Linda Handley has dedicated her adult life to caring for others and helping them heal. But after two decades as a Registered Nurse she knew there was more to healing than the standard western practices and medicines. Linda turned to the east – to acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicines and to her goal of integrating ancient and modern medicine.

Linda immersed herself into her studies and over a six year period of time earned a professional master’s degree in acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. She is one of only three master degreed acupuncturists in the Quad City area. Linda opened her clinic in an 800 square foot office in April, 2004, and began working with the SBDC about four months later.

Ann Hutchinson, director of the Eastern Iowa SBDC has been meeting regularly with Linda ever since. “Linda came to the SBDC with the dream of starting an accredited acupuncture school in the Quad Cities. At the time she was barely breaking even, but she had dreams of growing and expanding.” Ann convinced Linda that she should put her dreams of a school on hold until she could get the clinic into a profitable position. “Through the past two years, I’ve worked with Linda on a variety of topics. I have helped her with taxes, marketing and advertising, converting her manual bookkeeping system to QuickBooks and pricing her herbal medicines. In addition, I’ve become a patient. I was skeptical at first, but acupuncture has dramatically improved lower back problems that have plagued me for years.”

Linda says, “The SBDC has been a Godsend. I had no idea how to start a business, but the SBDC has been so helpful in pointing me in the right direction so I could get the information I needed.”

Now Linda is back in a growth mode. Her practice is full and she is generating profits she had not anticipated in this early phase of her business. She wants to focus more on sales of Chinese herbal medicines and teas and to add space for an additional acupuncturist and message therapist. Linda has an opportunity to expand into a space currently occupied by the neighboring eye doctor. The opportunity to purchase real estate is exciting to Linda, and she once again turned to the SBDC. “Having a place to educate people on herbal medicines and teas has always been a dream of mine. I just feel like this opportunity to expand was meant to be.” Whether it was “meant to be” will be determined by careful cash flow projections. Linda is currently working with the SBDC to define her project and update her business plan. Preliminary numbers look positive and Linda is enthused about the future.

“The SBDC is the perfect resource. They’re a partner. I’m never afraid to call and ask questions. I can see myself working with the SBDC ten years from now.”