Meet Sarah Hargan, co-owner of Plan A Nipissing, Plan A Simcoe, and Plan A Grey Bruce!

We asked Sarah a few questions about her experience owning three Plan A franchises and how it’s made an impact on her life. Check out her responses below!

1. What do you feel is unique about your Plan A?

Since 2016, my sister Rachael and I have had 2 opportunities for expansion, first into the Simcoe area, and most recently into Grey and Bruce counties. In both of these cases, it was at the request of those who would soon become partners that brought forward our expansion. These partners believed in the Plan A model right from the start which allowed for rapid expansion, in turn providing great value to their home. In most businesses you have ‘clients’ but at Plan A we have PARTNERS, and that makes all the difference.

2. How did you first hear about Plan A and what steps did you take to start your own business?

My journey with Plan A has been a unique one, beginning with a summer job as a PSW, my love for Plan A grew as I continued my education and it provided me with unbeatable value and work-life balance. I traveled the world, worked in a dozen facilities across Northern Ontario, and stretched and grew my adaptability and resourcefulness over these years, eventually graduating into the RPN and then RN designation with Plan A. When Rachael and I had the opportunity to launch Plan A Nipissing, it felt like an incredible opportunity to give back to the community, of course, but most rewarding for me was the opportunity to extend such an incredible job opportunity to health care professionals in other parts of the North. Seeing my staff work WHEN and WHERE they want to still makes me smile! Don’t want to work this weekend? Out of the country on some vacation? Just need some R&R time today? My response is always ‘YOU GO, GIRLFRIEND!” *or boyfriend ;)*, because that flexibility is exactly why I first fell in love with Plan A.

3. If you could give one piece of advice to a new or established Plan A, what would it be?

KEEP INNOVATING! Is there something that could be done quicker, easier, or more reliably in your business? I always encourage our office team to look for ways to make their day-to-day tasks easier. The great thing about 2019 is we have resources like never before at our fingertips. In my offices, we’ve utilized apps, Gmail and web plugins, paperless functionality, and a cloud-based operating system to make all of the little things easy peasy so that our time and creativity can be channeled more efficiently.

4. What qualities do you believe a franchise owner needs to be successful?

HUSTLE! Long Term Care is busy, and even though our service can be a huge relief to a facility, it’s up to us to make choosing and using Plan A EASY for our partners. Amazing customer service, timely followup, being present in your community, having staff that ‘get it’…it’s all part of making your Plan A its best. Leo Messi once said “it took me 17 years, 114 days to become an overnight success”, and while it hasn’t taken quite that long for my two and a half-year-old businesses, there were many days of hard work and momentum building that got us to where we are today, and many more ahead of us. This is all part of the journey and is something a future owner should plan to embrace enthusiastically!

Interested in bringing Plan A to your community? Email us today for more information! opportunity@jointheateam.com