Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) Build a Thriving Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Practice in Brandon

ABA on Demand LLC of Hillsborough County

Driven by a shared passion for helping children with autism and supporting families, two Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), Lisset Riera and Rosa Alonso, launched their own behavioral analysis practice, ABA on Demand, to provide high-quality, compassionate ABA services. Their business delivers therapy in schools, homes, and community settings, along with parent training designed to guide families through behavioral challenges with confidence and understanding.

After years of working for other providers, the founders envisioned creating the type of company they always wanted to work for — one that combined best practices, strong professional development, and a positive environment for both clients and staff. “In our experience, we gathered good and bad experiences, so we wanted to take the good ones that we learned and fix the ones that we thought needed fixing to create an environment for employees and also a practice for kids,” Alonso shared.

“We thought, we can provide good quality ABA services and also help the professionals become very proficient in what they do — learn the science, learn how to practice ABA the right way,” she added.

But while they were skilled clinicians, they were new to business ownership. That’s when they discovered the Florida SBDC at USF and connected with business consultant David Vargas. “David has been a life saver. We are BCBAs, so we’re not business managers. We had no experience in how to run the company. So, everything we’ve done, we’ve learned step by step. So, when we got to SBDC, we were completely lost,” Riera said.

“He provided help with the business plan, help with all the financial part and the organization of the company itself, that we needed, that we didn’t even know how to get, we didn’t know where to go,” she added.

With the Florida SBDC at USF’s support, the business has grown rapidly earning business certifications, building community partnerships, and even securing a Glazer Foundation hurricane relief grant, which allowed them to give $5,000 in assistance to affected employees.

One of the partnerships that they were proud to speak about is with a well-known university. “Through the [Tampa Bay] Chamber of Commerce that we got [connected] to through SBDC, we just created a collaboration with Kaiser University, and we might be working with them, in an RBT program. So, it’s a lot of doors that open through the [Florida] SBDC at USF,” Riera said.

Their success continues to accelerate. “With Florida SBDC at USF, our business has really increased in size,” Riera said.

Moving forward, the duo plans on expanding their services while using the Florida SBDC at USF along the way. “As we continue to grow our business, we’ll continue to walk with the hand of [the Florida] SBDC,” Riera explained. “We plan on opening up a center or school for children with special needs; to provide ABA services and we’re going to need help. We’re gonna need help with procedures, things that we need to do to be able to function a center, like zoning and all those things that we have no idea how they work. So, we’re gonna keep using the resources… the Florida SBDC at USF,” Alonso added.

When asked what advice they would give to other small business owners, Riera said, “Stay in touch with the SBDC at USF.” Alonso concluded with: “I advise small business owners to take advantage of the [Florida SBDC at USF] program. It is there for us to use and it’s totally free, so why not? It’s a very good resource.”