"After working as a RN in the home health field for several years and taking care of quadriplegic clients in and around Marion County, I realized there was no agency adequately equipped to deal with the unique needs of this specialized group in their own homes," said Marcus Alexander, founder of Quad Nurse, LLC.
Thus, in October 2008, Marcus registered Quad Nurse but did not actively pursue business for five years as he continued working as an independent contractor. However, things changed in August 2013 when Marcus committed to his dream and was accepted as a resident of the Power Plant Business Incubator in Ocala.
As an incubator resident, Marcus was connected with Florida SBDC at the University of North Florida (UNF) consultant Mike Chung, who helped him define his core services, business model, and growth strategy.
“With the Florida SBDC I am able to confidentially share my ideas and get constructive feedback, which gives me the confidence to execute our business plan,” Marcus said. “Mike even provided guidance on recordkeeping, hiring and referral to a payroll services company.”
Since 2013, Quad Nurse has grown from no sales to revenues of almost $650,000, four employees, and 42 independent contractors providing in-home health care services to disabled patients in 16 Florida counties.
The company foresees future growth with the VA to provide services to wounded veterans. As part of Government Contracting Services offered by the Florida Procurement Technical Assistance Center at UNF, Procurement Specialists are available to help small businesses research and bid contracts from the Department of Defense, other federal agencies, state and local agencies, and prime contractors. With the assistance of Procurement Specialist Don Zavesky, Marcus was able to successfully register in the System for Acquisition Management (SAM) and obtain certification as a Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB).
With growth comes increased demand for cash. Recognizing this, Marcus is now meeting monthly with Chung for financial analysis and cash flow management.
“Marcus’ greatest attribute is his eagerness to learn,” said Chung. “He takes advantage of the resources provided by the Florida SBDC and PPBI and then executes.”
