32. Blisscare Health

Revenue: $6.3 million
Growth : 114.3%
Founders : Igor Statkevitch, 39, Andrei Statkevitch, 32 and Skevi Statkevitch, 43
Head Office : Mount Waverley, VIC
Year founded : 2011
Employees: 65
Industry: Healthcare, fitness and medical
Website : www.blisscare.com.au

The founders of aged care health and wellbeing services operation Blisscare saw Australia’s “Silver tsunami” approaching and wanted to create a system to support people through it.

The country’s ageing population poses significant challenges for health care. Brothers Igor and Andrei Statkevitch, along with Igor’s wife Stevi Statkevitch, decided to do something to provide personal and efficient care to Australians, particularly in aged care and retirement home sectors.

After five years of growth, the team has learned several lessons about how to sell a complex vision – and how to choose staff wisely.

“During the rapid growth of the company in 2014 – 2015 our hiring process let through a few people into our company that either did not have the right skills or were not the right fit due to poor attitudes and characters,” says Igor Statkevitch, acknowledging that some choices took a lot of time to resolve.

One lesson to come out of that experience was to look beyond how a candidate presents on paper.

“Do not be impressed by someone’s CV, looks and skills, but be inspired by people’s hearts,” he says.

Ethics are vital in the healthcare space, and the Blisscare management team have also been faced with the challenge of making business decisions that are in line with the values of the company.

“We had to choose between financial gain or to do what is ethical and right,” Statkevitch says when speaking about a number of key decisions the team had to make last year.

“Organisations were driven by financial gain, cost cutting and pressure by their boards and were making requests from our team members that were questionable and unethical.”

These encounters led to two contracts being cancelled, but the co-founders and team members were encouraged by the power that comes from standing your ground on important issues.

The aging of the country’s population is a complex social issue and the Blisscare is constantly solving problems and responding to the requests of clients and team members that are rolling out services on the ground.

Mapping out the challenges is a constant task, and all staff are encouraged to contribute ideas. The business also has a graduate program for new physiotherapists, complete with six phases of professional development.

While the company keeps its cards close to the chest on its strategies for the future, Statkevitch says the next 12 months will see a “revolutionary” change to the Blisscare model.

But the team isn’t holding back when it comes to its desire to establish a position at the forefront of their sector.

“Our goal is to become a leading health management organisation in Australia,” says Statkevitch.