We had the pleasure of sitting down with Michael Assimon, Director and Owner of Griswold Care Pairing for Central New York. He runs a caregiver registry focused on referring quality care to seniors in the area. We’ll share with you a bit about Michael’s success and best practices he’s learned along the way.
How did you get into the registry business?
Growing up, my father owned an auto dealership. After owning and managing it myself for 15 years, it was time to sell the business. After selling, I got the itch to own my own business again and looked into franchising. While searching, my goal was to manage people as well as to build and maintain relationships. Home care was among the top businesses I had looked into, and a few personal experiences reinforced the importance of finding a good caregiver. My father had a stroke and the last few years of his life were difficult for all of us. We had a hard time finding a good caregiver, even with an agency, and it took about 6 months to find a good fit.
I also have a son living with Down syndrome. Our family has learned in many ways to embrace caregivers and appreciate the work that goes into caring for others. In 2012, Griswold Care Pairing came to New York as a franchise. After looking into it, I further understood that it was founded for the right reasons, spearheaded by Jean Griswold. Jean was a doctor, and her husband was a pastor. One of their parishioners had died from dehydration because their caregiver was sick. She passed away from something that was very preventable. This set Griswold apart from other industry franchises, and that’s what led me to start the business as a caregiver registry.
How do you find and recruit the best caregivers?
Having worked in the auto business, as well as having my current business in the same town that I grew up in, I’ve developed relationships that have withstood the test of time. Most of our caregivers are referred by current caregivers, and they come with solid experience.
We have a stream of advertisements online, but our caregivers mostly come from referrals and word-of-mouth as an extension of our brand’s reputation. In comparison to home care agencies, we experience much lower turnover. Two-thirds of caregivers have been with us for four years or more.
“Two-thirds of caregivers have been with us for four years or more."
When you started out how did you ramp up marketing and get those first handful of clients?
Plain and simple, I used my experience as a business owner. For the first several years, I grew the business on my own. I was adamant about marketing with referral sources and building those relationships. Typically, I met with rehabs, doctor’s offices, hospitals, etc… Building relationships on a personal level was key to standing out in a saturated, hyper-competitive market.
One advantage I had over competitors is that I’ve been in the area my entire life. I grew up and went to college here. I’d estimate 80% of the time that with each new client we meet, there’s some connection I can make, whether from school, family, or work. Loyal clients and word of mouth have been key to growing the business
"I’d estimate 80% of the time that with each new client we meet, there’s some connection I can make, whether from school, family, or work.”
How do you see technology impacting the home care space?
(Erica Assimon, Michael’s daughter and Marketing and Care Coordinator, shares)
"I have my Mondays back now instead of going back and forth with issues from our previous platform”
I handle a lot of the day-to-day operations, and Ally has been paramount in saving us time and boosting efficiency. It’s safe to say I have my Mondays back now instead of going back and forth with issues from our previous platform.
The transition was smooth and thorough, helping us to truly understand the platform and how it applies to our caregiver registry. Giving us time back in our day to do what we do best has been invaluable, and we are always looking for innovative solutions to move our registry forward
