Andrea Galabinski Original partners Randy Stuart and Wendy Murray recently celebrated the five-year anniversary of No Place Like Home Senior Care.

For over six months they literally burned the midnight oil, coming up with business and marketing plans late into the night, and then they survived their first few months of business right on the heels of Hurricane Charley.

Original partners Randy Stuart and Wendy Murray recently celebrated the five-year anniversary of No Place Like Home Senior Care and talked about the process of owning the local business through the last five years.

“Five years is a milestone for any small business,” said Murray.

She is known in the community as the force behind No Place Like Home and Senior Life Magazine. Stuart is known for his business – Affordable Cremations, A Dignified Alternative. And being known so well in the area isn’t by chance. Both said they focused their energy when starting their partnership five years ago in being visible in the community.

Both had worked for large companies, in Stuart’s case over 18 years and with Murray over 11.

“We wanted to control our own futures,” said Stuart of their partnership and decision to become business owners.

“It was an entrepreneurial spirit,” said Murray. “We both had been successful for the owners of our companies, and reporting to shareholders.”

Murray had been in newspapers her whole life; Stuart in funeral service since 1971, right out of college.

“It was Randy’s idea to open up what you would call a recession-proof business in Florida – taking care of seniors,” Murray said.

She said that thought came with the fact of Baby Boomers getting older as another reason to enter that market, along with the retirement population.

“No Place Like Home Senior Care is a homemaker companion agency,” said Murray. “It cares for seniors all over Lee County.”

The agency does no personal care, but provides such services as medication reminders, light housekeeping, meal preparation and more.

“We have over 65 wonderful caregivers on staff,” said Murray.

They grew to have three businesses under one corporate umbrella – No Place Like Home Senior Care, Affordable Cremations and Senior Life Magazine.

In October, the magazine will celebrate its fifth anniversary, a successful Lee County publication that is now expanding to Collier County.

Murray and Stuart have since diversified and are no longer formal partners.

“In 2006, all three businesses reached a level of success and we had to make a decision. We were each being pulled in different directions. I took the Affordable Cremations and she took the No Place Like Home Senior Care and the magazine and supported each other through those times,” said Stuart.

“We’re still close friends, share an office and are each other’s staunchest cheerleaders,” Murray said.

They chose North Fort Myers after researching the area, finding it central to Lee County.

“We looked at many areas and found this central, and the opportunity for success in North Fort Myers was at its peak,” Stuart said.

“I love North Fort Myers,” said Murray. “I live here and am a past president of the chamber of commerce.”

They both recall a rocky beginning to their venture.

“Four days after we opened our business there came Hurricane Charley,” said Stuart. “So we spent the first couple of months in our new business venture trying to recover from the hurricane. No business, no marketing.”

“No electric, no phones,” added Murray. “It was quite an adventure.”

One of the first things they did was get involved with the community. They made their business a drop-off site for supplies for the elderly. They got publicity from that, which helped launch the business. Over the next few years it was a lot of time and a lot of effort making sure they were recognized in the local community. They went to every club and organization they could think of to get their name out there.

At the same time, they decided to make sure excellent service was given to their clients, they said.

In 2008, Stuart purchased Horizon Funeral Home on Colonial Boulevard to expand services, including full service funerals.

For Murray, she has expanded her Senior Life publication to include Collier County.

“My first issue comes out Nov. 1 there,” she said.

Stuart now owns the Stuart Group, and Murray Media is Murray’s group – two separate corporations.

She sits on the board of Community Papers of Florida, and said she’s proud of her own publication’s success with awards.

“Last year we won five awards including Best Editorial,” she said.

The stresses of the local economy have not missed their businesses.

“The economy that has impacted the area has impacted us as well,” said Stuart. “Because we are owner-operated, we have more flexibility, so we can work with clients more closely than larger corporations.”

Murray is a “Miamian” and Stuart is from a small town in Kentucky.

“The only day we don’t talk is when Florida plays Kentucky,” said Murray.