our clients helps me see at a grassroots level how to improve our services. The lesson I would say to all employers is do the job your employees do to understand what you are doing right and more importantly, what you are doing wrong!

What could the Westminster or Scottish Government do which would most help?

I believe it would really help SMEs to grow if their employers’ National Insurance contributions were reduced. This would really help with my ability to offer more jobs.

How do you relax?

Because it is such a personal service, I don’t think I every fully switch off from the fact that we are responsible for looking after people and I am often on call outwith normal hours. I have two teenage sons so relaxing isn’t really an option at the moment but I do enjoy a good book, going on holiday and spending time with my husband.