2012 Small Business Awards Rookie Nominee: Always Home

Always Home is a licensed real-estate brokerage; but the founder of the company, Brian McCarthy, doesn’t sell homes or lease properties — he provides home management to the community and second-home owners. As a key-holder to the property, Always Home visits properties weekly and inspects the home for everything from water leakage to pest issues. Always Home also contracts with personally recommended service providers, which have all been interviewed.

Location: Services from Anna Maria to Port Charlotte
Start date: January 2012
First job ever: I ran four newspaper routes because I wanted a motor scooter.

What is something you wish you knew when you got started in business?
Everything costs three-times more than you thought, and it always takes you 10 times longer.

Favorite way to spend a day off: Kayaking with my wife, Valerie.

Biggest challenge: I think telling our story and getting it out there … People aren’t aware of our service and that we are out here. Word-of-mouth seems to be working well for us, but it takes a while to develop that client base.

Typical day on the job: I spend my day working with service providers, working with home-care specialists, working with realtors (helping sellers get homes ready) and working with buyers to improve properties and maintain them after they make the purchase.

Business idol: I don’t have just one, but my service providers have built their businesses up over 40 years in this community and they have weathered the economic cycles and have maintained their customers with quality and integrity. I admire these men and women in this business community who have been able to sustain themselves through these turbulent times, such as Dehart Alarm Systems and Aqua Heating and Air.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
I would like to be known for fulfilling a need in the Sarasota market for second-home owners in management needs and to expand the concept into other second-home markets in Florida … (with the) ultimate goal to be successful in franchising this market outside of Florida with Sarasota as the headquarters.

Number of employees when started: Two

Number of employees today: Eight plus 23 service providers

Info: Call 404-1011, visit gotoalwayshome.com or follow Always Home on Facebook for more information.