Minimum Viable Care Package: Design a Launch Service Menu That Pays Payroll

This episode teaches new agency founders exactly how to design a Minimum Viable Care Package (MVCP) — the narrow set of services, shift minimums, and pay bands that let a newly licensed non-medical home care agency cover payroll and reach break-even within the first 60–90 days. Daniel, Claire, and Sophia work through the strategic trade-offs between broad service offerings and operational simplicity, the concrete regulatory constraints that matter (example: California’s Home Care Services Consumer Protection Act requirements for caregiver training and background checks), and the founder psychology that causes many agencies to over-extend at launch. We reference Scott McKenzie’s experience launching 531+ agencies and include specific numbers: sample $16–22/hour caregiver pay bands, 3–5 client minimum to cover a single supervisor, and a $3,500–$7,500 monthly payroll illustration for a one-location startup. Mid-episode and outro: a single CTA to download HCAB’s ‘MVP Service Menu & Payroll Calculator’ (delivered twice).