VALDOSTA— Southern Therapy Solutions, located at 3256 N. Valdosta Road, specializes in speech, swallowing, feeding, occupational, dietary, and ABA therapy services.
In 2015, Erin Haskins drew from her experience at an outpatient clinic to found Southern Therapy Solutions as a mobile business.
Southern Therapy Solutions serves a diverse clientele with speech, swallowing, feeding, and other disorders, Haskins said. Notably, the business actively employs Valdosta State University graduates across multiple disciplines, further integrating itself into the fabric of the community.
Southern Therapy Solutions evolved from its mobile origins into a nearly 13,000-square-foot clinic. What started as a one-woman operation has expanded to a team of around 30 employees.
Haskins attributes part of the business’s success to its unique offering of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy to the community. ABA therapy aims to improve social skills such as completing tasks, communicating, and learning new skills. According to Haskins, ABA therapy is beneficial for treating children with autism.
“We want to make sure that we can reach and provide services to as many people as possible,” Haskins said, “but we always want them to be the most quality and ethical services possible.”
Haskins was assisted in the development of the business by the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (UGA SBDC) at VSU.
The UGA SBDC serves ten counties to provide confidential one-on-one consulting and educational opportunities for emerging small business owners. The SBDC’s mission is to inspire and guide local business owners to make educated decisions regarding their enterprises.
Haskins sought the assistance of the UGA SBDC as her business began to expand rapidly. The support she received included marketing decisions, human resources for growth, and onboarding procedures. Haskins attributes the development of her enterprise to the SBDC’s consultants and the comprehensive educational programs they provided.
According to Alyssa Foskey, director of UGA SBDC at VSU, the organization aims to continue offering quality consulting and educational classes to more local business owners.
Those seeking the UGA SBDC’s help can find courses or get personalized assistance to navigate the challenges of running a business on its website at www.sba.gov.