This week Radfield Home Care was featured in Forbes, in How To Know If Your Business Is Ready To Franchise. Senior Contributor Alison Coleman looked at when franchising works as a growth model, and when it doesn’t. She spoke to three very different businesses: a children’s experience brand, a national clearance company, and us.
It’s lovely to see our story in a publication like that. But the real reason I’m writing this isn’t to show off a logo. It’s because the article puts into words something I talk about with every prospective franchise partner I meet. Franchising only works when the franchisor is choosy.
If you’re thinking about a home care franchise, that matters more to you than any headline.
The piece tells the story of our founders, my wife Dr Hannah MacKechnie and brother-in-law Alex Green. They grew up around the residential care home their parents ran, founded Radfield Home Care in 2008 and began franchising in 2016.
Why franchise at all? Alex explains that a salaried branch manager rarely has the same commitment to quality as a local owner whose own investment and reputation are on the line. In care, that difference shows up in every visit.
The article also makes a point I’d underline twice. Home care is a relationship business, so we couldn’t just copy an operating model. We had to replicate a culture. That meant writing down how we do things, building a structured framework, and backing every office with a national support team.
Alex sums it up simply:
“The people you work with make or break your business.”
Forbes also reported the network’s 2025 results: network turnover up 27% to £24.7 million, and network profit up 39%. I’m proud of those numbers. I’m proud of the fact that we got there without chasing volume.
The most honest bit of the article is Alex’s point that being disciplined about who we award a territory to cap the pace of our growth.
That’s not a weakness we’re apologising for. It’s the whole model.
We don’t sell franchises. We award them. Every territory goes to someone who shares our values and can follow a proven system, because our clients and care professionals are the ones who live with that decision every day.
So here’s my challenge to anyone researching franchise opportunities: if a franchisor says yes too quickly, be worried. A good franchisor should be assessing you as hard as you’re assessing them.
The wider evidence says yes, with caveats.
Law firm Lewis Silkin’s June 2026 review, Franchising in 2026: Still a relevant route to market?, cites British Franchise Journal figures showing UK franchising contributes £19.1 billion a year across a record 1,009 franchise systems. It also points to a clear shift away from traditional high street retail towards personal services, with domiciliary home care singled out because of our ageing population and the pressure on the care system.
The same article is refreshingly honest about the risks. UK franchising has no franchise-specific law, and a House of Commons committee said in February 2026 that self-regulation is “no longer sustainable”. Disputes elsewhere in the sector show what happens when franchisors over-promise and under-support.
My take? Whatever regulation comes next, prospective franchise partners deserve full transparency now. Ask for evidence. Speak to existing franchise partners without the franchisor in the room. Check the numbers behind any claim, including ours.
Our process is deliberately thorough, and it runs both ways. In practice that means:
It takes longer than signing someone up after one phone call. It’s meant to.
You don’t need a care background. Many of our franchise partners come from corporate careers, the NHS or business ownership. What you do need is a genuine commitment to quality, a willingness to follow a proven system, and the drive to lead a local team of care professionals.
If that sounds like you, I’d love to have a conversation. Explore the Radfield franchise opportunity and take the first step. No pressure, just an honest chat about whether we’re the right fit for each other.
Because the right partner matters more than the fee. Every territory is awarded to someone who shares our values and can deliver the standard of care our clients expect. That selectivity protects our clients, our care professionals and every franchise partner in the network.
No. Our training and national support team cover the care and regulatory side. We look for leadership, values and a commitment to following a proven system.
Independent analysis suggests so. Lewis Silkin’s 2026 review highlights personal services, and domiciliary home care in particular, as a growing part of UK franchising, driven by an ageing population.
It varies by person. We’d rather take the time to get it right than rush a decision that affects your future and our clients’ care.
You can read How To Know If Your Business Is Ready To Franchise on Forbes.com.
Phil MacKechnie is Director of Franchise Development at Radfield Home Care and a Qualified Franchise Professional (QFP). He leads the selection and onboarding of new franchise partners across the UK.
My passion is to help home care business owners start and grow their businesses and promote Radfield’s purpose and mission.
Read moreGet in touch with your local Radfield Home Care office today and find out more about the support we offer and the difference we can make.