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Q U A R T E R L Y SUMMER 2022 MSRP $19.95 ATTRACT CLIENTS AND CAREGIVERS IN THE EVERCHANGING DIGITAL WORLD

How To Boost Your Team and Bottom Line by Transforming Your Company Culture

Flexibility IS THE NEW WORKPLACE CURRENCY HOW AGENCIES CAN GRACEFULLY DISCUSS the Changes in the Clients and Cost Implications

THE ROAD TO

THE EVOLUTION OF A BAD BOSS TO A GREAT LEADER

Sales and Marketing Isn’t Easy! Are You Taking the Right Approach?

4 BIG Reasons

Why You Should Get More Reviews on Your Google Listing 3 WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR HOME CARE BUSINESS AND TEAM NO MATTER WHAT THE ECONOMY IS DOING

$10 Million Part 2

Welcome Thank you so much for subscribing to our Home Care Evolution Quarterly Magazine. This is our second issue of the magazine and we couldn’t be more excited based on the overwhelming response to issue number one! As you know, there has been an incredible amount of stress, changes, and challenges thrown your way as a Home Care Business Owner. This magazine is all about evolving your business so that you can adapt to all of the changing circumstances you are dealing with. By adapting this will allow you to transform your business so that it looks very different from what it is today. Therefore, in the future, you will be able to thrive for many years to come. We look forward to seeing you again in the third issue. Till then, be safe and God bless.

Steve Weiss

Steve “The Hurricane” Weiss Owner Home Care Evolution 848-444-9865 steve@homecareevolution.com www.homecareevolution.com

Contents 03

The Road to $10 Million Part 2 - Steve “The Hurricane” Weiss

How To Boost Your Team and Bottom Line by Transforming Your Company Culture - Christina M. Ramos

3 Ways to Protect Your Home Care Business and Team No Matter What the Economy is Doing - Caleb Roseme

4 BIG Reasons Why You Should Get More Reviews on Your Google Listing - Jeremy Fuller

How Agencies Can Gracefully Discuss the Changes in the Clients and Cost Implications Marybeth Sondergaard, RN

Flexibility Is The New Workplace Currency by Anne-Lise Gere, SPHR

Sales and Marketing Isn’t Easy! Are You Taking the Right Approach? - Meghan Smith

Attract Clients and Caregivers In The EverChanging Digital World Nick Bonitatibus

The Evolution of a Bad Boss to a Great Leader Part 1 - Nicole Peretti

The Road to $10 Million,

Part 2 Steve “The Hurricane” Weiss, President & CEO of Home Care Evolution

Steve “The Hurricane” Weiss is a dynamic and entertaining public speaker, known for his expert knowledge in all things sales and marketing. From a young age, Steve has been driven to succeed and excelled across vastly different industries. Steve founded Hurricane Marketing Enterprises in 2012 with a goal to help other business owners around the globe. Steve’s passion is to lead business owners on the path to find people in need of their services and convert these prospects into clients. His company’s mission statement is to help business owners increase their census, revenue, and profits. Through his programs and presentations, he has guided thousands of individuals to grow their organizations and continues to help them blow away the competition. With his dedication and hard work, Steve has developed a foolproof program that enables start-up companies to quickly get ahead of the competition while helping existing businesses experience an explosive transformation. Many of his clients double and even triple annual revenue in as little as 6 months.

uilding a $10 million a year home care agency can seem like a very daunting task. But if the individual who is setting out to start this business gets all of their I’s dotted, T’s crossed and follows the proven blueprint for success, they will be able to realize their dreams in a relatively short period of time. In the first issue, part one discussed having base offices surrounded by satellite locations and discussed the amount of time it will take to grow your revenue to over $10 million. In part two, we’re going to be discussing all of the key office staff positions, their responsibilities, even salary benchmarks for this to be fulfilled.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: The first position, which is the most important position, is an Executive Director. An Executive Director is another head of the organization besides the owner. In most instances, these businesses that are doing $10 million and beyond have so many moving parts that it’s nearly impossible for one person to handle everything by him or herself. This is where having Executive Directors makes it a huge advantage. You can have an Executive Director over clinical care and then another Executive Director for all things sales and marketing and bringing on new client acquisition. With these Executive Directors, they’re responsible for their divisions and they manage everything, filtering it back and reporting to you as the owner. Executive Directors do come at a very high salary. Nationwide, starting salary is around $80,000 to $90,000 a year. And you’re going to have to give revenue or profit share as bonuses, which will have them making well over $100,000 a year. But by having someone who’s responsible for all things sales and marketing or someone who’s responsible for all things client care, this will take much of the burden off of you as the owner and you can focus on

your role as CEO, managing everything that comes your way. ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF: The next positions are your Administrative Staff positions. And these are folks that do payroll, billing, accounts receivables, accounts payables, reception, clerical work, secretarial work, and so on. Many of these organizations this size have multiple Administrative staff members. If you think back to the last issue in part one where we talked about having a base with four satellite offices, you should have at least one Administrative Staff member in each of those satellite offices. In addition, your home base office should have five to ten Administrative Staff positions. And then depending on what role they’re doing; their salaries are going to vary. Anywhere from $40,000 a year on the low side to as high as $70,000 maybe even $80,000 on the other end of the spectrum. Plan on having a solid eight to ten of these type of positions in your organization if you want to be able to reach $10 million and beyond. SALES AND MARKETING: The next position of importance are Sales and Marketing Reps. As mentioned, Executive Directors in charge of client

acquisition would most likely be a Sales Manager to these individuals. But they’re going to have two, maybe three Sales Representatives that work underneath them. Each of these Representatives will cover a specific area within the entire region that your agency services. They are going to be going to referral sources, networking events, community events, sponsoring activities, and doing lunch and learns. They can even get involved with signing up new patients for services. Salaries vary for Marketing Reps. On the low side, Marketing Reps are making $50,000 a year. On the high side, especially for larger agencies, I know many Marketing Representatives who are making over $100,000 a year. Yes, that

does include their commissions. But again, you want to make sure that you have a strong commission structure laid out for your Marketing Representative because you want them to be able to earn as much as possible. Remember, if you’re paying somebody over $100,000 and it’s commissions that allow them to make that kind of money, then you want to be paying it. Because if you’re paying that kind of money, that means your business is doing very, very well. SCHEDULERS: The next position is one that would fall under the fulfillment Executive Director, and these are your Schedulers. You’re going to need at least one Scheduler for every 1500 billable hours weekly

that you’re producing with your agency. As a result of this, you’re going to have to have at least six full-time Schedulers to be able to manage over 8,000 hours a week. When you’re managing that many hours, we’re talking about a census of well over 200 patients, which in turn means scheduling over 250 to 300 Caregivers. By giving each of these Scheduler’s responsibility for about 40 patients (or 50 Caregivers), that will allow for them to be maxed out properly and you can handle all of the volume of work that has to be done. Now Schedulers salaries vary also from around $45,000 on the low side to $65,000 - $70,000 on the high side. Many of these larger corporate businesses that are doing over $10 million have several head

Schedulers or Senior Schedulers who are making closer to $75,000 - $80,000 a year, but they’re also putting out a much higher output than your entry level Scheduler who’s making closer to $45,000. As you’re thinking about your salaries and compensation, keep in mind experience and keep in mind workload as well as their ability to get the job done. I’ve seen it happen where larger agencies have four or five Schedulers, but every Scheduler is making $75,000 - $80,000 a year because they’re highly functioning and highly productive Schedulers that are masters of their craft and they never let a case fall through the cracks. So again, with your planning, make sure that you adjust accordingly. FIELD SUPERVISORS: The next position are your Field Supervisors or what I call Care Coordinators. And ironically, of all the positions in the home care industry, this is a position that most agencies wait until they’re doing about $3 million a year in revenue before they bring on these Care Coordinators. I will advise you to bring on a Care Coordinator when you get to your first million dollars. In order to be able to maintain clients and keep caregivers working for you for a longer period of time, those caregivers are going to need more support. They’re going to need management. They’re going to need field oversight. They’re going to need somebody who can help them problem solve and troubleshoot all of the challenges this industry throws at them.

By having these Care Coordinators, to hire more folks, you know when to this will allow you to cover all your add additional revenue streams, and bases, ensure that you’ll have happy other types of decisions that will fall clients, and make sure that you are to you. Making sure that you are not retaining the very best Caregivers in the day to day operations is the that your workforce has available to most important aspect of an owner. you. Most agencies have one Care And it is what really separates the Coordinator for every 35 patients on businesses that are doing 10 million their census. So if you’re maintaining and beyond. They are not involved a census of 200 patients to do over in the day to day operations. These $10 million in revenue, expect to owners are not involved with their have six, maybe seven full-time Care patient’s care. They are not involved Coordinators. This way, these Care in the recruiting. Instead, they are Coordinators will be able to visit guiding the organization as to where approximately 15 it’s going, planning to 20 patients and out the finances, and Caregivers every forecasting for the “Making sure you single week, and future. That is the role are not in the day make sure that they that the owner should visit each of your to day operations is play in an organization patients and those when they are the most important Caregivers that involved. serve them three There you have it. aspect as the times per month. These are the key owner.” - Steve As for salary, most positions in your $10 Care Coordinators Million organization. Weiss are making $3-4/hr Expect to have a solid more than you top 25 to 30 full-time paid Caregivers. staff members to be able to manage this ACTIVE volume of patients. OWNERS/CEO: Finally, you as Be sure to check out The Road To the active owner. Many businesses $10Million Part 3 in the next issue of that I’ve worked with over the years, Home Care Evolution Quarterly as it’s a husband and wife team. But in we are going to discuss the Caregiver other instances, it’s one owner on recruitment efforts necessary to their own. Regardless, your role as be able to hire and have 250 plus the owner of the company should Caregivers actively working for you not be to be involved in the day in your business. to day operations, but rather you should be acting as CEO, guiding the agency as to where it should go so that you can foresee challenges. You can adjust the course of revenue coming in and out. You know when

How To Boost Your Team and Bottom Line by Transforming Your Company Culture

Christina Ramos Christina Ramos is the Executive Director and Administrator of Touching Hearts at Home in Gainesville, Florida, which continues to serve seniors and adults with disabilities within their community for over 11 years in over 10 counties.

f the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that employee morale plays a vital part of a team’s total success. As we think of the challenges behind us, and those that lie before us – especially during a national labor shortage -- it’s important to be creative in employee programming and incentives to remain a top employer and service-provider in your area.

Our leadership team at Touching Hearts at Home spent the last two years evaluating, conceptualizing, and creating new and exciting employee programs focused on unique incentives, meaningful rewards, and impactful ways to recognize, appreciate, and value our team members. What struck us so profoundly is that the smallest and most inexpensive (often times free) gestures really proved to not only boost employee morale and recruitment efforts, but also move the needle in the areas of caregiver engagement and retention, client care, customer service, AND profitability. Initially, when we began the brainstorming process, our leadership incorrectly assumed that monetary bonuses and pay incentives would be the most wellreceived benefits, followed by free food and beverage, and health & wellness benefits. Boy, oh boy, were we wrong! After hosting countless team events with free catering, rounds of bonuses to CarePartners with pay raises and an influx of gifts and trinkets, we learned very quickly that the most well-received and impactful programs were centered upon our established corporate culture -- or lack thereof. At the time, we knew our team’s mission and values, but in terms of the corporate culture, although we did know what it should be, it was never clearly spelled out or recognized by any of our team members or staff.

We realized during our initial discussions that we should first understand what the hot buzz word “culture” actually means. MerriamWebster defines culture (in the use that it is intended) as “the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization.”

organization? How are we viewed in our community and the communities that we serve? What are we currently known for as an organization and a team? What do we want to be known for?

As we began to list all of the many strengths of our team and organization, we not only began Once we understood what culture to appreciate our team and the means, we began to explore individuals more and more, but we corporate cultures. What were also realized we needed to ensure other winning teams using for that each member on the team their corporate culture? As a team was being held to the same set of activity, we had a fun time identifying standards. our favorite sports teams and researching their team culture. Next Fast forward to today, and now thing we knew, we were ready to go that everyone is aware of the to the drawing board to create our characteristics that define us and winning strategy and team culture. buy-in to the goals that we have As we looked to identify what our in place, it is easier than ever to organization’s shared attitudes, hold each person on the team values, goals and best practices were, accountable, to ensure we have the we focused on all of the outstanding right players on the team, and we CarePartners on our team (many were also able to remove the team of which have been with us since members that did not embrace these the day we opened our doors over traits and virtues. 11 years ago), and we listed all of the attributes of the most exceptional As we move forward with this employees-- first individually and winning team culture each and then as a collective team. every day, we keep these ideas in What do our top caregivers have mind and at the forefront of the in common? What do we admire decisions that we make while at most about them? What do our the office or during a shift. From clients love and appreciate most interviewing new candidates, starting about our CarePartners and our new clients, enhancing quality of

life for our employees, families, and clients, to overhauling our employee on-boarding and training programs and re-evaluating all of our systems and policies, to scheduling -- this corporate culture is cornerstone of our organization. With this newly adopted team culture, the paradigm shift is apparent. Our team members exhibit an attitude of gratitude and instantly conversations changed from ‘I’ statements to ‘we’ statements whether on shift, at the office, or out in the community. As a result, callouts reduced drastically, overtime hours decreased by over 100% due to CarePartners willingly accepting more shifts in order to be there for their clients and support our team, client compliments and referrals are now streaming in more frequently, and our reputation in the community continues to grow and expand for all of the right reasons. You can even SEE the improvements. That’s right, our CarePartners come to the office more regularly than ever before, look happier and more well-rested, which is ironic considering they now accept more responsibility than ever before. The difference is, they have fun, are passionate about what they do, and know that their work is incredibly impactful – although very demanding –it’s rewarding. Every team member also knows that as hard as they are working, their teammates are working just as hard, and together as a team, our combined effort makes us the number one home care provider in North Central Florida. So now, instead of hosting employee events in hopes that CarePartners

will find time in their busy schedules to show up, we send inspirational messages and creative greetings out to them during the middle of their shifts to pick them up and motivate when they need it most. We shower our team members with praise & appreciation and countless thank you’s for all of their hard work, sacrifice, and for being not only great team players, but exceptional leaders who are leading by example. These simple text messages, handwritten notes, small snacks, and candies have now become more valuable and impactful than any bonus, party, or promotional item. What seemed like such a large and overwhelming transformation was actually one of the most rewarding and beneficial decisions we ever made as an organization. Our employees know that they are all valued, appreciated, respected, and held accountable more than ever before. Instead of focusing on the negative and all the challenges we face as a team, we have shifted our mind-set to focus on everything that works exceptionally well and goes right for us and our team to create and attract more of that! There is less focus on the “me” and more focus on the “we.” We have even been recognized on several occasions as the Best Homecare Provider in our area, and also Best Small Business of the year all within the same time frame when we developed and rolled out our

corporate culture. Touching Hearts at Home also had their best year ever since inception. Day in and day out, our entire team strives to exceed expectations, and we all share the same vision that the team, which includes our office staff, CareTeam, and clients, is the most important thing vs. one individual. It’s all about the team! Creating and embracing a meaningful corporate culture made the world of difference for our organization, and we strongly encourage any agency looking to see extraordinary improvements within your team dynamic and improved results in your business, start identifying your team’s culture and put those shared attitudes, values, and goals into practice right away, today – don’t delay!

3 Ways to Protect Your Home Care Business Team No Matter What The Economy Is Doing

Caleb Roseme Caleb is the Homecare Executive Director at Assured Quality Homecare. He oversees the agency’s operations, ensuring that all systems are in place and that everything flows smoothly. Caleb graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering from the University Of Connecticut in 2007, is Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certified, and worked for eight years as a quality assurance and process engineer at General Dynamics Electric Boat. Caleb is married and, together with his wife, is raising three beautiful children. You can find Caleb volunteering at his church or community in his free time, reading personal development books, keeping up with the Boston Celtics, or spending time with his Crossfit community. https://asqhomecare.com/

t’s August of 2021, and I’m sitting in a room with my wife, the CEO, and our business development coach. We are discussing why our home care business is not hitting our 2021 goals, and it all boils down to one thing, severe caregiver shortage.

Worst of all, we see no end in sight. We decide to pivot and focus our business on growing our nurse staffing and care management services that we started a year ago while we weather the caregiver shortage storm. We meet with our office team and discuss the plan, and they are all in. Five months later, we’ve had our best year ever, our team is thriving, and our new services lines exceeded expectations. As we celebrated the year-end results, our team expressed how grateful they are we invested our time and energy in 2020 to develop two new services even though our home care services were doing exceptionally well. I share my story with you to point out that our team depends on us to continually adjust and grow our business regardless of what this economy is doing to give our businesses the best opportunity to thrive. Months before the first COVID-19 cases in Wuhan, China were detected, Forbes wrote an article titled, The Next 10 Years in Home Care: Looking Ahead at a Decade of Change, in which they stated that the “shifting regulatory environment and demographic pressures have begun forcing home care businesses to adapt or be left behind.”

Our industry was going to experience drastic changes with or without COVID-19. If anything, COVID-19 accelerated its evolution.

to finish, how you bill and collect payments from your clients.

Regardless of what the economy is doing, we need to run our business’s operations in a manner that allows us to thrive in our constantly evolving industry. There are three things necessary to run your business in a way that gives you the best chance to adapt and thrive in an alwaysevolving industry.

What checks and balances would you show them ensures the bills are 100% correct, your client’s payments are received and recorded, and the payments are deposited into your business’s bank account?

• Efficient Processes • World-Class Employees • Prioritizing Your Time

WHAT WOULD YOUR ANSWER BE?

Developing your processes is key to ensuring you deliver every time on every promise you make to every client, employee, and vendor you serve.

• Accelerate billing cycles • Reduce errors • Recruit and onboard caregivers quicker • Onboard and train office staff better

GOOD PROCESSES ALLOW YOU TO EMPOWER YOUR TEAM Good processes with solid checks and balances allow you to delegate important tasks to the right people and have peace of mind that they will be done the right way. Take 5-10 minutes and evaluate your team. Are they hungry, humble, and smart? Do they believe in your mission and vision? Do they align with your core values? Can you take a one-week vacation, leave behind your cell phone and computer, and come back to find things better than when you left?

Imagine you’ve hired a consultant to help improve your business operations. The first question they ask is for you to explain, from start

It’s better to have “ok” business processes and a world-class team than to have world-class processes and an “ok” team.

WHAT IS A BUSINESS PROCESS? A business process is a step-bystep guide to accomplishing a specific task from start to end. The better your processes are, the more efficient and consistent your business can operate. Strong processes allow you to:

Hire hungry, humble, and smart people who believe in your mission and vision to run and improve your business processes. That way, you don’t have to micromanage your team and can instead focus on growing your business. WHAT DO YOU ACCOMPLISH OVER THE COURSE OF A WEEK? Take a sheet of paper and divide it into three columns. Label the first column “tasks,” the second “time,” and the third “impact.” Over the next 10 minutes, I would like you to make a list of all the tasks you perform weekly for your business, the number of hours you spend weekly on each task, and on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the least and 10 being the greatest, how much that task positively impacts the growth of your business. How many hours are you working per week? How many of those are spent on tasks that significantly impact your business? How many low-impact tasks can you delete, delay, or document the process and delegate this week? Are there any other tasks that should be on your list?

As your business grows, if you don’t prioritize your time, you can quickly go from spending time on activities that have a significant impact on growing your business to activities that keep you busy but have low to no effect on the growth of your business. As a result, your business stops growing and stagnates. Our role as business leaders is to spend as much time as possible focusing on activities that add value to growing our business. We all, including myself, struggle with this challenge and it becomes much more difficult if we have to micromanage our team to run our business’s day-to-day operations. Strong processes, checks and balances, and an empowered team will give you the freedom to focus on leading your business. IN CONCLUSION Our industry is constantly evolving, and as my mentor, Darren Hardy, would say, “If you aren’t improving, you are falling behind.” Your team and business depend on you prioritizing your time to focus on activities that evolve and grow

your business. To ensure your day-to-day business operations do not significantly depend on your presence and involvement, you need robust processes with checks and balances and an empowered hungry humble, and smart team to run and improve those processes. With that in place, you can prioritize your time to develop and grow your business so that regardless of what the economy is doing, you are giving your business the best possible chance to grow and thrive.

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4 BIG Reasons WHY YOU SHOULD GET MORE REVIEWS ON YOUR GOOGLE LISTING

Jeremy Fuller Jeremy has over 20+ years of web design and SEO / digital marketing experience based on return on investment. He has launched 5 startups, has extensive experience with web design and digital marketing for home care agencies and has deep knowledge of digital marketing psychology. He got his start with affiliate marketing with campaigns generating more than $5,500 a day in revenue. After learning how to optimize his own marketing campaigns through conversion optimization, heat maps, SEO, Google ads, Facebook ads and learning everything there is to know about copywriting and the marketing psychology behind it he has gone on to generate millions of dollars in revenue for clients through his managed digital marketing campaigns.

efore I begin with the 4 BIG Reasons Why You Should Get More Reviews on Your Google Listing, I want to talk about who I am and why you should even listen to me. My name is Jeremy Fuller, and I have worked in the digital marketing field for over 20 years. I run a digital marketing company called Grow Home Care Marketing with a team of 9 people and growing. We specialize in search engine optimization, Google paid ads, and high-end converting websites. I have launched five startups, have extensive experience with advanced web design and digital marketing for home care agencies, and have deep digital marketing psychology knowledge. I got my start in digital marketing with affiliate marketing, with digital marketing campaigns generating more than $5,500 a day in revenue. It might make you wonder why I am talking about my industry experience and knowledge. Here is why; in this day and age we live in, we have popup gurus that advise about things you should do in your business, but they don’t have case studies, and in most cases, nor do they have real-world experience. Anybody can advise you to take action in your business, but a general real of thumb I make is I always look to people that are experts in their specific fields. For example, when I need advice on accounting, I go to the best accountant that I can find. I say all that because I don’t want you to take what I am about to share with you lightly. Plus, according to a recent study, 99% of consumers have used the internet to find information about a local business in the last year. So what I am about to share should be very important for you to hear. So let’s kick this off with Reason #1 1. More caregiver job applications and more patient-client leads One of the most significant issues right now in home care agencies, as you know, is struggling to find caregivers, and in many cases, they aren’t not taking on new patients because they don’t have enough

caregivers to staff those cases properly.

2. Position yourself locally as the authority leader in-home care

Home care agencies with most five-star reviews tend to increase caregiver job applications significantly. Here is why; potential caregivers are looking online for home care agencies to work for, and they are looking at the google business reviews as part of their decision-making factor if they should spend their time applying for a job. If they see no reviews or only see bad reviews, it makes them have negative emotions and makes them not want to apply or reach out.

Consumer use of Google to evaluate local businesses has leaped from 63% in 2020 to 81% in 2021. and the percentage of people ‘never’ reading reviews when browsing local companies has fallen from 13% in 2020 to just 2% in 2021.

The same goes for new clients/ patients looking for a home care agency; they want to see social proof that other people have used the service and had a great experience. New clients/patients looking for home care agencies want to see social proof that they have used the service. Suppose they don’t see reviews or see one-star google business reviews; that puts a seed of doubt in their minds. In 2021, just 3% of consumers said they would consider using a business with an average star rating of two or fewer stars. That’s down from 14% in 2020. So only 3% of people would even consider reaching out to the business.

The top business types for which reviews play an ‘important’ or ‘very important’ part in consumers’ decisions are: • Service businesses and tradespersons (84%) • Care services (83%) • Healthcare (82%) The same study found that positive customer reviews make 73% of customers trust a business more, and 57% visit a company’s website after reading positive reviews. By having a high amount of Google Business Profile reviews, you can position yourself and your agency as the authority in your city or town. I give each of our clients a strategy that they can use to generate 30+ reviews in 30 days or less. It’s easy, and the impact it makes on people is powerful. When people see your listing with 30+ reviews compared

to the avg review number of fewer than ten reviews that most of your competitors have, it psychologically gives you authority. 3. Decrease bad reviews - the psychology behind the herd mentality When people see that most of your google business reviews are five-star google business reviews, then in their mind, you are doing good, and their terrible experience might be a oneoff and what will happen is magical. They sometimes won’t post their lousy review at all because what’s the point? “This business has 46 fivestar reviews, and I will give them a review with one start... nobody will care... what’s the point.” We have managed business profiles for companies for years. We always see fewer bad reviews with business listings with higher positive reviews, whereas when we have a business with 2-4 stars that we manage, we tend to see them get bad reviews more easily. You might say, “Jeremy, that’s because one business treats people better...” no, it’s the same business with a 2nd or 3rd location, and those locations might have a lower rating. They all receive services from the same headquarters, so the only difference is when someone does have a bad experience (which is rare), the person goes to the Google

Business Profile location with the lower rating and thinks, “well, we all need to band together to stop them from doing this to other people, and since other people had a bad experience I will post mine too.”

higher in the maps is probably the most important digital marketing you can do for your home care agency, and getting more reviews simply works as part of Google’s algorithm to rank you higher.

There are lots of studies on how human behavior tends to make people do something the same way someone else has, so I won’t get into that and explain that. The main point is that the more good reviews you have, the fewer bad reviews you receive.

With 78% of consumers using the internet to find information about local businesses more than once a week (up from 69% in 2020), if you aren’t ranking on the front page of Google, you are missing out big time!

4. Your Google Business Listing will Rank Higher Getting reviews is also one easy thing you can do to get higher rankings on Google maps. According to SEO experts and local search ranking factors, reviews are ranked as the third most important factor in determining how high up on Google Maps or other map listings you’ll appear for any given keyword (out of hundreds!).

So, to sum up, point #4 reviews are a huge ranking factor in local SEO, and the more reviews your business has, the higher it will rank. I hope all of this has convinced you of the importance of getting reviews for your business listing. I consider this one of the crucial things home care agencies need to work on this year, and I hope you consider working on getting more reviews. Author: Jeremy Fuller

When potential patients or their Website: https:// family members search for home growhomecaremarketing.com/ care in your city or town, you want your agency to be one of the first Contact: (918) 300-4006 listings they see. This won’t happen if you aren’t of the top 3 map listings. If you are not within the top 3 listings, Sources: Brightlocal https://www.brightlocal. people’s chances of seeing the listing com/research/local-consumer-review-survey/ and Think with Google https://www.thinkwithare significantly reduced. So ranking google.com/

HOW AGENCIES CAN GRACEFULLY DISCUSS THE CHANGES IN THE CLIENTS AND THE COST IMPLICATIONS Marybeth Sondergaard, RN Marybeth Sondergaard has been a registered nurse in the State of New Jersey for 31 years. She started her career in cardiology at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in telemetry before taking a position with the VNA of Central Jersey as a community health nurse where she was employed for 10 years. According to her, it was a rewarding position helping the homebound patients prevent hospitalization and keep the elderly population safe in their homes. Her next opportunity was accepting a Director of Nursing position with an Assisted Living facility in New Jersey where she really fell in love with the senior population. In this environment caregivers become their family, friend, confidant and health care provider. Her accomplishments as DON included 5 deficiency free surveys, reducing employee turnover from 91% to 15.5%, and maintaining a low hospitalization rate for the residents of her community. While there, she received her certification in dementia care and was also certified to teach the medication aide class in New Jersey. She says her biggest lifetime achievement was being nominated and receiving the nationwide NCAL Nurse of the Year Award. Her philosophy is: when you truly love what you do it’s easy to create achievable outcomes for the safety and well being of each and every senior you care for, and even more enjoyable to share in the joy they feel when achieving their own personal goals.

hen a family hires a homecare agency it is your job to be sure that you are providing all of the services that are promised during the admission process. The relationships with families are built early on starting with who you place in the home with the client and the communication you share with them when they are unhappy. MAKE SURE THE AIDE YOU PLACE IN THE HOME IS APPROPRIATE

is here or talks on her phone and doesn’t even give mom a shower or wash her up!”

Lots of variables for you to consider. Perhaps the client would be happier with a male versus a female. Can your client understand an aide with a strong accent when trying to communicate a need? Maybe your client is hard of hearing, so placing a soft spoken aide in the home wouldn’t be conducive. If the client is happy with their aide and they have a good relationship it makes for good cooperation with the plan of care and is easier to complete the tasks.

PROVIDE A PHONE NUMBER FOR OFF HOURS OR WEEKENDS

ALLOW TIME FOR FOLLOW UP WITH THE FAMILY Make a visit with the family to make sure they are satisfied with the services being provided. This visit will allow time for the family to verbalize possible concerns or questions they may have. It also provides an opportunity for you as the agency owner to observe the relationship between the aide and the client. Something that can be resolved right away is replacing an aide with a more appropriate aide for that particular client. Visits are also valuable in making sure your employee is present and punctual, and also following the plan of care. One of the worst things a boss can hear is “She just reads a magazine when she

I think we all have experienced the frustration of trying to reach a place of business on off hours with a problem and only getting recordings or prompts. On top of that just imagine the stress that is involved when you have a problem that needs attention, you have an appointment outside the home and the aide doesn’t show up. Just having a person on the other end of the telephone is reassuring that someone cares about the problem you are experiencing and is working towards a resolution. PROVIDE FOLLOW UP TO ISSUES IN A TIMELY MANNER Follow up to all phone calls or issues is imperative. Even if you don’t have an answer to a particular problem, just letting them know you are working towards a resolution is building the trust that you need. As a prior Director of Nursing, it was always my practice to have a meeting with the family and the client present to discuss the needs of the client and the plan of care that would be put into place.

DISCUSSING DIFFERENT LEVELS OF CARE AND FINANCIAL IMPACT Always be clear as to the services you will be providing when starting the case and the cost involved for that care. There needs to be open communication as to other care that can be performed and the additional fees that are involved. Educate the family There are many reasons why education is so important. Sometimes families are really unaware of how certain diseases progress and what they need to know about life in the future. Others maintain a denial of a disease and have trouble accepting the changes that their loved ones will experience. They need to understand in a kind way of course, that as the disease progresses and care increases so will the cost of the care you are providing in the home. EXPLAIN THE ADVANTAGE OF STAYING IN YOUR OWN HOME It is comforting for families to know that their loved ones can remain at home and still maintain a safe environment. I always explained to families that the increased cost for more assistance with more hours in the home is equal to, if not less than,

the current daily rate at a long term care facility. With the cognitively impaired clients it is even more important to stay in the environment that they know to prevent increased confusion with change. BUILDING THE TRUST The family has to trust you as an agency. They need to know that you are only a phone call away. They have to feel comfortable calling you with any issues knowing that you will address them in a timely manner. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Make sure the agency is dependable

and reliable, and that the staff you have placed in the home is in fact performing the tasks that you have included in the plan of care.

you are always honest with them, the discussion you will need to have in the future with increased cost of care becomes much easier.

After building the trust with the family, knowing that your agency is reliable and trustworthy will make your future conversations about money easier. If you are dealing with more than one family member you will find out early on the one that is more approachable, and you can direct the more difficult conversations with them. When you provide the very best of care and

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What will growing a Home Care Business look like in 2022 (and beyond)?... This conference will discuss 4 systems that need to be installed in every Home Care Business…

Sales & Marketing

Operations

Recruitment & Retention

Financial

There's no doubt you will leave the HC Evolution Conference feeling inspired to take your home care business to the next level... ...but most importantly, you’ll leave with a PLAN for making this year your best ever! If you’re serious about taking control of your business and giving yourself CHOICE, then you need to secure your ticket today and join us: www.homecareevolution.com/conference

Find out... from people who are leading the way… and are CURRENTLY crushing it! Where? At the PREMIER HOME CARE EVENT dedicated to helping you grow your revenue, census, & profits: www.homecareevolution.com/conference

Flexibility IS THE NEW WORKPLACE CURRENCY

Anne-Lise Gere SPHR

Anne-Lise Gere, SPHR is an HR consultant with deep expertise in home care. Her firm Gere Consulting Associates LLC was established in 2011. She works with home care agencies across the country to improve caregiver recruitment and retention, step up their office teams and support agency owners as a trusted advisor. For more about HR support with Gere Consulting check out www.gereconsulting.com.

he COVID pandemic launched the great experiment of working from home. In the past two years, workers proved that they can work differently and the employment experience is forever changed. Employees learned to work with zoom meetings and instant messaging. They carved-out workspaces in their home, even though there was no dedicated home office. They carried on with the business of work while running a home school program, a childcare facility, and field hospitals in their homes. Many had to find new ways to balance the demands of work and life as they were not tethered to a traditional office. They have come to appreciate some of the benefits of remote work. They got a taste of flexible work arrangements and many liked some of what they experienced. Two years on, leaders are playing catch up. They realize that the “remote work genie” cannot be put back in the bottle. Considering remote work arrangements is now a business imperative driven by the talent crunch. The Great Resignation is happening and flexibility is its rallying cry. According to Gallup, 45% of Gen Z workers and 47% of Millennials are willing to trade 10% or more of future earnings in exchange for the option to work virtually and get more flexibility. But what does flexibility mean? WHAT DOES WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY MEAN? Flexibility is seen by many workers as the newest perk and is advertised in jobs, even hourly jobs. However, flexibility means different things depending on what side of the employment equation you consider. Flexibility doesn’t create a work-life balance. As we experienced during the pandemic, new remote workers experienced an increased level of pressure and burnout is on the rise. Even before the pandemic, remote

workers often experienced high work intensity due to the instantaneous and constant communication options. But that’s not the flexibility most workers desire. According to Steve Dion of Dion Leadership, workplace flexibility can only work if both sides of the employer-employee equation gain from it. On the employer side, workplace flexibility is only viable if performance and business results are maintained or even improved over time. Employees seek flexible work arrangements to balance work with personal responsibilities while maintaining a sense of well-being. Flexibility is not just about when work gets done. It’s also about where we work and how much we work. Employers have to be creative in how they meet the expectations for more flexibility. Let’s understand the different work-life behaviors and explore the possibilities offered by workplace flexibility. FLEXIBLE WORKPLACE – “ONE-SIZE FITS ALL” DOESN’T WORK One of the tricky aspects of workplace flexibility is that it has different meanings depending on who you ask. When it comes to giving workers a say in how flexibility is implemented, it is important to understand that people balance work

and life differently. Work-Life behavior styles: • Separators: They draw a hard line between their work and non-work times. When they are on the clock, they focus on the job, so that they don’t have to think about sending a late-night email. • Integrators: They like having the freedom to blend work life and nonwork life, and move back and forth between the two as needed. They do their best work when they can be flexible. To them, taking a work call after dinner seems like a fair trade to be able to run an errand during work hours. • Work Firsters: They put their work duties above all other needs. They tend to be hyper-connected, blurring the boundaries between personal time and work time sometimes at the expense of their own health and well-being. • Family Firsters: They take care of their personal needs and those of their family first. They attend to their work duties once those needs have been met. They are not less committed. They have different priorities sometimes linked to acute and chronic medical needs and family caregiving responsibilities. • Cyclers: They cycle between putting work first and putting family

4. Start a dialogue on how flexibility can be implemented and how to make it work for most, most of the time. DIFFERENT TYPES OF WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY Besides different approaches to work-life balance, how to implement more flexibility is a spectrum with a variety of options.

first based on the circumstances at work and in their lives. They are flexible in their approach based on what presents the highest need at any given time, whether it be personal or work.

• Time flexibility – When work gets done If you haven’t done it yet, consider implementing flexible start and finish times around core business hours. Institute minimum manning requirements to be met at all times. In a shift-based workplace, it can be achieved through flexible shift trading between workers either through informal communications between coworkers or formally through the scheduling system.

2. Get those who know you (at home and at work) to identify yours. Compare notes. You might be surprised to find out that you are perceived differently than how you think you behave!

• Flexible place of work – Where work gets done Again, this is a spectrum from fully remote all of the time to in-person in the office all of the time. Many workplaces are experimenting with hybrid work schedules with remote days and in-office days. The key is to understand what makes sense for the business, the maturity of the team members (e.g. professional expertise, need for coaching) and their individual preferences.

3. Create your workplace flexibility map by including the work-life behavior styles of your coworkers.

• Flexibility on the amount of work – How much we work Many workers want the option

How to use the work-life behavior styles: 1. Honestly identify your one or two dominant work-life behavior styles.

to trade time for money. In other words, they want to be able to work less even though it means earning less. Throughout our working life, personal demands fluctuate. Parents of young children and those with eldercare responsibilities appreciate the option to work on a reduced schedule. Consider part-time work. Team up part-time workers to create job sharing. • Flexible leave arrangements – Option to suspend work for a period of time Does your organization have the option for a leave of absence? Large employers with 50 employees and more are subject to FMLA. However, most workers in the US work in small businesses that are not subject to the requirements of FMLA. Have you considered offering unpaid leave of absence for workers needing extended time off to meet their educational objectives, attend to their family or health needs? The COVID pandemic has changed the social contract at work. Through the crisis, workers have shown resilience and adaptability to keep their organization going. Now is the time for organizations to become more flexible and support a better work-life balance going forward. No doubt this is difficult work. However, creating the workplace of the future is an asset that will serve your organization as it competes for workers today and for years to come.

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SALES AND MARKETING ISN’T EASY! Are You Taking the Right Approach?

Meghan Smith Meghan Smith is a business coach with Hurricane Marketing Enterprises and has helped her clients achieve massive growth. Meghan started her career in the health care industry 11 years ago. Previously, she worked for a home care company as a Marketing Rep and during that time, was “Hurricanized” and trained by Steve. She doubled the business and went on to work for a hospice company achieving huge growth for two offices within the hospice agency using the same techniques. Now she shines as a coach, helping her clients across the country to increase their census, revenue, and profits.

ales and marketing in any industry can be a fickle field but especially in relation to health care. It seems every week there is a new social media platform or website that comes with promises of exciting new ways to reach even more people and an expanded audience type. While there is great importance and value in building and expanding your web based presence, getting back to basics or the “old school” method has withstood the test of time. Finding the balance between the two, is where it’s at. The healthcare industry in itself is ever changing and evolving. Which means, “we” as sales representatives and marketers have to be ready and willing to shift with it. Add to that, the melting pot of generations that cover an extensive span of technology and they are all still working in this field. It starts to feel like a confusing, not so clear cut approach to successfully growing a business. So should you put equal efforts into both or rely more heavily on one than the other? In my opinion and based on my experience, in the healthcare industry, you should be focusing the majority of your efforts on that “old school” method of direct referral marketing while also adapting to and embracing what technology and web based platforms have to offer. Let’s break this down a bit more, shall we? I’ll start off by saying that I started my time in sales in 2006 selling Sprint phones in a Radio Shack (I know, I know. A bit of a throw back here) and discovered that I just had a way of talking to people. If we are being honest, I never viewed myself as a “sales person”. I simply listened to what people needed and made honest recommendations for the phones or plans that met those needs. The marketing piece did not come into play until 2014 when I started working for a private duty home care and from there, a hospice agency. I was hugely successful in both and it

was because I was out there every day, having face to face interactions with people. I got to know them, listened to them, identified their needs, and then showed them how I could meet those needs. Now, as a business coach, something that I have said to all of my clients at least once is, “The office is where marketing goes to die. Business is not gained sitting behind a desk.” At least not your desired type of business and definitely not on a consistent basis. The business that you want/desire comes from getting out there, pounding the pavement and truly identifying people's needs. Then showing them how you can fulfill them! Is it work? Yes! Does it mean getting out in the cold/hot/ rainy/windy days? YES! Do the simple things that so many others forget about (or simply don’t do) have some of the biggest impacts? ABSOLUTELY! Think about this for a minute. When was the last time you received a handwritten thank you note and IF you can remember, how good did it make you feel? When was the last time someone gave you an update/outcome to a situation you were involved in WITHOUT you having to ask for it, and how nice was it when they offered it up first? When was the last time someone made a mistake and you heard it first, from them, face to face? Although you may have been disappointed by the situation, did you have a higher respect for them because they stepped up and owned

the mistake? Faced it head on instead of trying to hide it until you find out, or at least that’s the way it makes you feel. Bare with me a little longer here! When was the last time, or should I ask, how often do you hang up on telemarketers…with no feelings of guilt? Could it be that you just don’t associate that “voice” with an actual person and that is why it is so easy? How many emails do you scan over or simply delete because the text you are reading on the screen doesn’t truly connect you with the individual who sent it? It would at least be a bit more difficult to slam the door in someone's face if they were standing there trying to say “thank you” or walk away from someone without saying a word when they were trying to confess and give a heartfelt apology. That’s what face to face marketing does! Yes, you can communicate these messages through a text, an email, or response from a website, but it doesn’t carry the same meaning or typically, the same outcomes. This is why the majority of your focus for marketing should be in the field with direct referral, face to face marketing. With all of that said, it doesn’t mean that we can just ignore technology such as social media platforms and web based marketing all together. I will be the first to tell you, I am a researcher through and through! Whether that be for a service or a product, no matter how big or small, you can count on me combing

through ridiculous amounts of reviews. On multiple sites. It doesn’t matter how I heard about it either. It could be that my daughter heard about a great carpet shampooer from a friend at school, who’s Aunt has one. Or from a client that I trust and work very closely with. Either way, I want to know what the collective’s results and opinions are! This is all for a machine that only cleans my carpets. In this industry we are talking about people who are looking for help for their mom, dad, grandparents, or loved ones! Even if your agency comes highly recommended to them by someone they trust, they are most likely going to do their own research. I’m not just talking about reviews from clients or patients either. Have you ever been drawn in to one of those ads on Facebook or one of those

pesky pop-up ads when you open your web browser? Only to go to their Facebook page and see 1 post that was made two years ago. Or, the most basic website you have ever seen where none of the page links actually work? It tends to throw up some major red flags! So yes, it is important to be active on your social media platforms. Post updates, share articles, get those reviews from caregivers and clients. Post pictures of community involvement! This gives people a sense of security and a level of comfort when reaching out to you. It also opens up the possibility of someone who comes across your ad or a post showing up in their feed when they are in need of care for a loved one. Spend some time with SEO’s to make sure you aren’t showing up 10 pages down in a Google search return. Spend some

time making sure your website looks nice and all of the links work. You want your social media pages to be active, informative, and up to date. All of these things play an important role in your success but shouldn’t be the sole source of your marketing efforts. As we all know, the world around us is constantly changing and to stay in the game, we must adapt. However, adapting does not mean leaving behind what we KNOW works! As of now, there isn’t anything that can replace the personal connection gained by having an “old fashioned” face to face conversation over a nice hot cup of coffee. Don’t shy away from getting out there and getting to know your market. Put in the work and watch your business flourish!

People don’t have part-time dementia.

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Attract Clients and Caregivers

In The Ever-Changing Digital World

Nick Bonitatibus On a mission as the founder of Digital Champions, Nick Bonitatibus is dedicated to helping home care organizations implement social media and video marketing strategies to generate consistent leads and brand awareness. Over the last 7 plus years, Nick has helped thousands of companies all over the country about improving online presence with his digital marketing techniques. With the ever-changing digital world, Nick strives to deliver the newest and most up to date trends to his audience and clients.

t has become abundantly clear that video is NOT the future - IT’S THE PRESENT! In a 2022 study by wyzowl, they said “96% of consumers increased their online video consumption and 9 out of 10 viewers said that they wanted to see more videos from brands and businesses.” In the world of digital marketing and social media, new platforms like TikTok and new features like Instagram Reels continue to rise in popularity, however, one thing remains to stay constant. VIDEO! Platforms are important, but the thing to take notice of is that video is a medium that continues to thrive! Video has so many applications within your home care business including… • Caregiver Recruitment & Retention • Client Acquisition • Customer Retention • Internal Operations • Referral Source Development BUILDING TRUST One thing in business that has stood the test of time when growing a successful brand is dependent on if your community knows, likes, and trusts you. In the senior care industry, it is even more critical because your clients are entrusting you with the care of their loved one. In most cases, their life is in your hands. The same trust factor applies for referral sources as well as caregivers looking for employment. Recruiting and retaining caregivers has become a huge issue in the industry and it’s not going anywhere. The shortage continues to plague the country (and the world) as the demand for care continues to climb. Potential applicants have a plethora of choices and their caregiver activities are basically the same no matter where they choose. With demand like this RECRUITING = SELLING. For the most part, you

are not selling the job responsibilities of caregiving, you are selling YOU! What makes you different? Why should they choose you? Many home care businesses are failing to use their most powerful weapon to get caregivers (and clients) to choose them. Their WHY! Simon Sinek, New York Times best selling author says, “People don’t buy what you do, but why you do it.” Your background and origin story is the number one thing that separates you from everyone else. Your “why” is uniquely you and that is one thing that no one can copy or replicate. When you share your story on video, it will give customers, caregivers, and referral sources a reason to get behind and build trust in you and your organization.

WHAT REALLY MATTERS When it comes to video, entrepreneurs and marketers are plagued with this idea of perfectionism and it is this idea that holds back individuals and brands from thriving in a market that cares more about your intentions and goals than the specific words you choose or how you look saying it. You’re human and people want to work and do business with humans.

If you’re reading this and thinking, “Nope. I don’t want to be on video.” Think about how many other people are thinking the same thing. If so many people are so unwilling to do it, you will stand out simply by being willing to be seen. Being on video is just like anything else - it’s a skill set that needs to develop. If you are not willing to ever do it, how do you expect to get better? Were you amazing the first time you rode a bike? I'm betting you fell off more than a few times, but eventually you figured it out and now it has become second nature. The more you put yourself on camera, regardless of how uncomfortable it may feel at first, the better and more comfortable you will become! NEXT STEPS Don’t over complicate the process. Businesses and brands are being built on laptops and cell phones across the country. Either one is all you need to get started creating effective video content that gets results. Your story is powerful and you can see amazing results from just that one video, however, if we want to stay top of mind and become a leader in our community then you want to showcase you and your brand as the industry experts. The truth is that the majority of your

audience knows absolutely nothing about home care and you know so much! When creating video content discussing educational tips that solve problems or answer FAQs for your ideal audience, you become an incredible resource. With time, you will build a library of tools for potential prospects to watch before making the important decision for their loved one. If you were to go to your competitors' pages right now, how many of them have a library

of video content? Better yet, how many of them even have one video that isn’t a boring stock video and a voiceover? You can look for yourself, but the answer is not many. BE DIFFERENT! Marketing is about being seen and noticed, so that more people know what you do and how you help them. It’s not too late for you to get ahead and shine among your competition. If you have ever thought about

getting started with video marketing - now is the time! To learn more about Nick, check out his FREE training: Home Care Social Media Success at www. TheDigitalChamps.com/social. Also, be sure to see him share more insights as one of our highlighted speakers at the upcoming Home Care Evolution Conference in June.

The Evolution of a

BAD BOSS TO A GREAT LEADER - Part 1

Nicole Peretti Nicole Peretti is the Executive Director of Hurricane Marketing Enterprises, and co-founder of the nonprofit TheInstitute for Dignity and Grace. She graduated from Rowan University with a degree in Business Administration, with aspecialization in Marketing. She oversees all day-to-day operations of both businesses, ensuring they are run properly. Nicole is also a business coach, and has worked one-on-one with many clients, who are typically home care businessowners, all over the country. She works closely with them to ensure they are using best practices and operating theircompanies with integrity and a focus on proper patient care.

he past couple of years have certainly been a wild ride for everyone, especially for small business owners. What is rising from the ashes in 2022 is a more confident (demanding?) and vocal workforce. People are no longer happy to accept a job simply because it pays the bills as they have in years past. Workers are seeking more flexibility and work-life balance, workplace culture that matches with their own personal ideals, mission-oriented companies, as well as the expected higher pay. Thankfully, technology is improving by leaps and bounds to help businesses adapt to these changing priorities. Many managerial tasks are becoming automated, which is allowing managers to build more of a human connection with their employees. This is ultimately a wonderful thing and will eventually lead to increases in revenue, thriving teams, and better work-life balance for the managers who can rise to the occasion. So, here’s the question I’m posing: Are YOU that manager?

you fall on the scale? For some of you, this is a hard but very important truth to face.

“Are you a good witch, or a bad witch?” I assume almost everyone reading this will know that line from The Wizard of Oz, and I think it fits perfectly here in this context. Are you a good boss, or a bad boss? The words “witch,” and “boss” both have a somewhat negative connotation automatically, but you can most definitely be more heavily one way or the other. Can you truly humble yourself, set your ego aside, and put yourself in your employees’ shoes?

In my position as a consultant, as well as my role as Executive Director of Home Care Evolution, I speak with business owners daily and often am the sounding board of their frustrations. It’s extremely common to hear, “There’s so much drama in my office,” “I have to walk on eggshells around this person,” “If I want it done correctly, I have to do it myself,” and so many more variations of this same theme. I must stress here that it is completely normal to have these thoughts and feelings, and important to get them out there and discuss the issues with someone who can help. This is my job, and it is also one of my ultimate joys in life. I LOVE to help owners and managers evolve and grow into true leaders, and watch how this can totally transform their team, their business, and their personal wealth and happiness in the process.

Most people can very easily think back on their job history and clearly identify a truly fantastic boss or manager as well as a hopelessly terrible one. I’m sure you have two people in mind from your own past already. How do you compare to each of those people? Where do

The best manager I ever had was Geoff Massimini, when I sold Cutco knives back in my late teens and early twenties. The worst boss I ever had was Kristine Banks (NOT her real name) when I worked at Macy’s a few years later. Geoff was honest, caring, and fun. He was a good

person with an extremely high level of integrity. He pushed everyone on the team in a way that made us want to try harder, learn more, achieve higher results, and grow as individuals. He created a beautiful culture in the office where we supported and respected each other, and we undoubtedly knew we could count on him to help us whenever we needed it. Kristine lied to me in my interview and continued to mislead me as well as many others in her department. She was harsh when we didn’t hit sales numbers, but she rarely shared the goals we were supposed to be striving for in the first place. She avoided conflict, she micromanaged, she yelled, she made people feel small and trapped in a box. She discouraged creativity and ridiculed people when they made mistakes. She DID have a team that was strongly bonded, but unfortunately, we were all united in our shared hatred of her. When I think back about times working with Geoff, I smile. When I think back about times working with Kristine, I shudder. It’s been 18 years, and she still elicits a physical reaction in me. She was a bad boss! Don’t be like Kristine. I haven’t seen Geoff since 2012, but I still consider him a dear friend and if he reached out to me today and needed something, I would do whatever I could to help him. He was an amazing leader. Be like Geoff!

When I listen to owners talk about their teams, the struggles in the office, the complaints they have, or challenges with individuals, I’m pretty good at figuring out where the problem stems. Rarely is the owner the true root of the problem, but good grief when they are…I know it’s usually going to be an uphill battle and I’ve got to put on my armor. Bad bosses are typically completely oblivious to how terrible they truly are. Thankfully, most of them who I speak with are open to constructive criticism and actually DO want to change. I believe that if you are reading this magazine, no matter where you fall on the scale, you want to improve. Good for you! Are you a bad boss? These are some of the worst qualities I have seen in bad managers over the years. As you read this list, think about your own interactions with your staff and where you can improve. Bad bosses… • Micromanage • Do not follow through on promises • Take all the credit but none of the blame • Are unclear with expectations • Do not show appreciation or recognition • Overwork and/or underpay • Always focus on what’s going wrong • Discourage fun and team bonding • Feel their employees owe them hard work and results • Yell at and/or talk down to their employees

yourself and look in the mirror like this. I believe that most of you are not bad bosses, but I am certain that many of you exhibit occasional bad boss qualities. We all have our moments and that’s perfectly reasonable and allowable. We are all human, being a manager is hard work, and the home care industry is exceptionally stressful. Give yourself a break if you are one to always be very hard on yourself. That said, the purpose here is to help you adapt and grow. If you have identified an area or two that need work, make note to work on those things in yourself, and don’t be afraid to ask for help! Are you a great boss? I’m going to go out on a limb here and suggest that about 75% of our readers are good or even great bosses. You chose to go into a business where empathy is important, and your clients are going through the toughest time of their lives. You must be at least somewhat caring about other humans and this

would more than likely also include your employees, and that’s a big part of the criteria right there. Good bosses… • Encourage team members to share ideas • Communicate clearly, openly, and frequently • Aren’t above doing the work they delegate • Plan team bonding and enrichment activities • Treat their staff with respect • Are open to and accept constructive feedback • Share goals and show appreciation when they are achieved Once you know that you are a great boss or have some (or many) qualities of a great boss, the next question is, “Are you a good leader?” We’ll save that topic for a future issue, my friend. Good luck to you out there and have a fantastic second half of the year!

It’s hard sometimes to humble

“Why We Care – Choosing the Right Home Care Agency”

his book, which already reached bestseller status on Amazon, is designed to help the millions of individuals and their families who must navigate the challenges of caring for aging parents and outline their options. “Why We Care” provides essential insight into choosing a home healthcare agency from those in the industry, along with stories from real people who found solutions to help their parents age in place with the dignity and grace they deserve. “This book was written so that we could tell the story about home healthcare for people who need it and the families who have to make that decision,” said Steve “The Hurricane” ™ Weiss, co-author of the book, co-founder of the Institute of Dignity and Grace, and CEO of Hurricane Marketing Enterprises. The book was co-written with home care agency owners and professionals, Haytham Najjar; Lynn Marie Houghton; Sandra Dougherty; Vikki Kalitsi; Judy Loubier, PT, CSA CDP; Nicole Peretti; Krista Gaul; and Kunu Kaushal, CSA. Published by the Institute for Dignity and Grace, Why We Care – Choosing the Right Home Care Agency is available on Amazon ($17.99 and Kindle version for $4.99) Everyone will eventually need some type of home healthcare services and choosing what form that care will take can be overwhelming. “Why We Care – Choosing the Right Home Care Agency,” provides readers with essential information in a positive way on aging parents, aging at home, and aging with dignity and grace. Proceeds of the book go towards The Institute for Dignity & Grace.

Buy your copy from Amazon here. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/ B075SJ99P3/ To buy wholesale as gifts to your clients and industry partners, call us at 732-414-6155

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