Non-Medical home care agency

Mostly families paying privately for an older relative. Some clients use long-term care insurance, and some agencies later work with veterans' or state programs.

You bill clients an hourly rate for each caregiver hour and pay caregivers a lower hourly wage. The difference covers payroll costs, insurance, office costs and your profit. Steady weekly hours per client matter most.

• Organized and good at scheduling
• Warm, trustworthy communication with families
• Hiring and managing caregivers
• Basic sales and local networking

• State licensing rules vary a lot, and some states require a home care license even for non-medical care. Check yours before taking clients
• Caregivers are usually employees, not contractors. Check wage, overtime and payroll tax rules with an accountant or your state labor department
• Background checks, training and abuse reporting requirements. Check what your state requires
• Non-medical agencies generally can't give medical care. Check where the line sits in your state
• Cash flow: you pay caregivers weekly, often before clients pay you
• Protect client health information and follow any privacy rules that apply to you

Startup costs are typically around $8,000 to $40,000, depending on your setup and how quickly you take on clients. These are estimates. Plan for cash flow too, since you pay caregivers weekly, often before clients pay you.

State licensing rules vary a lot, and some states require a home care license even for non-medical care, so check yours before taking clients. Also check background check, training and abuse reporting requirements, and wage and payroll rules for caregivers.

Monthly revenue is typically around $5,000 to $25,000, depending on how many clients and caregiver hours you handle. These are estimates of revenue, not profit, and caregiver pay and other costs have to be covered from it.