If you’ve ever dreamed of having a side gig providing in-home patient care, Amanda Truffen, a Registered Palliative Care Nurse at Carpenter Hospice, is already doing just that.
Truffen used to work full-time in her hospice job, but now she works part-time there and spends her other time working in her side gig, TruCare Foot Health.
Truffen took time from her busy schedule to answer our questions about her business. What follows is our interview, edited for length and clarity.
Why did you start your side gig providing foot care for patients in their homes? How did you go about it, and had you worked in foot care before you began your own business?
I love my job at the hospice in my home city, although I found that I needed a plan to supplement my income. Taking advice from my friend, who was a Chiropodist, I went back to school and became certified in Basic and Advanced foot care. This would allow me to provide foot care for diabetic and non-diabetic clients. I called my side gig business TruCare Foot Health.
To get started and build experience in foot care, I worked on my days off for my friend, the chiropodist, in her clinic. This was an amazing opportunity for me. She was there to teach and guide me.
Her suggestion for me was to venture out on my own and provide foot care in client homes.
Many people in the community can’t get to an appointment or don’t want to. Many seniors rely on family to get them to their appointments. If a foot care nurse could go to their home, that would be one less thing they would have to request from them.
How did you know there was a need in the community for your service?
While working at the clinic, I would hear clients mention that they wished someone would come to their homes. It would make things easier for them. My friend was right! There was a need in the community.
I finally decided I was ready, then started spreading the word that I would go to the clients’ homes to provide foot care. A few of my first clients were from the foot clinic.
Some clients were those who had been taking taxis, had vision problems, and had difficulty walking. I also got other clients from the volunteers at the hospice.
I have built up close to 100 clients I see every six weeks. They are all seniors except two middle-aged men who work in construction and have feet that need some TLC. These men can claim their benefits, although coverage is tricky. Clients need to check with their insurance companies. Every policy is different. They may get full coverage, partial, or no coverage at all.
Do you have previous entrepreneurial experience or have you learned on the go?
This is my first experience with my own business. I had no idea what I was doing.
My uncle has a marketing consultancy, and he helped me with my business cards, posters, website, and every other marketing need. I still get compliments on his great work.
What are your most significant rewards of having a side gig?
My business is growing quickly, and I’m glad I did it. I love it. I make my own hours and can take my four kids to appointments and activities.
I also love this new path because I enjoy people—especially seniors. I see the same clients over and over and build relationships with them. They fill me in on their lives and their families’ lives.
When I visit their homes, I feel that I am not just there for foot care. They look forward to having company and building a relationship. It’s more like an experience.
I most enjoy the stories of their lives; they love to reminisce. It’s often a special time with lots of laughs.
I would tell any nurse who enjoys people and makes them feel pampered to start their side gig.
Providing foot care in the comfort of their own home is the way to go. There is a huge need in the community, and once your name is out there, it will just snowball.
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