Apurva Sharma

Combining Physiotherapy Expertise with Homecare

When we last interviewed Apurva Sharma, Managing Director at Right at Home Reigate & Crawley, she had fledgling ambitions to further incorporate her physiotherapy experience into her business. Fast forward to now and she has made huge strides in this area, spearheading a new reablement and rehabilitation service that could, if successful, be rolled out across the whole Right at Home network.

The philosophy behind Apurva’s new service is that a rehabilitation support plan built on a foundation of high quality, consistent care naturally delivers stronger outcomes. As a Physiotherapist and a homecare business owner, she recognised this as a perfect opportunity to bring her two areas of expertise together.

And this new service isn’t the only example of Right at Home Reigate & Crawley’s recent growth. Apurva is also expanding her territory, taking on Clients in more districts in the West Sussex area. We caught up with Apurva to learn more about these exciting developments.

Reablement & Rehabilitation Service Pilot

Apurva’s background in physiotherapy helped set her up for success in the early days of her business, and working with older adults during her time at the NHS truly cemented in her mind the importance of quality care to aid recovery and prevent hospitalisation.

She commented, “It never ceased to amaze me just how important the Carers were in the lives of the people we were all helping and treating. They were crucial in fact, when it came to things like the Client’s mental wellbeing. The Carers aided in keeping them positive, encouraging them to care about their appearance and their homes, and giving them the confidence to be able to live at home with independence. It was a wonderful thing to observe and gave me a huge respect for the men and women in the roles – it really made a mark on me. That stayed.”

After setting up her own care business, Apurva realised that almost all of her Clients had the potential to improve their function, and their quality of life could be enhanced through rehabilitation alongside their usual care and support.

“I always wanted to integrate meaningful rehabilitation into our service, but it required time, stability and the right team. In the early years, my priority was to build a strong core team, establish robust operations and develop awareness within the local community. My clinical background significantly helped with training and supporting Carers, and I believe many families found reassurance in having a clinician lead a care service. Clinicians can make positive contributions to the sector, not only by improving the skills and knowledge of their teams but by driving meaningful improvements for vulnerable people in the community.”

“Over the summer, we tested the training framework and piloted the reablement and rehabilitation service with a small number of Clients. The outcomes have been very positive, and these Clients are now receiving structured, progressive rehabilitation support. Our next focus is to raise further awareness of the service’s benefits and broaden its reach across the local community.”

Steady Growth and Expansion

For many successful Right at Home franchisees, the next logical step to maximise growth and ROI is to expand their territory. Apurva started Right at Home Reigate & Crawley in December 2016, and since then she has created a sturdy business in this original territory, putting her in a strong position to expand further and cover more postcodes.

Apurva said: “We are very excited about expanding further into West Sussex. Horsham borders the southern part of our current territory, so after eight years, this felt like the natural next step. We hope to grow steadily and sustainably while maintaining and improving the quality of our service.”

The Right at Home model has sustainability at the heart, prioritising steady growth with a strong foundation to create a recession-proof business. This means any expansion should be strategic and any necessary groundwork laid in advance. Regarding Apurva’s new territories, she has been getting to know the community in these areas and researching the local needs that Right at Home Reigate and Crawley can meet in preparation for the expansion.

Light exercises for reablement in Reigate

Joining The Alternative Board and Right at Home’s Franchise Advisory Council

As her business has grown, Apurva has been proactive in collaborating with other Franchisees, joining both an Alternative Board and the Franchise Advisory Council.

She found both of these organisations to be a boon for advice and a place to share her own expertise and specific experiences. She commented:

“I decided to get involved in The Alternative Board because I’d heard from other franchisees who were members that they’d experienced tangible benefits through joining a local board. They told me that they could share best practices and have frank, open discussions about the realities of running a business. The businesses involved are from the South East as well, which makes their knowledge even more relevant and applicable to my own operations.”

“I was also attracted to the structure The Alternative Board provides — especially the focus on setting 90-day goals. I knew I needed something that would help me turn long-term ambitions into regular, achievable steps, and The Alternative Board is a great framework to keep me accountable and moving in the right direction.”

According to many of our Franchise Owners, having a network of fellow entrepreneurs who have already come up against the same pressures as you is an invaluable resource as a business owner. Apurva agrees:

“The journey can be rewarding but also demanding and sometimes quite lonely. I wanted a place where I could speak honestly about both the operational challenges and the personal side of being a business owner. The Alternative Board offers a confidential environment with others who understand the pressures and can challenge and support me.”

With nearly ten years in the business, Apurva has become one of the most established Franchise Owners in the Right at Home network. In 2025, she was invited to join the Franchise Advisory Council. She explained:

“Being invited to join the Franchise Advisory Council this year felt like a natural progression and a meaningful opportunity to contribute more widely. Collaborative thinking always leads to better, more balanced outcomes, and I hope to make a positive difference through this role. We have an incredible network of Franchise Owners, and I’ve learned a great deal from peer groups over the years. Adopting best practice from others has genuinely shaped how we operate.”

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The Advantages of Being a Franchisee

It was clear to Apurva that she wanted to join a franchise rather than set up on her own, because she believed it would give her the best possible chance of not letting down those she wanted to help.

“As I explored what would be required to get up and running and be successful, it seemed like having a clear path, a proven model and the ongoing support of an expert team at the National Office behind me was simply the obvious way to go.”

“Once my mind was made up to become a franchise owner, I got in touch with all of the companies out there, regularly asking questions. One company, I must say, just stood out above the others every time, and that was Right at Home. Everything just felt right, and the ethics and methods chimed perfectly with my own. I threw myself into the recruitment process and after presenting to Ken and Lucy it was thrilling to be invited to join. It really meant so much to me – I was very proud. And then it was straight to work!”

Like any business owner, Apurva has come up against some obstacles, but she overcame them with hard work, and support from the Right at Home network and National Office team. Now with a robust, established business, experience, and a strong team, Apurva says Right at Home Reigate & Crawley is well-positioned to navigate any challenges that come along.

“Like any business in the sector, we still face regular pressures, many of which are industry-wide. There is reassurance in knowing we are not alone, and the support of the franchisor and wider network helps us manage the more difficult periods. Growth, team development, and business scaling are good challenges to have, and they push us to improve continually.”