Directors

2. Support Network: Build a support network to get contacts in the same industry as it can be lonely being an entrepreneur. It’s helpful to get advice.
3. Supplier: More suppliers and contacts find you directly to you to send products, some of which you may never have thought of as existing / as viable for the care sector. They may be cheaper than current suppliers which could save your business money
4. New Systems: Find new systems and ideas to implement for the business (some of which are ideas or best practice from other sectors which can then be used in your own sector/business).
5. Growth Opportunities: Getting growth opportunities from people seeing your profile online and reaching out to you directly. Alternatively virtually networking with people who you would not normally have the opportunity to meet.
6. Learning: Learning from all the available webinars /chats / resources / networking groups out there on ways to improve your business and solve problems together
7. Credibility: Improving your credibility amongst stakeholders as your information is all publicly available
8. Co-production: Having a voice at the table. Being able to be involved in the development process of products and services and help design them so they work as you need them to, not as someone external to the business thinks they can work because you know your business better than anyone.
9. Digitisation of the workplace: All industries moving to being more digital and we need to stay with the current trends to stay relevant with the times
10. Diversity: Being exposed to different perspectives and ideas that you would not normally have access to in your direct contacts, to reduce having echo chambers and increase representative views.
11. Lead by example – if you want to break taboos or stigmas, you also need to get involved so there’s actual (eventual) change
12. Future leaders – they may not be the final decision maker yet, but they will be one day and need to show proof of innovation, leadership, successful projects, building relationships outside of their organisation etc so they have the best chance possible of being that final decision maker in time.
13. Time: As we get busier and busier we can organise virtual meetings or use social media at our own time and pace around our own schedules to help keep building our own schedules.
14. Competitor Analysis: As our competitors use their own social media to showcase their work we can use this as a way to keep improving and seeing what more we can be doing so we do not fall behind the competition.

Home: Benefits for the business:

2. Increasing occupancy rates at the home due to constant flow of enquires from showing all the activities online and the positive work the home does. This in time could result in a higher increase in EBITDA
3. Marketing: More proactive marketing for free (slight cost if they go down the route of Facebook ads etc) than just waiting for enquirers to call / partners in community to contact. Social media presence makes them aware of you before they need you, and then you’ll be at the front of their subconscious when they do actually need you
4. Positive staff morale: Staff seeing the positive comments from the families, community members and all that they do at home which in turn boosts morale which could increase retention and reduce retention and agency costs for the home
5. Changing perceptions : about what external care providers (care homes/ domiciliary care) is actually like and not the negativity that is in the press. This would have most impact for the home
6. Collaboration: between providers has increased since the pandemic – there may be projects/innovations/training etc you want to be part of yet can’t afford directly by yourself so, but by collaborating with other providers, you get to do actually implement those ideas. The collaboration can be local, national (if virtual), horizontally with competitors or vertically with suppliers etc.
7. LinkedIn and Recruitment = not front-line staff, but if you’re recruiting for CRMs/regionals/managers etc, they may be more willing to join you/apply for a role when they see the regular innovation/positives from your care home being posted up.
8. Feedback: Getting honest feedback from other stakeholders in the market about a new product/service you are interested in: that product’s website/social media presence will always favour the positive aspects and/or may not have any recent activity. But just as word of mouth referrals are some of the highest routes for conversion from an occupancy perspective where you are the provider, the same logic applies for when you are the customer and thinking of investing in new ideas, products etc.
9. Staff recruitment: It is easier to recruit for front line staff using your own online website, social media platform as staff should be able to see the enjoyment that happens in the home.
10. Staying connected: Residents showing their families and friends how well they are doing so that family members feel more assured.
11. Community Presence: More people in the community can see the wonderful work your home is doing.