Startup Corner: Shannon Locke, S.L. Speech & Language Solutions LLC

Minimally viable product …
Corporate or family packages for consultation, educational programming and advocacy targeting speech, language and literacy development, communication disorders and autism spectrum disorder. I guide program development or enhance existing programs both for organizations and families as well as navigate medical, educational and community-based support for individuals with disabilities.

Problem solving …
My experience as a speech-language therapist in schools and medical settings exposed me to the processes both institutions have for serving our children with communication disorders and ASD, and the gap between academic support and individual needs outside of the classroom. As a family member of individuals with intellectual disabilities, I discovered the hardships of navigating disability services firsthand. And in development of the Ozarks Area Autism Clinic, I realized the value of time to discover the whole story for an individual or company situation to fill in the missing gaps.

Seed money …
Really none. Furthermore, we went in the hole a bit by eliminating my income. We had to rethink the way our family budget looks so that I could quit my job and rely completely on my husband’s income for a period of time to focus on creating the business structure.

Hurdles overcome …
I am a family member and clinician first, so learning about the business of business was daunting, but even more so narrowing my focus to find an appropriate, sellable package and pricing was the most challenging. There is so much need with such a broad brush of possibilities that it was time-consuming to generate a basic four-step program with the flexibility to cover family and corporate needs.

Next phase …
I hope this can become a new paradigm of collaborative efforts between medical and educational services and provide a model for future communication development and disorder experts.

Biggest mistake …
I tried working part time while building this business at first and really that was just a drain on our budget and waste of time. I wasn’t able to step back and really set my personal and professional goals to guide the business structure. Also, I was afraid I needed more credibility before striking out on my own and wasted time feeling very small and limited.