Caring partnership: the story behind Supreme Home Care is a unique one. Jacky and Sue met when Jacky sold Sue her residential care home in Shropshire. A year later, they met again and decided to set up in business together.(Franchise Focus)

INVESTMENT LEVEL: [pounds sterling] 24,750

"We were going to work three days a week each and job share," Sue recalls. "Once we started working together we realised that we were both workaholics and a six day week is the norm for both of us!"

Jacky says: "I have always been a caring person. I started my career by training as an enrolled nurse. My husband and weren't well off and when my children were small I worked nights at the local hospital looking after older people with mental health problems. My husband and I took a gamble and bought our first care home in 1995.1 remember thinking as I walked across the car park, what do we do if I can't make a success of this? …