Joel Chaffins, President, Owner / Operator, No Place Like HomeCare, LLC
"40 Under 40"
With a slight country drawl and red guitar strapped over his shoulder, Joel Chaffins makes his way around town, visiting each of his “75 grandparents.”
Chaffins owns No Place Like Home Care, a private company that connects nurses and caregivers to adult seniors who prefer to stay at home rather than move to a facility. The company services clients in Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough counties.
“We’re not just a referral or scheduling company,” Chaffins insists. He keeps close tabs on his 100-plus providers, popping in for visits every other week. He also personally answers calls from out-of-state adult children who want to check-in to see if “mom and dad are doing OK,” Chaffins says.
Within four years of opening, No Place Like Home Care became a $1 million company. Chaffins says the firm is on its way to reaching $1.5 million this year, and the goal is to hit $2 million next year.
“The beauty of our business is there is very little overhead,” Chaffins says. “We charge the patients x, we pay our nurses y, it’s very straightforward.”
His clients range from senior adults who need someone to stop by a couple days a week for meals or doctor appointments, to those with more serious medical issues that require around-the-clock care.
Chaffins and his wife, Danielle, recognized the opportunity seven years ago, while working in medical sales for Johnson and Johnson. The couple now splits business duties, with Danielle running the books and Joel in charge of marketing and client assessments.
They enjoy keeping the small-business feel, even as No Place Like Home Care grows. They’ve brought their Boston Terrier, Bartleby, to work for the last seven years. Now the couple brings their 11-week old daughter Samantha Elle to the office.
Growing up in a family of contemporary Christian musicians, Chaffins claims music was his first love. Today, bringing his guitar to work is just a bonus.
Every Friday, he plays for long-term care patients at a nursing home. He also keeps his guitar in the car while on his client visits, always ready to play some tunes, upon request.
If Chaffins doesn’t get his fill for music during the week, he also performs as lead singer for the Bay Players Club, a 10-piece band in the area that plays weddings and large corporate events.
— Traci McMillan Beach
Back
City of residence: Redington Shores
Birthplace: Prestonsburg, Ky.
Twitter handle(s): @jchaffins (Personal) and @NPLHomeCare (Business)
Years on the Gulf Coast: 10
Marital status/children: Married to Danielle E. Chaffins with one daughter, Samantha Elle Chaffins (6 weeks old)
The most important business lesson I’ve learned: People generally want to do business with someone they like, trust and respect. Therefore you must treat every client or perspective customer with kindness, compassion, and a lasting impression that their needs are important.
One website that makes your job easier: Our own: www.NoPlaceLikeHomeCareLLC.com (We market aggressively and use SEO to help find new families in need.)
Two people, dead or alive, you’d like to have dinner with: Abraham Lincoln and Elvis Presley
Who would play you in a movie about your life: Justin Timberlake
Best award you ever received: Region Sales Representative of the Year – A Johnson & Johnson Medical Device and Pharmaceutical Company. Most “Fun”: Provider Idol Winner (Senior Business Providers competing in an American Idol-style competition).