CANADA: Business Lets Seniors Get Help of 'Daughter'

LONDON, ONTARIO (London Free Press), November 22, 2005: Deborah Roberts has been helping people in London for a while -- through church and through various charity organizations. So it seemed only natural to her to start a business that involves helping people. "I wanted a job that's service-oriented," the lifelong London resident and mother of two grown daughters said. Deborah's first business venture, Dial-a-Daughter, will officially be up and running at the end of next week. It will begin as a one-woman operation, with Deborah offering, for a fee, her time and helping skills to seniors who want to remain independent in their homes but need a little help now and again getting tasks accomplished. "There seems to be quite a few seniors in London who don't have family around," she said. "I can come into their home and do anything that a good daughter would do." Deborah, 51, came up with the idea when her mother could not longer drive. She started helping her with things such as grocery shopping and getting to appointments and the seeds for her business were sewn. The name, she says, came out of a discussion with a friend who owns a business called Seniors in Transition. "We were talking about the nature of the business and I explained that I would be providing the same service a family member or a daughter would provide. . . . And, presto, the name just came to us." Deborah is in the midst of finalizing her marketing and promotional materials for the business, which she will operate out of her home. She already has some informal clients and is "hopeful and excited" about the possibility of her business taking off right away. "If I see that there's a great demand, after I get things going, then I would be willing to look at expansion," Deborah said, cautioning that she didn't want to count her chickens before they hatch. I pointed out to her the timing couldn't be better for an operation such as Dial-a-Daughter. A recent survey suggests 30 per cent of of adult Londoners -- perhaps 75,000 people -- may be caring for elderly relatives. And with more people living longer than ever before and wanting to maintain their independence as long as possible, the demand for Deborah's services could grow exponentially. Deborah is looking forward to marketing her business through advertising and visiting churches, service clubs, seniors centres and community centres. She's even come up with an idea that ties into the upcoming holiday season -- a "gift of time," a gift certificate of sorts that can be purchased on behalf of a senior. "It's sometimes very difficult to ask for help," she said. "This is a gentle way to introduce my services to a senior, so they can get to know me and find out if I'm right for them." By P. J. Harston pberton@lfpress.com