Physical therapist gains business strength with no-cost assistance

65+ Center for Active Aging of Sarasota County

Technological and medical advancements over the past couple of decades have increased average life expectancy. This combined with the population of the United States growing exponentially, inspired Dr. Matthew Corn, a board-certified physical therapist, to open his company, 65+ Center for Active Aging, in Venice.

“The population is aging and there are going to be 73 million adults over the age of 65 in this country by 2030,” Dr. Corn said. “So there is clearly a need for the services. Specialized physical therapy services are actually hard to come by.”

Located in in an area where 67 percent of all households have at least one person that is 65 years-old or older, the 65+ Center for Active Aging is a geriatric therapy and wellness services company where the primary focus is on helping older adults stay functionally independent and lead healthy active aging lifestyles.

From working on business development (planning, business leasing, equipment acquisition, etc.) to capital acquisition, Dr. Corn said that the Florida SBDC at University of South Florida has been instrumental since day one in helping get the business off the ground.

Now that they are entering their third year of business, Dr. Corn continues to turn to the Florida SBDC at USF for help with financial analysis, marketing and business development.

“The SBDC continues to help me analyze our productivity, our revenue growth, as well as other service areas that we want to grow into,” he said. “Since working with SBDC we have seen a lot of growth, particularly in the number of new referrals.”

Not only has the Florida SBDC at USF helped with business development, Dr. Corn said that the organization has also helped with community engagement.

“The SBDC has been significant regarding the community’s acceptance and engagement with our facility and understanding that we are here to meet any need,” he said. “The number one thing people do when they come in here is say, ‘I didn’t know this existed, I didn’t know you had all of these services to offer. This is great. This is exactly what this town needs.”

Since the impact and reception to this new concept has been so positive, Dr. Corn is currently visualizing expanding and opening a second store-front in the near future. They plan to expand their service offerings and hire staff to accommodate growth.

“We really appreciate the SBDC’s continuous involvement especially when we are going into this next phase of growth,” he said. “I think that moving to this next phase is actually more difficult than being in a startup phase. There are more hurdles and challenges. I think without the SBDC’s involvement, my chances of success to get to that level is probably a lot less.”