Tuesday Talk: Coaching Support with Jon Crowe
Watch the full interview on our YouTube channel.
At Right at Home, franchise owners never have to navigate business ownership alone. From initial training and onboarding to long-term growth planning, business performance coaches provide ongoing guidance, accountability, and access to resources that help owners build stronger businesses.
In a recent Tuesday Talk, Brady Schwab sat down with Business Performance Coach Jon Crowe to discuss the role of coaching in franchise ownership, common challenges new owners face, and the strategies that help franchisees grow year after year.
From Franchisee to Business Coach
Before joining Right at Home, Jon Crowe was a multi-unit franchise owner, operating four locations across Nebraska and South Dakota. Today, he coaches approximately 45 Right at Home franchise owners across the country, helping them identify opportunities, navigate challenges, and stay focused on long-term goals.
His firsthand experience as a franchisee gives him a unique perspective on the realities of business ownership and the value of having a trusted advisor along the way.
What Does a Business Performance Coach Do?
Many prospective franchisees wonder what happens after the initial training ends. According to Jon, that’s where the coaching relationship begins.
A business performance coach works one-on-one with franchise owners on an ongoing basis, helping them step back from the day-to-day demands of operating the business and focus on growth, strategy, and performance.
“My role is to help owners look at the business as a business,” Jon said. “We identify opportunities, address risks, set goals, and create accountability around achieving those goals.”
Coaches help owners analyze financial performance, review operational metrics, evaluate staffing and recruiting efforts, and prioritize the initiative with the greatest impact. They also serve as a connector to Right at Home’s extensive network of subject matter experts and support resources.
Coaching is a Partnership
One of the biggest misconceptions Jon encounters is that coaching exists to monitor performance or tell owners what they are doing wrong.
“That’s not the role at all,” he said.
Instead, business performance coaches act as another set of experienced eyes on the business. They ask questions, offer different perspectives, and help owners think through challenges they may not have considered.
Because coaches work with franchisees at every stage of the ownership journey, they can often share insights and best practices gathered from across the network.
“It’s one of the biggest advantages of being part of a franchise system,” Brady said. “You gain access not only to proven processes, but also to the collective experience of successful owners throughout the network.”
How Coaching Evolves Throughout the Ownership Journey
While the fundamentals of coaching remain the same, the nature of the conversation changes as businesses grow.
For new owners, coaching often focuses on foundational activities such as:
- Building referral relationships
- Recruiting and retaining caregivers
- Establishing operational routines
- Learning key business metrics
- Developing local community presence
For more established owners, discussions tend to become increasingly strategic. Topics may include:
- Long-term growth planning
- Succession planning
- Exit strategies and business valuation
- Leadership development
- Organizational structure
Even experienced franchisees sometimes need reminders to return to the fundamentals that helped them build success in the first place.
The Metrics That Matter
As a coach, Jon believes strong decisions begin with strong data. While every business situation is unique, he typically starts with a handful of foundational metrics:
- Revenue Growth
- Hours of care delivered
- Caregiver growth and retention
- Client growth and retention
These indicators can help identify whether the business is moving in the right direction. Once trends are identified, coaches can drill deeper to uncover root causes.
“If revenue is declining, why?” Jon said. “Is it a client acquisition issue? A caregiver shortage? The goal is to keep asking questions until you identify what’s driving the outcome.”
This approach helps owners focus on solving the right problems rather than treating the symptoms.
The Importance of Being Coachable
According to Jon, owners receive the greatest value from coaching when they engage openly and honestly.
Many franchisees initially hesitate to share challenges because they don’t want to appear unsuccessful. However, early communication often prevents small problems from becoming major obstacles.
“If something isn’t working, bring it up early,” Jon said. “That’s exactly what we’re here for.”
He encourages owners to view coaching as a judgment-free partnership designed to help them solve problems faster and make better decisions.
Being coachable doesn’t mean accepting every recommendation without question. Instead, it means remaining open to new ideas, asking thoughtful questions, and considering alternative perspectives.
Coaching in Action
Jon shared the story of a tenured franchise owner who was experiencing declining revenue.
After reviewing the business, he determined that client satisfaction and retention weren’t the issue. Instead, the challenge centered around sales and marketing processes.
Working together, they identified an opportunity to better utilize Right at Home’s marketing resources and best practices. The owner embraced the recommendation and implemented a more structured marketing strategy.
The results were immediate. Revenue stabilized, lead generation more than doubled, and the business gained greater visibility into where prospects were dropping out of the sales process.
With the problem clearly identified, the owner was able to leverage additional resources, including RightConnect, Right at Home’s new AI-powered role-play tool, to improve lead conversion.
This experience reinforced a key lesson: growth often begins with a willingness to embrace proven systems and remain open to coaching.
Advice for Current and Future Franchisees
Reflecting on personal experience, Jon shared a lesson he wishes he had embraced sooner:
“During the good times, keep pushing.”
Strong performance can sometimes conceal areas of the business that need attention. Owners who continue to refine processes, strengthen operations, and plan are better positioned for sustainable growth and long-term value creation.
“Stay focused on the little improvements,” he said. “Those are the things that create lasting progress and build a business that’s valuable for years to come.
Why Right at Home?
At Right at Home, franchisees gain more than a business opportunity. They gain a long-term support system committed to their success.
Through dedicated business performance coaching, strategic planning tools, data-driven insights, innovative technology, and a network of experienced professionals, franchise owners receive guidance at every stage of their journey.
As Brady concluded during the conversation, coaching is ultimately about helping owners build stronger businesses, achieve their goals, and create lasting impact in their communities. And at Right at Home, that support doesn’t end after training. It grows alongside the business.
