Celebrating Franchise Success at the National Franchise Show

THOUSANDS of people visited the NEC at the start of this month to explore franchising as a springboard to achieving their business ambitions.

The National Franchise Show is overseen by the British Franchise Association, the professional body that provides a framework of self-regulation in support of ethical franchising, and is attended by brands offering a wide range of franchise models.

Events such as this are a great opportunity for anyone considering franchising to explore sectors from fast food and gyms to cleaning and care services, meet franchisors and franchisees, and educate themselves before deciding where they will commit their investment.

The team from Right at Home included CEO, Lucy Campbell, and Head of Workforce Development, David O’Brien, alongside Chrissie and me, whose roles focus on network development. Together, we had a great couple of days talking to visitors about whether our model of quality care provision aligns with their ideal business.

A number of our franchise owners also came along to support us, and a highlight for me was getting to interview top performer, Joe Guishard, on Friday, as he shared his journey of growing his business to £5 million revenue – a milestone that he reached this summer.

Joe owns three Right at Home territories, covering the South Wales areas of Cardiff, Newport and the Vale of Glamorgan. Two were start-ups, and the Vale was acquired through an internal resale, giving Joe the opportunity to apply his drive and vision to a business that had not previously achieved its growth targets.

The former Police Officer talked the audience through the realisation that he could achieve far more in five years as a Franchise Owner than he could by staying on his previous career pathway – how it was his beloved gran who inspired him to strive for exceptional care quality, and his mum who first convinced him to go for it, having read a feature similar to this about Right at Home.

Joe said: “I know my grandmother would be so proud of not only myself, but the fact that Clients, similar to herself, are now able to receive the exceptional level of care they deserve.”

Looking back, Joe admitted he would never have imagined the success he has achieved over the last 13 years, despite his competitive nature and strong work ethic.

“If someone had said to me on day dot that you could grow a £5 million business, I would never have thought it was achievable,” he says.

He paid credit to the resilience and loyalty of his team, led by Operations Director, Holly Jones, whom Joe persuaded back into the business after she took a family career break.

He also highlighted the support of Right at Home’s National Office, especially when he first opened his Cardiff branch and had no knowledge of the care sector.

“As a care business, they have a wealth of knowledge and expertise. Tapping into this has been immensely beneficial at each stage of my business development.”

As a network, we were all delighted to celebrate further when Joe went on to be named Entrepreneur Leader of the Year at the Social Care Leadership Awards a couple of weeks later; and his Registered Manager for the Vale of Glamorgan, Annie Essiben, who was named Right at Home’s 2025 Care Leader of the Year, picked up a lifetime achievement award.

If you’re exploring new career possibilities and want to build a business that makes a real difference, we’d love to talk to you. Right at Home offers a proven franchise model, expert support, and the chance to deliver exceptional care to people in your local community.