Thursday, August 18, 2011

"Helping Hands" Head Trip

Since I was about 14 years old, I've had a business concept in my head, which I've spent the last decade perfecting on and off.  Mostly, this idea came to me and my mother and we've been figuring out how to turn this into something real.  Basically, it is a wellness clinic, dedicated to helping others in a safe and comfortable environment.  But its main function is to bringing balance, peace, and harmony to an individual either by mental, physical, emotional, or spiritual means.  This is the business's mission statement and every aspect of the buiness model falls within the mission statement and purpose.
I've chosen, but not yet trademarked, the name "Helping Hands".  Of course I'm still brainstorming which font I would use for the letter head. Underneath the company name is its (not yet copyrighted) slogan: "Healing Hearts through Massage, Mental Health, Movement, Music, and Munchies."

I'll explain each of these slogan alliterations (although it should be pretty self-explanatory):
The first service that "Helping Hands" will provide to the public is Massage Therapy.  Six rooms (roughly 10 x15 square feet each) will be dedicated to relaxation through massage for individuals, couples, and expecting mothers. These rooms will optimize quiet, calm, and serenity and will have built-in speakers to allow relaxing music to travel throughout the entire Massage Wing.  Through massage, the clients will be able to relax and ease the physical stress of the day and leave rejuvenated.

The second, to provide Individual, Marriage, and Family Therapy to any clients who come in, and these clients are seen by Licensed MFTs, Clinical Social Workers, and Clinical Phycologists to help them better their Mental Health and relationships.  Roughly 1100 square feet (or four rooms) of the building would be dedicated as private sitting rooms for clients and therapists to meet and talk for an hour or two once a week. These living-room type settings would enable the clients to feel more like they are talking to a friend, rather than feel like a case number.  Strict privacy would insure the confidentiality of the clients as well as the safety of the therapist.

The third aspect is Movement and Merriment.  I want to incorporate a day care for those parents using the facilities. This indoor/outdoor soundproof area will allow the children (ages 6 months to 6 years) to interact with kids of their own age in a safe environment that will carefully supervised by Child Educators and Early-childhood Development Specialists. An outdoor grass and small playground will be tree sheltered, and be roughly 1500 square feet, thus being able to accommodate up to 15 children at any given time.  The indoor play area (for babies and rainy days) will include everything from blocks, books, stuffed animals, and puzzles, and, obviously, include outdoor access. A TV will be wall-mounted to allow for DVDs to be played that are kid-appropriate.  The indoor area will be open, airy, and equipped with a check-in and check-out desk as well as a one-way mirror for the parents to check on their kids without interrupting the playtime.  But all the windows and bearing walls will be soundproof so not to disturb the massage and therapy session going on at the same time. All staff working with children will be screened and security will be in place to assure the protection of all children on site.

The fourth Amenity hypothetically offered by "Helping Hands" would be Music, specifically music lessons.  Here, I want to provide a music room complete with a Baby Grand piano, a Concert Grand Harp and Lever Harp, and various other musical CDs and lesson books for children and adults to come and receive music lessons by trained musicians.  Flute, string instruments, and voice lessons might also be incorporated into the music program. But ultimately, I want to provide a place for local musicians to give live performances to the patrons of "Helping Hands".  Their music will be recorded and broadcasted through the speakers into the massage rooms, waiting rooms, and therapy rooms (with the therapist having the option of turning off the speakers to that room). The musicians then have the option of selling their CDs to the public that comes into the facility.

Lastly, "Helping Hands" will provide Munchies for the guests. A kitchen will be included on site, and at the beginning of everyday, the items on the menu will be baked and cooked.  These food items, will be simple, yet healthy snacks that the clients and patrons can purchase. Of course, small samples will be complementary given, but the food will be visible via coolers and bakery cases, and may purchased at the reception desk, the same with all services.  All staff will be required to have current food handler's permits as well as maintain guest confidentiality.

My vision for "Helping Hands" is to provide a safe place to rejuvenate mind, body, and heart. I want the prices to competitively reflect the services offered, but still be affordable to most everyone. While I still need several more years of thought, education, and collected resources to bring this to fruition, I'm hoping to be able to open ten "Helping Hands" locations around the United States.  I'm still working on the floor plan, but I know that each facility would be at least 2200 square feet, if not bigger, in order to accommodate the various amenities offered.  Once I receive the education I need, I'm hoping to have the first "Helping Hands" up and running smoothly by the time I'm 45 years old.

Well, now that I've laid out my business model to you, please feel free to offer any suggestions and advice on how to improve my vision.  Although I would be most grateful if you not use these ideas to create a similar business. Although if you do, I just ask that you not name it "Helping Hands". Thanks!

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Great idea, I think you can do it. I think I've heard of "helping hands" before though but I'm no good with ideas.