Life & Motivation
Born in India as the youngest of four, I had a fairly traditional and modest upbringing. This isn’t a rags-to-riches story—we had everything we needed growing up, thanks to my parents.
In 1992, my father made a bold move. He relocated us from India to the UK after being sponsored to work as a Giani (priest) at the local Gurdwara (a place of worship and learning for Sikhs). Like many other Indian immigrants, he saw the UK as a place where we could build a better future.
Growing up, I definitely tested my parents. I never really enjoyed traditional education and was that kid who got letters sent home about absences and missing homework. Somehow, I scraped my way through school and university—just being very average.
The Spark for Business
University changed things for me. It was there that my passion for business first ignited.
One day, I picked up a book by Gurbaksh Chahal, an Indian immigrant to the US who built and sold his tech companies for millions. His story fascinated me. Around the same time, I started meeting people whose families had built wealth through business. Seeing their success planted a question in my mind:
How can I build something that allows me to take care of my family and make sure my parents are looked after as they get older?
So, when I struggled to land a graduate job, I thought, Let me try this entrepreneurial route. I started a website and networking business aimed at connecting grads who wanted to break into business.
The young, naive, excited me thought I would be making millions soon. That definitely didn’t happen. I mean, it was a fun experience—I learned a great deal and got to meet lots of inspiring individuals. But I felt the pressure of needing to contribute financially within the family home, so I decided to take the traditional route and stepped into a career in accounting and finance (ironically, the same thing I studied at university).
For a while, I went through the motions, moving between jobs in large organizations. But no matter how stable my career looked on paper, the business bug never left me. Every single day, I kept asking myself:
What business can I start?
My Journey into Business: Taking the Leap into Home Care
By 2017, I had reached my limit. The frustration had been building for years, but one particular moment was the final push.
One day at work, I sat down with my manager to discuss a potential pay rise. After years of hard work, I felt I had earned it. But instead of recognition, I was told—in no uncertain terms—that I wasn’t worthy of one.
That was it. I was pissed off. And in that moment, I knew I had to find a way out.
I had been thinking about starting a business for a while, but now it wasn’t just a dream—it was a necessity. The problem was, I still didn’t know what I wanted to do.
That’s when a casual conversation turned into a game-changer.
My sister’s friend mentioned that she had a home care business and that it was doing well. I knew what a care home was, but home care? That was new to me. So, I started digging into the industry, researching key players and opportunities.
That’s when I discovered that the home care industry was largely dominated by franchisors—companies that offer a ready-made business model to aspiring entrepreneurs. One of the biggest names was Caremark Ltd, a UK-wide franchise network providing home care services.
The franchise model appealed to me because it provided a blueprint for success, significantly reducing the risks of starting from scratch. And as luck would have it, Caremark had franchise opportunities available in my hometown.
After a brief chat with the (now) CEO, David, I set up a meeting.
Taking the Leap
At that point, I was desperate for change. I wanted more control over my life, my income, and my future.
After meeting David and the then-CEO Kevin (RIP), I felt like the business had real potential. But before jumping in, I had to be sure.
I analyzed my local market, studied population statistics, and calculated that even if I captured just a small portion of potential clients, I could run a profitable business.
I also looked at other business owners in my area—many of whom didn’t have the education or corporate experience I had—and thought,
If they can do it, why can’t I?
That was literally my thought process. Failure was not an option.
To be fair, I wasn’t starting from scratch. My background in finance and marketing gave me some solid footing. More than anything, though, I just wanted something of my own—something that mattered.
Caremark made good business sense and, more importantly, gave me the opportunity to provide high-quality care to people in my community. Looking back, we now know how tough it is to find a reliable care provider.
The First Steps
With my decision made, the real work began.
The next nine months were a whirlwind. Whilst working a full-time job, I had to:
✅ Secure financing
✅ Recruit a care manager
✅ Find and furnish an office
✅ Learn everything I could about the industry
I visited other Caremark offices, built relationships with decision-makers who could refer clients to us, and absorbed every bit of knowledge I could.
Then came the biggest moment of all:
I quit my full-time job.
There was no turning back now. It was full steam ahead—networking, recruiting, training, finding clients, and even creating content for our social media channels to build our brand.
Year One: The Reality of Business Ownership
We broke even in our first year—a huge milestone. After that, things started to pick up. More clients came in, and we built a steady pipeline of carers joining the business.
It wasn’t easy, but it also wasn’t the horror story that so many business owners talk about. Looking back, I truly believe in fate, timing, and sheer luck. (That’s my spiritual side talking.)
Here are 6 things i learnt in my first year as a home care business owner.
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