Posted on by Sarah Canny

Extra Help launches in Birmingham East

This week, we’re delighted to welcome another new franchisee to the Extra Help family. Cheryl Sharkey joined us from 1st April to launch Extra Help’s home-help and cleaning services in Birmingham East.

Extra Help Birmingham East covers a large territory, including the B4, B7, B8, B9, B10, B25, B33, B34, B35, B36, & B37 postcode areas.

Cheryl lives in Stechford, East Birmingham, with her husband and son. With an impressive, 25-year career in the care sector, Cheryl has worked as a carer within many different settings, including residential care, supported living, mental health and community support.

However, due to the prolonged shifts and unsociable hours involved with being a carer, Cheryl’s work / life balance began to suffer and she decided to look for an alternative career path.

 “I’ve always loved supporting people and making a difference within my local community,” she says, “I thought it would be great for me to run my own little business, helping to make people’s lives easier but without the long shifts.”

Cheryl spotted Extra Help on an online franchise directory and was instantly attracted by the fact that Extra Help provides a flexible range of services to appeal to a wider target audience, including the elderly and working professionals. She also says Extra Help’s simple business model particularly appealed to her.

 “I’ve never run a business before, so I especially liked the fact that home-helpers are self-employed and paid directly by the client, so I don’t have to get involved in paying wages or dealing with PAYE. It will save me a lot of time too,” she says.

Once Cheryl had received her online training, she began preparations, with the help and guidance of the Extra Help team, to launch her franchise at the beginning of April.

“Sarah at Extra Help Head Office has given me the confidence to push forward and believe that I can actually do this,” she says, “I’m not that computer-literate, so she’s been helping me learn everything I need to run this business. I’m so grateful for her help!”

Cheryl will also be completing her Dementia Friends training shortly, as will any home-helpers who subsequently join her team, which will add to her existing expertise in this area and ensure she has the knowledge and understanding to .

Since launching her home-help and cleaning franchise, Cheryl has organised an extensive, targeted leaflet drop in her local area and signed up to an online portal that connects local businesses to customers. She has already acquired eight new customers via this service, which she is encouraged by, particularly as they have already led to other referrals. She admits she is surprised by the immediate response, but believes there are very few businesses like Extra Help, offering services like companionship and meal preparation, in her local area.

Extra Help Birmingham East offers a wide range of home-help and cleaning services to many types of people, including the elderly and new and working parents.

Services include:

  • Companionship
  • Transport to/from appointments and social events
  • Meal preparation
  • Gardening and household maintenance
  • Domestic cleaning
  • Laundry / ironing
  • Shopping services.

 

Find out more about how Extra Help Birmingham East can help you with everyday tasks or call Cheryl on 01217 521117.

Extra Help is always looking for kind and caring people who would like to own a successful franchise, offering a flexible range of home-help and cleaning services to their local communities. If Cheryl’s story has inspired you and you think Extra Help could be the right franchise for you, give us a call on 01752 905790 to find out if your area is available. You can also visit our website for more information.