Free · Phase 1
Decide & Plan
- Choose your service type — companion/homemaker, home health aide, or skilled care. This decides your license, cost, and speed. Most first-timers should start non-medical.
- Pick one county you know well. Expand after launch.
- Write a one-page plan — who you serve, what you charge, who refers to you.
- Set your budget before spending: registration + license + insurance + 3 months of operating costs.
Free · Phase 2
Make It Legal
- Register your LLC at sunbiz.org (Florida Division of Corporations).
- Get your EIN from the IRS — free, online, minutes. Do it after the LLC so names match.
- Open a business bank account — never mix personal and business money.
Free · Phase 3
Get Licensed
- Identify your AHCA license type — Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration regulates home care; requirements differ by service type.
- Prepare policies & procedures BEFORE applying — the omissions letter is where months are lost.
- Get insured — general & professional liability minimum; workers' comp per your staffing model.
Free · Phase 4
Build Your Team
- Job posts with clear pay, schedule, and a real contact person.
- Respond to applicants within 24 hours — speed wins good caregivers.
- Run required background screening.
- Onboard with a 7-day structure — most caregivers who quit do it in the first 90 days.
Free · Phase 5
Get Clients
- Set rates by research, not guessing.
- Build referral relationships — discharge planners, ALFs, senior centers, churches.
- Simple website + Google Business Profile so families find and trust you.
- Over-deliver on case one — one happy family talks to ten more.
Full Plan
AHCA Licensing Walkthrough
Choosing your exact license path, preparing the application, and the omissions-letter traps that cost new owners months.
Full Plan
Caregiver Hiring Templates
The job post template, screening questions, and interview questions — copy, paste, hire.
Full Plan
7-Day Onboarding Structure
Day-by-day onboarding that keeps caregivers past the 90-day cliff.
Full Plan
Cost Planning + First Clients Playbook
The complete budget walkthrough and how to land your first paying families.