Opportunity
There are a countless amount of people aging every day. This
is something no one can avoid, even if you try real hard. So, we understand
that the process is a never-ending event that will eventually catch us all. I
want to take advantage of this sad but true circumstance. As time catches up
with us we will all find ourselves suffering from loss and bodily injuries, or
finding that technology has surpassed our understanding, or accompanied by a
lack of nutritional clarity needed for a better life.
Currently my ideal customer is everyone who suffers from any
of those symptoms. However, they do satisfy this need by visiting
rehabilitation centers when injured, or attending an outreach program, or even
working out at a local gym to quince the thrust for social interaction. Reaching
out to all these different sources may prove difficult for some individuals, so
why not bring them all together.
The facility that I want to create not only will attend to
the elderly needs of those ages 65 and above. I will be combining something
new, well, I think it’s new. The idea is to bring two different structures of
health together.
Innovation
Bringing these two together
1. The
rehabilitation center; “a facility providing therapy and training for
rehabilitation. The center may offer occupational therapy, physical therapy,
vocational training” as defined by Medical-dictinary.com. These factors are all
thing necessary for anyone recovering from an injury or fall. As we age, we are
more susceptible to falls and other aging related injuries, sadly this is just
the way of life. Time stops for no one and as we age, we will wither to its
unforgivable grip. According to the CDC “Americans experienced 29 million
falls causing seven million injuries and costing an estimated $31 billion in
annual Medicare costs”. So, it is clear that there will always be
business.
2. The
recreational center: according to dictionary.cambridge.org a recreational
center is “a building that is open to the public where meetings are held,
sports are played, and there are activities available for young and old
people”. Obviously, my service will only be for the elderly. We will provide a
structural unite of employees all trained in different fields. We will offer:
swimming classes, dance classes, Pilates, and aerobic exercise, all to keep our
patients physically active. Within this structure we will also offer community
gardening. As a biology student I was explained in a plat course I attended
that the University of Florida has researched the health benefits of community
gardening in relations to mental health. They have found promising evidence
that it helps fight depression in cancer patients. I will apply these same
techniques to help those fighting depression. With age we will all come to know
loss and suffer from depression. This will hopefully give them the tools they
need to move past this and find comfort within our facility. If they find
themselves alone, they can come join our family; well, that felt like a slogan.
Founding;
This is always the question to ask. Where will the money
come from? Who will pay for all of this? I will admit startup capital will be
nonetheless demanding but not impossible. We can start small with just a
rehabilitation center providing primary care. This will be founded by Medicaid
and Medicare:
Medicaid: As defined by HHS.gov is an “insurance
program. Medical bills are paid from trust funds which those covered have paid
into. It serves people over 65 primarily, whatever their income; and serves
younger disabled people and dialysis patients.”
Medicare: As defined by HHS.gov “is an assistance
program. It serves low-income people of every age. Patients usually pay no part
of costs for covered medical expenses. A small co-payment is sometimes
required.”
Both these government founded/controlled programs will fund
the rehabilitation start-up allowing for the progression and build-up of the
recreational center. Also, patients that attend the rehabilitation will be
encouraged to continue their journey within the recreational sector.
The recreation sector
funding:
The sector will be funded privately, based on a
membership-based fee system. Just like you would expect at any local gym or
whole food sales store. With monthly or yearly payments required. This allows
for a wide range of charges giving our costumers flexibility in their payment
plans. To assist our customers with the ability to pay an online-based
membership charge, we will offer classes to teach our costumer how to use computers
and how to make payments, not only for our facility but any other charges they
might have to pay while using an online system.
Venture Concept
Why Come to Me
Placing both recreational and physical rehabilitation
centers together to create something new and cohesive could create a funnel effect.
By funnel effect I mean, those who are undergoing physical rehabilitation can
come to us just like those seeking recreational activities and more. This creates
a funnel where all customers can fall into and end up in one place, my facility.
Creating an all-in-one facility will give customers a peace of mind when
spending their money.
Creating a flexible payment system and teaching customer how
to use our payment systems will allow my costumer to transition to my service
with ease. This will only provide peace of mind and allow them to trust us with
their money and memberships. “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.
Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Teaching them will only
allow me to charge fees more effectively and allow my costumer to continue
payments.
Costumer First;
As I searched the web for reviews on elderly homes in the Gainesville
area, I saw a pattern; bad costumer service. Countless of reviews stating the incompetence
of workers in treating elderly individuals with respect and care. So, in order
to gain reputation and hook my costumer in, I will adapt an already tested system.
Customer support and any other costumer needs will be met with the Publix
mentality. Structuring my work environment similar to the great supermarket,
“where shopping is a pleasure”, will led to a happy employee which gives the
drive and emotional tools to provide an excellent service. In conclusion,
bring all these positive aspects together will make sure my demographic comes
to me for an future service needs.
The three minor
elements
My most important resource will be me; my knowledge of
the physical and natural world, my understanding of nutrition, and my future
career. All will provide me with the tools necessary for an insight on what
aging people need. I don’t see anything that could be next except
creating a hospital. Assuming I launch, I see myself in every major city with a
high population percentage of retired individuals.
My Feedback
I did not receive any constructive feed back nor any negative
once. I have restructured my venture assignment and added more in-depth detail
on my service. I added a more detailed pricing list to better give my viewer an
idea of what payment systems I would be using. Hope you enjoy!
