Lil Talkers Speech | Application Preview
Lil Talkers Speech is seeking government grant funding to establish a speech therapy business focused on serving infants, toddlers, and preschoolers in a community with limited options for such services. Currently, families often face long waiting lists or must travel significant distances to receive therapy. The funds will be used for essential startup costs, including rent, utilities, and necessary materials, ensuring that financial resources are dedicated solely to business growth rather than personal expenses.
The business plan involves starting part-time while maintaining a current job, with plans to expand services during breaks. The applicant has built a network of professionals for client referrals and aims to develop additional office spaces to accommodate future staff and clientele. Over the next five years, the goal is to create a fully staffed practice serving hundreds of children.
Funding is justified due to the high demand for speech therapy, particularly in the area, where existing options lead to inconvenient travel for families. With 20 years of experience and a strong work ethic, the applicant is committed to providing specialized therapy for young children, addressing a critical need for early intervention. This approach not only supports the children's developmental needs but also aims to reduce the long-term demand for resources in school systems. The competitive edge lies in a focused service offering that prioritizes young children, differentiating it from existing providers who cater to a broader age range and have lengthy waiting lists.
-
General Information
Business Registration Number: NPI 1730128133
Location: Hermiston, OR, United States
Length of Operation: 0--new business. I
Number of Employees:
Annual Gross Income:
Annual Gross Expense:
Open to Loans: YES
-
Funding Usage
I would like to be able to utilize this amount to start the business and purchase necessary materials in order to serve infants, toddlers, and preschoolers in my area. At this time, there are no other options, aside from the local hospital, for children to access these needed services. Many children have been on a waiting list for months, waiting for a chance to receive therapy. I would use the funds to pay the deposit and rent, utilities, and overhead costs, as well as purchase only necessary materials, until I have built the business to a full time status. Because I am a single mother, I cannot quit my current job until the business has grown enough to provide me with an income. I do not wish to utilize grant monies for my income or family needs; they would strictly be utilized for business purposes as the business is growing. This is a very lucrative field and there is high demand for services.
-
Business Plan
I am currently employed in a small town that has only one other option for children to access speech/language services. There is a definite need in my area. I am networking with other speech pathologists, professionals, and business owners to obtain referrals for clients. To begin with, I will be providing services very part time so I can keep my current job. Over holiday breaks and summers, when I am not working at my other job, I will be offering full time services and gathering more referrals. I have networking options in place. In addition, I am obtaining an office space that allows me to look into the future and build additional offices in order to hire 2-3 other professionals to provide therapy, thus tripling or quadrupling my business over the next 5 years. It is my hope that in 5 years, I have a fully staffed office and am able to provide therapy to hundreds of children in need of services. As previously stated, this is a very lucrative business. My services are in very high demand at this time, especially in my area. Because of the very limited options currently, parents are having to drive their children to towns 45 miles away, which means more time off of work, more gas mileage, and extra time on the road. I am aware of numerous children on a waiting list who would be able to access services immediately in their own town if I were to open this business. There are more and more young children with disabilities, and there will never be a time when speech services are not needed. I have 20 years of experience, and my passion is working with young children. I have the expertise to open and maintain a business, as well as access to assistants who are interested in working in my practice once I am able to work full time. In addition, I have a very strong work ethic, and I am passionate about what I do. I have researched this idea for several years and am finally ready to open this business.
-
Self Identified Competition
I currently only have one competitor nearby. Good Shepherd Medical Center provides speech therapy but has an extensive waiting list. St. Anthony's in Pendleton is approximately 40 miles away and provides speech therapy, so parents are driving their children there for services. There are numerous options for speech therapy in the Tricities area in Washington, which is also approximately 40 miles away. All options are good for kids and families; however, they are not convenient for families who live in Hermiston or the surrounding areas. I plan to specialize in therapy for young children. As of now, therapy at Good Shepherd is provided for anyone from the very young to the very elderly. This organization tends to evaluate and treat the neediest people first, which includes seeing the oldest to the youngest. Kids with significant disabilities are also placed higher on the waiting list, leaving the youngest children with communication needs waiting the longest. Research has shown that early intervention is best, and I truly believe that if I can treat these young children with speech and language delays, they will need therapy for a much shorter amount of time, which then lessens the amount of resources needed when they reach school age. It is a population that is sorely underserved in my area. Obviously, school services are available for children; however, these services are very limited. Many parents are referred for services by their doctors, and they wish to access these services because they provide more therapy than the school-based services do.
-
Contact Applicant
Subscribe to our Administrator Dashboard to gain full access to this application. Learn More
