What Franchise Issue 21.1

12 WHAT FRANCHISE Issue 21.1 mrit Dhaliwal is the CEO and founder ofWalfinch. Voted number two on the Social CareTop 30 list, as well as named ‘CEOOne toWatch,’ he has earned a strong reputation as an industry innovator.Walfinch gained recognition on the 2024 UK Fast Growth Index, placing it among the top 350 businesses out of 5.6 million nationwide and was also awarded Emerging Franchise of theYear in the Elite FranchiseTop 100. Amrit is the only former home care franchisee to become a home care franchisor in the UK. He is also an official Business Ambassador of the Royal Osteoporosis Society, using his influence at the forefront of the Home Care Revolution to transform the industry. PANIC IS CONTAGIOUS Every business faces tough times. A key client pulls out. Costs spiral. A crisis hits, and suddenly, everything feels uncertain. Especially within the care industry, crises don’t only put businesses at risk – they put people’s lives at risk. But it’s not the crisis that defines your success – it’s how you handle it. Your team looks to you. If you panic, they panic. If you stay steady, they stay steady. Take a breath, assess the situation, and focus on solutions. Don’t rock the boat with your own emotions – step up, be the captain, and help your crew sail out of the storm. ACT FAST BUT DON’T RUSH Indecision kills momentum. Gather key facts, develop a plan, and act. The longer you wait, the harder it gets. Waiting too long can lead to feelings of abandonment within your team – that you’re leaving it to them to clear up the mess. By the same token, rushing to a solution without even knowing whether it will work can be a detrimental waste of time and resources. If you’re going to solve a problem, commit to solving it. Cutting corners doesn’t do anyone any favours. You wouldn’t put a plaster over a gunshot wound and call it a day, would you? A CUT THE NOISE AND FOCUS It may, at some points, feel like the world is ending. Spoiler: it isn’t. Once you cut through the noise, you can focus on what truly needs your attention. Remember, not everything is urgent. Prioritise the biggest threats and tackle them first. Ask yourself, what’s the one thing that will make the biggest impact right now? What can I delegate to my team to keep the ball rolling? Then do it . RIGID PLANS BREAK Some leaders plan, plan, and plan – producing a highly detailed operational process which (assuming nothing ever veers off- course) will help them to thrive. But the truth is, rigid plans break – and, in business, nothing every goes as planned. The best thing you can do is develop your adaptability. If your plan doesn’t work, pivot. The best businesses thrive by evolving, not just stubbornly sticking to Plan A. I’m a big believer in ‘prolific, not perfect’. CRISIS CREATES OPPORTUNITY Don’t forget: tough times don’t always kill great ideas, they create them. Airbnb was born during the 2008 recession. Netflix exploded when others were shrinking. Uber turned a global downturn into global dominance. Crisis exposes gaps. It shifts habits. It forces innovation. That’s your window. While others freeze or panic, you move. You ask: Where’s the unmet need? What’s the smarter way? How can I lead my business to that? Don’t just survive the storm – ride it. Pivot, innovate, and build something stronger. Because in every crisis lies the seed of your biggest growth. The Walking CEO sets out how dynamic leaders act in a crisis Amrit Dhaliwal SIX IDE AS. “The best businesses thrive by being evolving, not stubbonly sticking to Plan A. I’m a big believer in ‘prolific, not perfect’”