Iowa City native becomes youngest Right at Home franchisee

Zach Peterson wasn’t always on the path to entrepreneurship and in-home care. Going into college, the Iowa City native wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and pursue dentistry.

“When COVID hit, I kind of changed gears a little bit, just because I saw how everything changed so abruptly, especially with (dad’s) career and all that,” he said.

His journey eventually led him to Right at Home, a global senior home care franchise corporation that offers companion, personal, nursing and specialty care. At 23 years old, he is the youngest franchisee in the company’s history.

He may be young, but he is no stranger to in-home care. While he attended high school, his Aunt Kate, who battled cancer, stayed with his family for care and support during her treatment. The experience had a lasting impact on Mr. Peterson.

“I saw firsthand the benefits of having someone there to help out (with) daily tasks and whatever they need to do to get back to full strength,” he said.

His decision to pursue in-home care as a career was underscored when his mother suffered a stroke on Easter in 2024.

Emphasizing that his family was “lucky” for having a support network to help with her care, he acknowledged that many individuals don’t have access to caregivers. “(For) a lot of families, on average, their closest relatives are 270 miles away, so they’re not really able to get direct support from family members, and that’s why they need assistance,” he said, explaining the importance of companies that offer in-home care.

It wasn’t until his junior year at the University of Iowa that Mr. Peterson changed his major to entrepreneurship management. By then, his dad had begun opening Scooters, Wingstops, Billy Sims and Jersey Mike’s franchises across Iowa, Illinois and Missouri. Having worked at some of his dad’s businesses, the idea to open his own franchise became appealing.

“(I) just loved the engagement you can get from seeing firsthand your decisions” and the benefits that arise from the franchising field, he said. “I always found that super, super interesting, and that’s kind of what pursued me to go down the entrepreneurial path.”

Right at Home was not on his radar until he got wind that Jen Chaney, former VP of franchise development at Scooter’s and one of his family’s associates, made the switch to the company. Mr. Peterson’s dad encouraged him to research possibilities at the company.

“He’s like, ‘You should look at Right at Home and see if it’s an opportunity that we can get involved in,’” Mr. Peterson said. “I’ve always wanted to create a positive impact in anything I have done. And so this was just another opportunity for that.”

To open a Right at Home, franchisees must have at least $150,000 in liquid assets in addition to the estimated initial investment of $88,700 to $160,725, per the company’s website — a substantial amount for anyone, especially right after college.

But Mr. Peterson was prepared. Writing a 30-page business plan and proposal, he presented his idea to his family, who expressed support. Using his own savings, contributions from family, and support from his father’s investment group, he successfully raised the funds needed to secure a franchise agreement.

“As soon as I met him, it was clear to me that he did his research, and he knew so much about franchising, about senior care, (and) that just really impressed me,” said Ms. Chaney, Right at Home’s VP for franchise development. “And just seeing how motivated he is, how prepared he was, (I was) very excited for him to join the system. I was thrilled when he was ultimately approved, and now that he’s open for business, even more excited.”

According to Ms. Chaney, becoming a Right at Home franchisee requires a deep passion for people and a commitment to community involvement. The role is centered on providing sensitive, high-quality care to seniors and adults with disabilities, while also fostering a supportive environment for caregivers, who are essential to the business’ success.

“You have to have a caring personality, not only caring for people that are going to be receiving Right at Home services, but you’re going to be employing a lot of caregivers who are the heartbeat of your business. You need to care for those caregivers just as much as you care for the clients they provide services for,” she said.

For the company, the age of the franchise owner doesn’t matter.

“We really don’t look at that when we’re assessing franchise ownership,” Ms. Chaney said. Instead, the company focuses on skill set, business acumen and the person “as a whole.”

Right at Home franchisees embark on a comprehensive training process immediately after signing their franchise agreement. Initial training includes self-paced online courses via the Right at Home University platform, paired with guided support from an onboarding manager. The program progresses week by week, covering key milestones to prepare franchisees for business ownership.

The training culminates in a week-long, in-person session at the company’s Omaha, Nebraska headquarters, known as “Residence Week,” which typically occurs one to two weeks before the business officially opens. While Right at Home aims for franchisees to open within six months of signing their agreement, timelines may extend in states requiring licensure for health care services.

Mr. Peterson looks forward to bringing Right at Home’s strong infrastructure, resources, support systems and emphasis on compassionate care to the community. It’s a service more needed than ever, as the Baby Boomer generation ages, he said.

“If (you need) any assistance or moving around the house in terms of meal prep, a little housekeeping, transportation, med management, or anything like that, those are really [what] we’re focused on,” he said.

With longstanding ties to the Iowa City community and a well-established network within the health care sector, Mr. Peterson’s decision to bring Right at Home to his hometown was a natural fit. Leveraging his local insights and connections, he began the ownership process in February 2024, successfully launching the business by September.

“Obviously, we want to focus on this area, but we’d also like to focus on the greater parts of Iowa as well,” Mr. Peterson said of his vision for Right at Home. “I just love the community … being a part of it, and just wanted to give back to the community in a positive way.”