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My successes.

I hired 3 people full-time once we figured out which tasks would be their responsibility.  This has enabled us to hire more therapists, staff more cases, and grow the business.

What do you do?

We provide in-home physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy.  We have private cases, and worker's comp cases, and we subcontract for Home Health Agencies.  We have a reputation for answering all inquiries quickly and coming up with creative solutions.  We know our staff well and we will go above in beyond due to the compassion of my staff.

What inspired you to start your business?

I owned an in-home caregiving agency previously.  Through that work, I realized that the people who were more active were doing better, more than just physically.  Providing in-home physical therapy was a natural complement to what I was already doing and something I already believed in and advocated for.  I ran the two companies side by side for 5 years.

I engaged with Jerry, my SCORE mentor, to restructure my company to accomplish the following:

1. Distribute the work to reduce my workload.
2. Enable me to unplug at times
3. Remove the appropriate tasks from my staff and send them offshore.
4. Load my Operations Manager with a full-time job with significant responsibilities.

What's special about your business?

We fill in the gaps where insurance is not able to.  Our private families are incredibly happy that they have the option to continue to progress and avoid any regression.

What influenced you to seek help from SCORE?

I had met Jerry previously, and the San Mateo Chamber of Commerce encouraged us to take advantage of this program.

How SCORE helped.

Jerry came to my office multiple times and we worked through all of the tasks associated with the company and helped me figure out who this task belonged to in the long run, and in subsequent meetings, we came up with a "project plan" with priorities and timelines.

What's great about my mentor?

Jerry obviously has a lot of knowledge about businesses and what it takes to come up with a plan that can succeed.  He often understood my concerns without me having to fully explain them due to his experience. That was really great to validate that I was thinking things through the right way.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of starting a small business?

Understand that there will be an investment of money and time until the business is profitable.  You should have an idea of what this will be.  
Most business owners work long hours for a good amount of time - understand that this is a time commitment.
It's not easy to be a business owner with a successful company.

What would you tell a fellow business owner about SCORE?

SCORE offers experienced mentors who can help you think through whatever your current challenges are with your business.  Give them a try - you won't regret it.

My mentors

Gerald J Wroblewski

I can guide you to business success, if you are a startup or established business. I specialize in...

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