KELLY GRANT AND ELIZABETH CHURCH
The Globe and Mail

This article originally appeared on TheGlobeandMail.com. View the original article in full here.

When Jennifer Sewell had a benign cyst removed from her left breast last summer, the procedure was supposed to be a straightforward day surgery.

Instead, the 40-year-old mother of two from rural Southwestern Ontario developed an infection at her incision site, a wound that took more than five months to heal.

In that time, Ms. Sewell received a crash course in the new world of Ontario home care, one in which the treatment patients need is not necessarily delivered in their homes, but rather in privately operated clinics that have brought significant savings to the province’s Community Care Access Centres (CCACs), the 14 publicly funded organizations that co-ordinate nursing visits and personal care in homes across Canada’s largest province.

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia – A Buyer’s Choice Home Inspections (ABCHI) is taking steps to fight autism, over 52,500 steps in less than an hour to be exact.

Founder, president and CEO Bill Redfern teamed up with the brand’s Atlantic Canada franchisees Rick Mayuk and Trevor Johnston to participate in Walk the Walk for Autism, an annual walking charity event sponsored by Autism Nova Scotia in June. Team Lauren and Alex, named for Redfern’s children living with autism, which included several ABCHI franchisees, took over 52,500 steps, and raised over $3,200 for individuals and families living with autism.

This article was originally published in the summer 2015 issue of Canadian Franchise Magazine. View the original article in full here.

International expansion is the natural next step for franchisors looking to broaden their reach.

But before you pack your bags and cross the ocean, there are many factors that must be taken into consideration. Every street in every city in every country on every continent in the world has homes of some kind – and these homes house families who need a safe and reliable place to rest their heads at night. That’s what A Buyer’s Choice is all about – making sure that homes are in fine condition to be inhabited.

But it’s not as easy as simply selling your franchise concept to someone in a different country. There are hundreds of considerations to be made before you take this huge step, and they all boil down to one word: research.

 Get on the Same Page

The chances of a Canadian location of your Canada-based franchise looking the same as a location in the Middle East are low. The basic structure of your business can be the same, but it’s important to tailor your concept to the idiosyncrasies of different cultures.

Start your international journey with extensive research and exploratory travel. We outsource and hire market research firms to conduct research in the countries in which we’re interested in growing. We want to have a good handle on the market before we even consider opening businesses there. We also connect with real estate industry professionals and specialists across the globe who can give lots of information on the real estate climate, and, in turn, give you an idea of what it’s going to take to find property for a franchisee in that market.

Today Neil Haley, host of the Total Education Network, held an exclusive interview with Bill Redfern, CEO and found of A Buyer's Choice Home Inspection and iCare - Intelligent Home Care Solutions.

We would like to send a huge welcome and congratulations to our new iCare - Intelligent Home Care Solutions Regional Master Franchise Owner Michael Delano.

Michael is the proud new owner of the Atlantic Canada Region which includes New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland & Labrador.

This article originally appeared on Entrepreneur.com. View the original article in full here.

Bill Redfern became an entrepreneur a decade ago when he noticed a huge demand in the Canadian home inspections industry that existing companies weren't addressing. After successfully conquering that market, Redfern saw an opportunity to start a second business – and fill yet another gap – this time in home health care. Here, how he juggles two expanding ventures in completely separate spheres and what he's hoping to accomplish this year. 

This article originally appeared in Issue 2 #1 of Canadian Franchising Magazine. View the original article in full here.

It is critical to propel your franchise ahead of the curve technologically. I’ve always believed that if we don’t adapt at a pace faster than our consumers, we’re moving backward. Our customers and our franchise partners deserve the most efficient systems we can provide.

By Beth Ewen

This article was originally published in the March 2015 issue of Franchise Times. View the original article in full here.

Jeff Salter, CEO of Caring Senior Service, is often at odds with the Obama administration. Most recently he lobbied hard against changes in how people who provide care in patients’ homes are compensated—they are no longer exempt from overtime and minimum-wage rules, as of January 2015.

This article was originally published by The Chronicle Herald on March 12, 2015. View the original article in full here.

The wait list for home-care support in the Capital Health district has tripled since October.

This article was originally published by Wall Street Cheat Sheet on March 7, 2015. View the original article in full here.

The health care industry might most accurately show the ebbs and flows of the circle of life. Babies are born, sent home, brought back to the doctor for the kindergarten shots and broken bones of youth, and years later come back to have babies of their own. The circle of life begins anew. But for that older generation, it also continues into the golden years, as doctor’s visits and medications begin to pile up.

This article was originally posted by Sun Sentinel. View the original article in full here.

CJ Fleming, left, stands with iCare - Intelligent Home Care Solutions founder Bill Redfern, right. Fleming has just opened a Deerfield Beach office of the South Fla.-based home health care franchise.

This article was originally published by www.profitguide.com on January 16, 2015. View the original article in full here.

The Halifax-based entrepreneur on the value of patience, franchise success and his new business.

What drives entrepreneurs? What caused them to start their first startup, and what pushes them to keep going? To find out, we ask some of Canada’s most successful serial entrepreneurs 7 Questions.

Article originally published at www.franchising.com on January 8, 2015. View original article in full here.

January 08, 2015 // Franchising.com // PERRYSBURG, Ohio - MEDsys Software Solutions, an industry leader in software and EVV solutions for the home care industry announced the execution of an agreement to provide iCare – Intelligent Home Care Solutions of Pompano Beach, Florida, its software and EVV solution to all of its franchises. This includes VinCENT's franchise software for its private duty business. Additionally, iCare - Intelligent Home Care Solutions will use VinCENT's EVV for their aide services and will utilize VinCENT's billing module to bill health insurance plans and private clients. VinCENT's franchise software includes the latest state-of-the-art family and employee portals that allow real-time communication between caregivers and family members.

MEDsys Software Solutions, an industry leader in software and EVV solutions for the home care industry announced the execution of an agreement to provide iCare – Intelligent Home Care Solutions of Pompano Beach, Florida, its software and EVV solution to all of its franchises. This includes VinCENT’s franchise software for its private duty business. Additionally, iCare - Intelligent Home Care Solutions will use VinCENT’s EVV for their aide services and will utilize VinCENT’s billing module to bill health insurance plans and private clients. VinCENT’s franchise software includes the latest state-of-the-art family and employee portals that allow real-time communication between caregivers and family members.

More great news from iCare - Intelligent Home Care Solutions! Last week, our franchise announcement was picked up by Franchising.com, an industry leading provider of franchise related content. The article also ran in the Franchising.com newsletter, reaching thousands of subscribers in the franchise industry.

View the original article in full here.