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Stratford Nurse Taps Huge Market for At-Home Specialized Foot Care
Amanda Modaragamage heard from a lot of house-bound patients with chronic foot problems during the pandemic. So she decided to do something about it.
Amanda Modaragamage grew up on a beef farm near Chesley, and figured she’d probably work with animals when she grew up.
But that changed during her grade-10 year, when she want on an exchange trip to Honduras. During that three-week visit, she was billeted with a local nurse.
“She took me everywhere. And at the end of that trip, I knew I wanted to be a nurse,” says Amanda.
And that’s exactly what she did. Amanda studied nursing at Georgian College, then spent the first 10 years of her career in Barrie. During these years she also got married and had two children. “It was a really busy time,” she laughs.
But nursing wasn’t Amanda’s only dream. Growing up on a farm had taught her the values of hard work and self-sufficiency. Plus, she’d watched her husband Dilshan start and run two successful small businesses from their home.
When she and Dilshan moved their family to Stratford four years ago, Amanda began thinking about how she could turn her nursing skills into a business. And, after working as a Nurse Practitioner in a busy Stratford medical practice for some years, she found the answer: foot care.
“Many people don’t realize what a difference proper medical foot care can make to their mobility,” explains Amanda, who saw many patients living with diabetes, arthritis, and various autoimmune disorders during her clinic work. “But on top of that, during the pandemic we heard constantly from people who hadn’t seen another human being for months. And suddenly it clicked – if I could deliver foot care to patients in their homes, I could also be that kind, friendly face they needed to see.”
Amanda dove into a special training program in Advanced Nursing Foot Care, and began planning her business. But she soon realized she needed help with the actual business end of things. “I mean, I’m a nurse. I didn’t have any training in how to run a business,” she says.
So she turned to the Stratford Perth Centre for Business, and took advantage of their consultation services.
“That was really game-changing,” she says. She goes on to describe how she knew her target market was folks in their 60s, 70s and 80s. But she was having a hard time figuring out how to market effectively to them.
“Holly suggested reaching out to the children of my potential patients, and showed me how to create a social-media marketing campaign. It was brilliant.” Amanda was also able to access a small grant through The Stratford Perth Centre for Business’s “Starter Company Plus program.” This allowed her to purchase more tools and supplies, including a hospital-grade autoclave for sterilizing her instruments.
By the time she opened, Amanda had a wait list of 40 patients, and had been contracted to work several days each month at the New Hamburg Wellness Centre. Today, two years later, her client list has grown to 350+ patients, and her wait list is closed.
“It’s been such a joy to see this business come to life, and to have the privilege of caring for so many people,” she says with a smile.
But Amanda’s not finished yet. She’s currently waiting to see if she’ll be approved for a nursing entrepreneurship grant. This would allow her to open a full-fledged clinic. “I’d be able to hire a couple more podortho foot care nurses, and maybe even a podiatrist,” she says.
We’ve got our fingers crossed for another hard-working Perth County female entrepreneur!
Stratford Visiting Foot Care limited provides basic and advanced nursing foot care, along with professionally fitted compression stockings.
Website:
Tel: 519.949.8812
Business Owner: Amanda Modaragamage
From Stratford Perth Business Centre
