RICHARD TUCK

Co-founder and CEO, Riipen.com

I see a couple of interrelated issues here. The first of which is quality of service. Non-medicinal treatments for ADHD are not the industry normand, therefore, face barriers and competitive forces from the incumbent psychotropic drug treatments. As such, the quality of service and effectiveness of Mark Fraser’s treatment has to go beyond what traditional medicine can do. Although new technologies exist, if virtual meetings hinder the effectiveness of his treatment, then he simply cannot use them as his main mode of delivery — yet. Or he chooses to use them for short-term gains with initial clients, while potentially sacrificing both the long-term mental health of those clients and the reputation of Growing Mind Solutions.

Once the decision not to use technology as the central medium of treatment is chosen, the decision to travel or not is back at the forefront. Travelling from Sudbury to Kapuskasing in June might be somewhat enjoyable, but the Northern Ontario winters make that six-hour drive quite dangerous. Over the past decade, the diagnosis of ADHD has increased in children, as has the population of Greater Sudbury, slightly. The probability is that there is no shortage of kids with ADHDin Fraser’s area he could help.

A solution is to open an office. The time spent in a car could be better spent helping other children in person. And GMS is financially better off. Although renting an office is a physical act, it is probably the mental leap that Fraser needs to take his business to the next level. Taking that leap is difficult for most entrepreneurs as anxiety and fear set in over concerns of high fixed costs and not enough revenue. However, those bills due at the end of each month should not be seen as a hindrance, but as a necessary sense of urgency and goal for Fraser to reach. Plus, an office-sharing agreement could work because of the current lack of full-time hours.

Entrepreneurship is about taking calculated risks. A location also will give GMS legitimacy in the minds of potential clients. Physical locations emphasize stability, security and success — a client knows where to go to find GMS if something happens. Moreover, Fraser could offer drastic discounts for his existing clients to make the trip into Sudbury. Residents of smaller communities often schedule trips into the city for big purchases, cheaper supplies and unavailable items. Such trips could be combined