Nigerian Woman Makes Caring Her Business

By Susan Kim, Managing Editor



Growing up in eastern Nigeria, Chizoba Ebinama was taught at an early age how to care for others. "I was always brought up caring for our elders. I cared for my own mom until she passed away," she said.

After graduating from high school in Nigeria, she came to the U.S. to attend college in New Orleans. Later, after moving to New Jersey and then to Maryland, she found herself on a career path that still involved caring for others, particularly seniors.

"I worked in the social services field for more than 10 years, with physically challenged people and with the elderly," she said.

Then she diverted on her professional path and purchased a United Parcel Service (UPS) store, which she owned for six years. Her husband, Jeff, recalls how, even then, his wife was caring for others.

"When she owned the UPS store, all these elderly people, they would come in and sit down, and she would talk to them and take care of them in whatever way she could, right there," said Jeff.



Caring as a Vocation

In 2009, Jeff, a franchise broker, was showing a ComForcare Home Care franchise to one of his clients.

ComForcare Senior Services is a provider of non-medical, private duty home care services for people of all ages. The company began franchising in 2001 and now has more than 100 locations nationwide.

Jeff's client simply didn't have the resources to purchase the franchise, but Jeff realized that his wife had not only the resources, but the passion that was needed.

"I told her that, even when she started a different business - the UPS store - she still ended up caring for other people."

Chizoba, who had been thinking of making a career change, decided to take the leap, and she opened the doors in January 2009 to her ComForcare franchise in Columbia.

She said that, though she is a franchise owner, she still considers herself an entrepreneur. "You still have to talk and relate to the people that you serve, and you still have to grow your own business," she said.

After one year, Chizoba's ComForcare serves about 30 people at any given time. Some are long-term clients, while others require temporary care that might last a week or a month. More than half her customers live in Howard County, while others live in Prince George's County and other areas within Maryland.

She receives customer referrals from local government entities such as the Howard County Department on Aging, as well as by word-of-mouth.

Ten caregivers, both full- and part-time, report directly to Chizoba. Every ComForcare caregiver is screened, bonded and insured through a standardized hiring process.

Married for 24 years, Chizoba is mother to five children - the youngest is 12 and the oldest is in college - so she tries hard to balance work and family.

"Now that the children are older, it's getting easier," she said.



Top-Ranking Franchise

ComForcare was ranked by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the top 500 franchises nationwide for 2008. Ranked 233rd overall, ComForcare was ranked sixth in the senior care category.

The company was founded by Mark Armstrong in Michigan in 1996, and Armstrong remains the CEO. "He's so down to earth," said Chizoba, who added that Armstrong himself carefully screens franchise owners to see if they are likely to be successful.

"He always emphasizes that we run a business, but that we are dealing with people's emotions," she said. "He has personally come down to lend his support to me."

Chizoba also works with other franchise owners to swap ideas and solutions related to the array of services that ComForcare provides.

Chizoba and her staff offer their clients a range of daily personal services, including bathing, meal preparation, medication reminders, transportation, companionship and light housekeeping. Service is available for as little as a few hours a week, or as many as 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Caregivers will also temporarily step in for family caregivers who need a break.

Services are provided primarily to seniors, but individuals with disabilities, accident victims, new mothers or those recovering from a recent illness or surgery can also benefit.



Growing Need

Chizoba said that, for her, being an entrepreneur means creating new ways to relate to each different client. "Sometimes you learn a lot from them," she said.

She and her caregivers have adopted a philosophy of caring that goes beyond just checking off a list of services.

"We want to make people feel like they're family," she said. "Most of these people have family, but their family lives very far away."

During the recent recession, business has still grown, she added. "So many people around here have aging parents who need care."

In Howard County alone, the population aged 60 or older is projected to grow by 208% by the year 2030, according to state population reports.

Census reports show that, in 25 years, there will be 60 million Americans between the ages of 66 and 84, many of them needing full- or part-time care.



'Brightness in Their Eyes'

Most entrepreneurs are familiar with a nonstop workweek. But for those in the in-home care industry, the job can involve even more around-the-clock hours.

If Chizoba's caregivers become ill, have a family emergency or have a vehicle problem, Chizoba fills in herself.

"I take the phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week," she said. "I can't let somebody down when they need care."

As busy as life can get, it's very rewarding, she concluded. "You need to see the brightness in people's eyes when somebody comes to see them."

While she tries to make her clients feel like family, Chizoba admitted that she misses her own home in Nigeria. "Nigeria will always be home to me," she said. "But here - here is home, too."