Suomen Avustajapalvelut offers personal assistance services to individuals with chronic illnesses, disabilities, and impairments. The company’s goal is to enhance the quality of life for those in need by providing services based on equality, respect, and personalized care. Founded in 2017, the company’s core service is flexible personal assistance tailored to the needs of the client. The mission of Avustajapalvelut is to ensure that clients can live according to their own preferences, whether it involves daily routines, social interactions, or hobbies.
The support provided by Suomen Avustajapalvelut is non-medical, meaning that operations requiring specific training are not offered. The service is about long-term support for daily activities, helping thousands of people lead more independent and fulfilling lives. The company’s commitment to accessibility is evident in its extensive network of assistants. Operating throughout Finland, the employment of over 3,000 assistants ensures accessibility for a broad clientele, including those in remote areas.
A client-centered service model at the core
For Suomen Avustajapalvelut, being client-centric is key. The company emphasizes understanding each client’s needs and preferences, enabling services that not only support daily life but also enrich it. The company’s promise to its clients is that they get to decide who serves as their personal assistant, what assistance services they receive, and when and where the assistance takes place.
“The fundamental principle is that the assistant remains the same: a familiar person who gets to know the client, and vice versa. A good client-assistant relationship ensures the quality of the service and thus also client satisfaction,” emphasizes the company’s founder and current CFO, Taneli Tenhovuori.
If they wish, clients can interview personal assistants operating in their area before committing to the service. This approach gives the power to the individual, helping them maintain a sense of independence and control over their own life. The comprehensive, client-centered approach and commitment to quality makes the company a leader in its field. Quality is at the heart of everything Suomen Avustajapalvelut does. The company is dedicated to continuous improvement, ensuring that its services not only meet but exceed client expectations. This commitment is evident in the careful training of staff, the meticulous matching of assistants and clients, and the ongoing support offered to both clients and employees.
Suomen Avustajapalvelut has established itself as a reliable partner, not only for individuals but also for wellbeing services counties: the company has won contracts in regions such as Pirkanmaa, Uusimaa, and South and North Ostrobothnia. These contracts guide clients: a large portion of new clients are directed to the contract winner, creating a more stable client flow. The free service voucher available to clients allows them to choose the best and most preferred service provider for themselves, and often that is Suomen Avustajapalvelut.
An attractive work environment reflects in skilled staff
The operations of Suomen Avustajapalvelut are socially impactful, also from the perspective of employees. The company employs people particularly at the beginning and end of their careers: those seeking their first job, part-time students, as well as healthcare workers and doctors approaching retirement who desire a calmer work environment and more focused tasks at the end of their careers. The company offers many young people their first permanent job and enables longer careers for healthcare professionals nearing the end of their working lives.
Although training or experience in healthcare field is not required, the work attracts many individuals with a nursing background. The work offered by Avustajapalvelut is calmer and of higher quality than traditional healthcare environments, with more humane conditions; laws and agreements are adhered to, communication between the employee and immediate supervisor is straightforward, and the company offers necessary training and many industry-unique employee benefits.
Ensuring the well-being of employees is also central to the company. Satisfaction has been measured in many ways, and Suomen Avustajapalvelut is clearly an attractive workplace; for example, on the job platform Duunitori, Avustajapalvelut is one of the top-performing companies, receiving several hundred applications per week.
Seeking partnership for courage to grow
Venture capital and private equity firm CapMan Growth joined the company’s journey in 2021. Until then, Suomen Avustajapalvelut’s growth had been rapid and steady, but reaching impressive growth figures required mentoring and expertise in forming governance and organizational structures.
“When looking for an investor, we mainly sought to gain more courage and insight to make smart decisions. As an entrepreneur, thoughts can easily drift towards the fear of loss along the way. With the investor, we gained more experience and support, bringing back the desire to win,” recalled CEO Jerry Pasanen.
Capman Growth appreciated the entrepreneurs’ work in building the company and saw the same opportunities for developing the personal assistance market. The company had the right values, skilled entrepreneurs, and a significant market shift, with the employer model giving way to more client-friendly service voucher and procurement models. Combined with the fact that the first major tender in municipalities had been won, the investor was ready to join. With the investor’s help, Avustajapalvelut had the opportunity to grow faster organically and gained the courage for its first acquisitions, the first of which was completed in 2022.
The minority investor also brought structure and a model for board work. Nowadays, however, the collaboration is quite routine: communication happens not only through official meetings but also via low-threshold phone calls. The trust between the investor and the entrepreneur works both ways.
Responsibility demonstrated through compassion and purposeful actions
The company’s mission is to advocate for its clients’ interests also on a societal and governmental level, particularly by promoting the rights of people with disabilities. For example, the company has collaborated with disability organizations to respond to welfare measures that could have negatively impacted clients’ self-determination and well-being.
“As a company, our right to exist comes from improving our clients’ lives. What purpose would we serve if our actions didn’t have a positive impact on people’s daily lives?” says Tenhovuori.
From the investor’s perspective, responsibility is also a significant value: “In some cases, the responsibility angle can feel superficial, but at Avustajapalvelut, it’s at the very core of what they do,” comments Nikke Mikkonen from CapMan Growth.
Finally, Pasanen and Tenhovuori summarize the company’s values in one sentence: Do the work as well as you would for your own mother.
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The article is part of the Finnish Venture Capital Association’s and PwC’s Building Growth Competition 2024 blog series, where we present the stories of the competition finalists. You can find more information about the competition on our website! The competition’s winner will be awarded at the Finnish Venture Capital Association’s main event of the year: the Finnish PE-VC Summit on 3.10.
