From Private Equity to In-Home Care: Reid Grier’s Right at Home Journey

Although Reid Grier didn’t have any health care experience prior to purchasing Right at Home Miami as a resale in 2020, his background as a private equity investor set him up for success as a small business owner. 

He began his career in Charlotte, North Carolina, working on a mergers and acquisitions team for a large investment bank before moving over to private equity. It was in this last role that Reid realized his true calling was connecting with and helping others.

“I loved meeting founders and business owners who started their business from the ground up,” said Reid. “I loved learning their stories, their backgrounds, and meeting their team — it really resonated with me.”

Eventually, Reid moved to Florida for a job with a new equity firm. Within six months on the job, he knew that it was time for him to strike out on his own and become a business owner.

Choosing Right at Home

Once he knew that he wanted to become a business owner, Reid cast a wide net to find the best fit for him.

“I looked at a lot of different businesses in a lot of different industries,” said Reid. “What the business was didn’t really matter to me — I just wanted to find ‘the one.’ And with Right at Home, I had an intangible feeling. I had looked at other businesses and never got the same vibe from them.”

Aside from feeling like he was “at home” after meeting with the team from corporate, Reid also did his due diligence about the business and was more than pleased with the results.

“It was the most well-run business I looked into. Yes, I bought a resale and the owner was a great guy and had done a great job with the business, but the infrastructure and support from corporate were unrivaled.”

Reid attended Discovery Day in Omaha, Nebraska, in January 2020 — right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit — and loved meeting the extended Right at Home team. He decided to move forward with the sale shortly afterward and was handed the business in late March 2020, just as the world was shutting down.

Starting by Navigating a Crisis

Reid was thrown right into the fire on day one as a result of the worldwide pandemic. While he recognizes that he didn’t have to build the business from scratch as a result of the resale, he spent his first month on the job immersed in a frantic search for adequate PPE for his caregivers.

“We were dealing with supply chain shortages and that whole month was focused solely on getting what my caregivers needed,” Reid said. “Right at Home was amazing with helping us through the pandemic. They put together Town Halls every single week to keep us up to date on ever-changing legislation and had a big-time labor attorney who would jump on calls with all the owners to answer any questions we had. Corporate devoted a lot of resources to getting us through a hard time.”

With the pandemic in the rearview, Reid still accesses support from Right at Home’s corporate team through his Business Performance Coach.

“I love being able to bounce ideas off of him,” Reid said. “He also introduces me to other franchisees who have been in my shoes as I grow, so I can always connect with someone for additional perspective and input before making decisions.”

Growing a Successful Business

Looking back on that first year in business, Reid acknowledged how involved he was in the day-to-day operations, but also wouldn’t change a thing.

“I was so involved in everything, but I would recommend being involved in everything at first even if you’re buying a resale — there’s no better way than to just dive in.”

Today, the majority of Reid’s time as an owner is spent thinking of new ways to grow and expand the business. Whether adding new services, like skilled nursing or memory care, or considering acquisitions of smaller independently-owned-and-operated competitors in his area, Reid is always weighing out all his options to maximize growth.

“I’m always thinking of ways to improve revenue, to improve our growth margins,” Reid said. “We’re also members of a lot of Chamber of Commerce organizations across Miami Dade County, and I find myself attending multiple meetings in any given week to keep networking and pushing us forward.”

What to Know Before You Buy

One of the most helpful parts of Reid’s own discovery process, when he was researching business opportunities, was having the ability to talk to current Right at Home franchise owners to get a sense of their experience before buying his own franchise.

“I love talking to other owners, whether they’re brand new or have been in business for 15-20 years, and everything in between,” he said. “It’s the best way to learn because they’re in the trenches every day. Before jumping in, talk to as many owners as possible.”

When you get them on the phone, Reid recommends asking them about what they would do differently now and what they wouldn’t change, as well as any pieces of advice they’re willing to give.

“My advice would be this: Don’t worry about the bottom line too much. Invest in your business and invest in your people. Your business can only go as far as the people working for you will take you. You can work as hard as you want, but unless you have a good team behind you, you won’t be able to grow.”

ABOUT RIGHT AT HOME

Founded in 1995, Right at Home offers in-home care to seniors and adults with disabilities who want to live independently. Most Right at Home offices are independently owned and operated and directly employ and supervise all caregiving staff. Each caregiver is thoroughly screened, trained, and bonded/insured before entering a client’s home. Right at Home’s global office is based in Omaha, Nebraska, with more than 700 franchise locations in the U.S. and five other countries. 

If you're interested in taking the next step in making a difference in your community as a Right at Home franchisee, visit http://rightathomefranchise.com.