Melissa Lane of Green Bay started her business, Collective Care Services LLC, in 2022. A few years later, that led to another business, Breakthrough Family Solutions LLC. With the new business model, Lane has found progress to be slower than she hoped and she is ramping up efforts to get her name recognized.
As part of that, she has accessed the services offered by SCORE NorthEast Wisconsin, part of the SBA, and is working with volunteer mentor Ryan Kauth.
Kauth, an experienced life coach, educator, and consultant, was the ideal choice for Lane. He acts as a soundboard as she puts the finishing touches of her new business together.
Kauth said, “Mentors, such as the no-cost ones provided by SCORE, can help guide you through the beginning stages of your business as well as ask you questions that you may not even have known to ask. Rather than giving advice, which sometimes comes off as me telling someone else what to do, I like to ask open-ended questions to see if they have areas covered and to further help them understand their ideas.”
Those questions have proven beneficial for Lane. Her new business, the result of the organic growth of Collective Care Services, is in the midst of an official launch. She is taking her career experiences, including working as a life engagement coach at a local nursing home, to the next level. Her previous career gave her a passion for working with the elderly, and she hopes to increase her impact.
She said, “I really came alive in that role and was deeply moved by the residents and built these wonderful, heart-felt connections. I felt like I could make a difference by showing them they were valued. As I worked in that role, I started to wonder if I could fill that same role in a home setting.”
Collective Care Services proved that she could.
“I noticed that in the nursing home facility, the abrupt change from living at home really broke some of them,” Lane said. “Some people did great in that setting, but for others, the change disrupted their life balance and had an adverse effect on their quality of life.”
By starting the first business that was focused on companion care, her goal was to work with people in their homes and provide individual care. She posted on an elderly care website and outlined her individualized approach. The response was excellent and it wasn’t long before her schedule was full. With limited time to help everyone, Lane decided to branch out from the original concept.
That’s when she contacted SCORE and formed the new LLC.
“It became clear there was a greater need for personalized guidance through life transitions; something beyond what agencies typically offer. Drawing from my own family experiences and time working with clients, I realized I could support more people by shifting into an educational and consulting role,” Lane said.
In addition to offering senior care, often by providing a list of other qualified caregivers, Breakthrough Family Solutions offers patient advocacy education. Services include identifying appropriate resources, developing personalized routines for health and well-being, and presenting options for in-home care and other related services.
She said, “My goal is to ease the burden on families by providing clarity and structured guidance, allowing them to focus on maintaining meaningful relationships and improving the overall quality of life.”
With that definition of what Lane wants to accomplish, Kauth asked where she was at in the process and what steps had been taken.
He said, “The most logical steps would be to have a business plan once the business model has been sketched out using something like a business model canvas. Answering the questions a business plan template asks are really important, especially if there is more than one owner or you believe you will need some form of financing to get started, or soon after you get started.”
Other considerations include knowing the identity of the target market and what the competition is doing. Then, there are practical items such as building a website and social media pages. Lane is making progress in all areas.
The website, breakthroughfamilysolutions.com, recently went live and social media pages are in progress. The business model is also taking form and a pricing structure developed.
“With the website, I am making it easier for families to connect with me,” she said. “I offer a start-up package that provides comprehensive support over the course of one month, followed by an optional maintenance plan for ongoing guidance as needed.”
Her stated mission is to provide support to families and individuals facing the challenges of home care, resource management, and life transitions. Although her marketing plan is not yet complete, Lane spends time establishing connections and has joined networking and workspace groups. Kauth helps her stay on track.
“Ryan has been great; he understands the need for accountability. It can be hard to pull down ideas into workable tasks, but he has been a valuable resource. I’m grateful that a trusted friend recommended SCORE,” Lane said.
She has discovered, as the business evolves, that it is important to keep moving forward and not get stuck on perfection. Kauth emphasizes the need to continue taking steps; he is there to review progress, offer suggestions, and ask more questions.
As with any startup, there is a lot to do. Lane has operational matters to consider like when to either hire employees or use independent contractors, how to divide her time between administrative and in-house tasks, how to finance the expansion, and importantly, how to make a profit.
As she spends hours of work on these tasks, she knows it will take a huge amount of time and behind the scenes work to make Breakthrough Family Solutions an established brand. But she is convinced of the need for the business.
Kauth told her, “Many entrepreneurs have the problem they are solving with their business solution, or they know someone who does.” And that is something that Lane has experienced first-hand. For the elderly and their families, she wants to be that problem-solver.
She said, “I understand the complexities and emotional stress involved in managing care, and I am committed to providing clarity and guidance to help families thrive. Life’s transitions don’t have to be daunting. I am here to ease the burden and ensure that all members of a family experience a higher quality of daily life.”
Tina Dettman-Bielefeldt is co-owner of DB Commercial Real Estate in Green Bay and past district director for SCORE, Wisconsin.
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