Jump on the bandwagon by laying out just $10,000 for a pendant alarm franchise operation. eMed-ID Franchising leads the way with single-cost packages, with a number of up-sell opportunities. See this press release.
[Comment: I sense that the parent company is about to do very nicely. However, it appears that most telecare/telehealth companies do not put much effort into selling equipment and services directly to older people because it is as difficult as selling other types of insurance. The cost per customer aquisition is therefore relatively high and the direct marketing business model less attractive than one might expect. It follows that expanding by ‘outsourcing’ your salesforce to independent franchises is a more attractive business proposition.]
Franchise opportunities
Sounds quite an interesting development although there could be some pitfalls such as the quality of the assessment, after sales service and the type of sales techniques that may be employed to generate a sale. If franchises were to be made available there would have to be some means of ascertaining the suitability of the franchisee, suitable training and some means of ongoing quality audit would need to be implemented to ensure the end user has received a proper assessment and is happy with the service. CRB checks [UK Criminal Records Bureau checks for convictions] would need to be current.
The advantages are that Telecare could reach a much wider local audience and become more mainstreamed than at present. Manufacturers are already experiencing reduced demand as per the story from Telecare Aware regarding possible redundancies at Tunstall. This could be an alternative approach. The private/third sector would be more responsive and possibly innovative, possibly working with local authority commissioners of services.
Many Third Sector organisations are already providing a Telecare service, some of which are on-line providing basic alarms systems. The franchisee could provide the expertise to provide a deeper Telecare solution. It will be interesting to see if such a model develops in the UK.