Airway Management
Orlando, FL – The ability of a small business to overcome adversity becomes the difference between success and failure in almost every case. There are times, however, when the market’s headwinds are so formidable that even the most resourceful and resilient business owner needs help. Such a time unfolded for Daniel Ramsaywack, owner and President of Airway Management, Inc., and he turned to the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) for support.
Kissimmee-based Airway Management, Inc. is a home medical equipment company serving Central Florida and a leader in the delivery of professional healthcare products and services. It offers an extensive inventory of medical equipment, healthcare solutions, and supplies ranging from advanced respiratory care devices to mobility aids, all carefully selected for quality and reliability and delivered directly to the client’s doorstep – ensuring comfort, convenience, and peace of mind.
“Airway Management is unique and special because we provide individual service to our clients,” Ramsaywack says proudly. “When they call us, we pick up the phone. Even if it’s in the middle of the night, our therapists are there. Airway’s approach contrasts significantly with the big multinationals where calls go to a call center which then tries to reach someone in Florida which can be tough.”
Despite its strong business model, Airway Management found itself wrestling with difficult market conditions and a challenging insurance and Medicaid reimbursement environment. “I originally sought out assistance from the FSBDC because we were on a downward slide in sales and in margin,” recalls Ramsaywack ruefully. “We were losing money every month and it was not sustainable. We were going to go bankrupt. I needed to turn the company around and asked the FSBDC for help.
The Florida SBDC extended a full complement of resources to assist Ramsaywack. He participated in its award-winning Advisory Board Council (ABC) program, led by program manager Jill Kaufman. The ABC is a customized, no-cost board of experts providing advice to help businesses grow. The FSBDC acts as a matchmaker between established local businesses like Airway Management and area professionals who volunteer their expertise and are purposefully selected to address the specific needs of the FSBDC client.
The FSBDC’s services didn’t stop there. Ramsaywack took advantage of its no-cost consulting; its CEO XChange program, a peer-to-peer coaching group for growth-minded business leaders; and its Small Business Institute® program in which UCF graduate students work as consultants focused on defined projects under FSBDC supervision.
“The Advisory Board Council, in particular, helped me see a future for my business,” explains Ramsaywack. “It was like taking a microscope to my business to see where we were losing money, how we could mitigate those losses and turn it around. They did strategy analysis and financial projections. They reviewed the staff and our approach to human resources. They evaluated our marketing plan. They looked at so many aspects of our business and those insights helped me grow the business and turn it around.”
Significant credit goes to Danial Ramsaywack himself for his determination and willingness to be a change agent, especially through his lobbying efforts, relationship building, and service in various state level health care organizations that turned the tide for his industry on the insurance and Medicaid reimbursement front.
At the same time, he is vocal about his gratitude to the FSBDC. “Since working with the FSBDC, we have seen a growth in sales, cost reductions, improvement in gross margin and net income growth that is very positive for us,” Ramsaywack states. “We have helped people in our community as we have increased our employee base by one-third. One of our proudest accomplishments is to have our patient count grow 300% over the last four years.”
“I’m just very grateful for the support of so many people at the FSBDC and elsewhere that helped make that all possible. For me, the FSBDC was Airway Management’s ICU (Intensive Care Unit). We needed emergency help, and we got it. For that I say, ‘Thank You’.”
For information about Airway Management, please visit www.airwaymanagement.com.
