Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Beriah Chandoo, Founder of Beach Occupational Therapy Services, located in Squamish, BC, CA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Beach Occupational Therapy Services is a unique sole proprietorship providing occupational therapy medical-legal services for work capacity and future care costs. With expertise in medical-legal services, client-centered programs, wellness-based approaches, and life care planning. Beach Occupational Therapy's knowledgeable approach enables us to deliver a well-rounded network of services to ensure each client achieves their fullest potential.
Tell us about yourself
I have enjoyed roles as a clinician in London, England, and as a lecturer in pediatric occupational therapy at Oxford-Brookes University, Oxford, England. I have held various professional practice roles with the Royal College of Occupational Therapists, the British Association of Occupational Therapy, and the UK registering body. I have worked in public and private rehabilitation settings. I have specialized in recent years in vocational rehabilitation, functional capacity assessment, cognitive functional capacity assessment, and cost of future care evaluations of individuals with various orthopedic, spinal cord, and neurological disabilities. In addition to my professional and clinical experience, I have acted as an independent expert Occupational Therapist for plaintiff and defense legal cases. I have provided expert testimony to The Supreme Court of British Columbia on their behalf. I have completed over 350 individual functional capacity assessments, cost of future care analyses, and medical file reviews since 2018. I have been accepted into the Supreme Court of British Columbia as an occupational therapist certified in evaluating functional capacity and cost of future care analysis. As a 250-hr RYT and an avid runner and hiker, I enjoy the outdoors of the sea to sky corridor and exploring the trails and beaches with my two-year-old rescue dog.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Taking the step away from a salaried employee is daunting. My biggest accomplishment has been establishing myself within a very custom and competitive field while still maintaining a level of income that allows me to have flexibility within my work week. And opportunities for performance improvement, self-directed work schedules, and a balance of professional and personal pursuits make for a healthier work/life balance.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The marketing and set-up of administrative processes have been the single most challenging learning curve. Understanding how to set up and design a website, business cards, and business invoices takes time, a willingness to learn, and investment.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Take time to speak with others in the same industry or network with other entrepreneurs. So many entrepreneurs have gone through the same processes. They can recommend professional marketing services, software, or other resources that make the transition and establishment of your new business much easier.
- Set your goals and always build in opportunities if you don't meet them on target or succeed ahead of target! Celebrate all the small successes! Be sure to link into a supportive network and build confidence at each stage.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.beachtherapybc.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beachtherapybc/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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