Enabling the Child He Loves
by Phil Scruton, SBDC Certified Business Analyst

Motivation to start a business may come from many sources—dealing with a layoff or a long-held dream are two examples.  Ollie Jones’s entrepreneurial adventure was motivated by both. However, Janae Designs LLC was primarily inspired by the needs of his beloved child, Janae Hope. 

Residents of Wellington in Palm Beach County, Ollie and his wife Tracy are the proud parents of two daughters and a new-born son.  Janae Hope is their youngest daughter, an upbeat eight-year-old born with a rare condition called Arterial Venous Malformation.  Her condition led to cerebral palsy and to Ollie’s quest for ways to help Janae’s physical therapy become more effective.  Being laid off from his job was a challenge.  But it also provided the time to investigate how he might improve her therapy.  The results of that investigation are the foundation of a small business that has improved the lives of Janae and her fellow special-needs students at the ARC Potentials School North in Riviera Beach. 

Ollie worked in his home shop to design and build three devices that he has playfully dubbed The Wedgster, The Legster and The Walkster.  The Wedgster is a “long sitter” that helps stretches the hamstrings and abductor muscles of cerebral palsy patients.  The Legster attaches to most wheelchairs’ seating surface and provides a platform for prolonged stretching.  It is invaluable for post-surgical positioning of children who cannot sit without the full support of a specialized chair.  The Walkster is a physical therapy device that enables a child to independently stand and perform leg-strengthening exercises.

Photographs of Janae and her fellow students utilizing the devices demonstrate that Ollie not only understands the clinical needs of the children with cerebral palsy, but that he is sensitive to the challenge of keeping the grueling work of physical therapy as entertaining as possible.  Each custom-crafted device is colorfully painted where possible.  The Walkster, for instance, is painted in vibrant shades of yellow, red and blue. 

Testimonials from parents, doctors, and therapists are glowing.  “To my knowledge, there is no other chair comparable to The Wedgster,” said Mary Pengelley, a therapist at Janae’s school.  “It is a great tool for me to use at school with our students, and many of our families have purchased one for at-home-use.”

Dr. Michael A. Tidwell of Miami Children’s Hospital, said, “It has been my great fortune to review several devices created by Ollie Jones.  I look forward to each opportunity to assist my patients and their families in accessing his products.   They improve their medical care at home and benefit from the significant therapeutic effects these devices can provide at home…”

Parent Jasha Literati said, “My eight-year-old son has cerebral palsy…The Ollie Chair, as I call it, has been such a positive asset to (my child’s) progress.  His strength in his trunk has increased tremendously…  I feel that since Ollie has a child with special needs, he really understands what we as parents need for our children.”

As the success of his devices became more evident and the business model began to emerge, Ollie decided to visit Certified Business Analyst Phil Scruton at the Small Business Development Center at Palm Beach State College in Boca Raton. 

“Ollie came to me for assistance with marketing,” Phil said.  “We spent a couple of hours bouncing ideas around and the result was a brochure draft sketched in my admittedly poor scrawl.  Shortly after that first meeting, Ollie sent me nearly word-for-word minutes of our session—a first in my experience.  After a couple meetings, he unveiled marketing materials that were complete and innovatedly designed.  Trust an engineer to take fabulous notes and to execute ideas meticulously.”

Ollie’s inaugural brochure is a combination of testimonials, photos, clinical explanations and reminders that Ollie is a parent first.  Beneath a picture of his family Ollie describes the circumstances that led to the creation of the devices and to his business: “Frustrated with the insufficient healthcare provision of equipment and services for my daughter, I decided to use my engineering background and creativity to design unique physical therapy equipment for her.”  Not surprisingly, the mission statement for Janae Designs is “Enabling the children we love.” 

Phil remembers, “When Ollie first showed me the marketing material, he also showed me the original scraps of paper where we had sketched ideas.  The process of conceptualization and successful execution is one of the most impressive I have ever seen.  There is an aura of warmth and integrity that perfectly complements the technical aspects of his material.  It has frankly been an honor to play a role in Ollie’s progress.”

After selling seven units to local schools and parents of special-needs children, Ollie has taken a break to make sure his patent situation is under control.  In the meantime, a total of seven doctors and physical therapists have endorsed his devices.

Once patent issues are settled, the immediate future for Ollie involves raising local awareness and building on the momentum of endorsements.  Then he will explore volume marketing through medical equipment dealers.  Phil said, “As an engineer, a painstaking, patient approach to building Janae Designs LLC comes naturally to Ollie.”

Ollie has become an enthusiastic endorser of the SBDC program at Palm Beach State College:  “My experience with the SBDC has been amazing.  When I was first introduced to the program, I never thought I would get the type of professional help, encouragement and wisdom they provided.  After my first meeting with Phil, I left with pages of notes, a wealth of knowledge, and a plan to achieve success with my business.  I am so grateful to Phil and the SBDC and Palm Beach State College for their sincere commitment to helping small businesses get on the right track for success.  Thank you, SBDC.”

The Florida SBDC Network, a statewide service network of 35 centers, is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, hosted by the University of West Florida and accredited through the national Association of SBDCs. For over 30 years, the FSBDCN has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development organizations dedicated to providing emerging and established business owners with assistance, enabling overall growth and increased profitability for the businesses, and economic prosperity for the state. To learn more about the FSBDCN or to find an SBDC near you, visit www.FloridaSBDC.org or call 1.866.737.7232.

State Director's Office l 401 E Chase St, Ste 100 l Pensacola, FL 32502
866.737.7232 or 850.473.7800 l www.FloridaSBDC.org