Inspired by her Scottish grandmother's determination to live at home, Lisa Williams says that she wants to give every senior the same opportunity.

That was the reason she started Unicare Home Health Care in Miramichi, NB, 10 years ago. The business has been so successful that Startup Canada this month named Williams its Entrepreneur of the Year.  In an interview, Williams said she was not expecting the award and cited her grandmother as one of the inspirations behind her success.

“At the age of 88, she still had an amazing quality of life and remained in that house she worked so hard to make a home,” Williams said. “This is why I created Unicare.”

Ten years ago, Williams had the vision for a business that could provide “exceptional and personal care to seniors” and “maintain their quality of life at home”. After years of growth, Unicare now employs over 200 trained personal care workers.

But it wasn't always easy for Williams or the Unicare brand.

“In the beginning, when I did not have a great network of people around me, I relied mainly on the advice of my parents, who are not business people,” she said.

Three New Brunswickers Winn National Startup Canada Awards 

Williams said that after reaching out for support from the Entrepreneur Leaders Program and Startup Canada, she feels as though she can conquer anything.

“When I began my business only 10 years ago, there were very few organizations available for networking and support,” she said.

Williams was accepted into the fifth year of the Wallace McCain Institute’s Entrepreneur Leaders Program and calls it “vital” for all entrepreneurs.

Her recommendation for any entrepreneur is to find the right networks and support groups to provide help along the journey.

Honoured and humbled after receiving the national prize in Ottawa on Oct. 18, she said it represents all the hard work that has gone into the business from not only herself but staff and caregivers as well. Williams said the award is an opportunity to put a spotlight on the home care industry across Canada. At the awards ceremony in Ottawa, she discussed the need for a national home care strategy that is standardized from coast to coast.

She hopes her award sends a message that the senior population is growing at a rapid pace and programs and training for caregivers should be required in every province. That way, she said higher standards may be adhered to in every home.

Unicare Home Health Care recently opened five new locations across the province, from Bathurst to Fredericton.

Williams has opened two new businesses:  Uniclean Solutions Inc., which offers residential and commercial cleaning; and Unum Health Inc., an IT company to make communication more efficient in the home support industry.

The plans for expansion don’t stop there. Unicare has developed its own training division for caregivers. Williams now plans to mentor entrepreneurs who need her expertise, and above all to ensure every person who needs home care service will have the same quality of care no matter where they live.

“There are no limits here,” she said. “This business will get as big as I can dream it. And it’s a big dream.”