“You should win that race”

Home care agency owners often go it alone.

Here’s why they need a home care coach.

Many years ago, a dedicated high school coach quietly told a runner on his cross-country team, “You should win that race.” I was a friend of that runner, Carey Pinkowski, who would go on to win the Indiana state championship in the mile two years in a row. And during Carey’s career, he and two other boys became the first three high school runners to break nine minutes in the two-mile race in the season, a record that was held for 39 years.

I was not actually on Carey’s team but lived in the next city and ran with the team from Hammond High School. I knew that they had a top-notch program and I wanted to run with the winners. Coach Candiano wanted me to move to Indiana so I could run with the team, but I declined.

My specialties were cross country and the two-mile run. Although I set records in my own school for my events, I never reached the level that I yearned for. I did all that I could, but I lacked one thing – a coach who knew the sport and could drive a boy to victory. We had good coaches at my high school, but not on the matter of distance running. I became the expert. I read books, practiced and after a while I knew more than anyone at my school about this sport. I even planned our cross country practices in my senior year.

Carey now serves as the director of the Chicago marathon. I went on to other things.

Why is a home care coach needed?

As a small business owner, you can only learn so much, read so many books, and attend so many seminars. Running your own business is a hike through a dense forest. You need a guide. A coach in the field of home care has tried and learned everything that you have. He learns of your strengths and weaknesses. He’s the one who can shine a light on your blind spots, who can shorten the learning curve before you go broke.

You can read a thousand books on running a home care agency, but without help from an expert you are like a doctor who operates on himself.

Where do I find a home care coach?

If you are new in starting a home care agency, or have run such a company for a number of years but need to step up your game, you should find a home care coach. I recommend Kurt Hjelle, a business coach in Oswego, IL who has run his home care agency since 2001, Safe At Home Healthcare. Kurt knows the ups and downs, the administration challenges, the business plans, and the sales and marketing of home care.

Read about his People magazine technique in his article, “How To Be An ‘Invited Guest’ versus an ‘Annoying Pest’ With Discharge Planners, Geriatric Care Managers and Social Workers.” And then find out whether his coaching program would be good for your agency.