Teniesha Clay

Katie ArnoldSmall Business, Success Stories

Miss Teniesha Clay’s business story had a difficult start; her mom became disabled after losing her eyesight due to pre-existing medical conditions and an unfortunate event. She was a school teacher, but she fell her front steps one day and had a hemorrhagic brain stroke changing Miss Clay’s life in one blink of an eye. After researching ways to get her mom help, Miss Clay learned about Medicaid in the process and became interesting in this field.

The decision was made after a few months, and a plan for a new business was in the making; however, the challenges started making an entrance. Miss Clay remembers how the biggest challenge was how the home care industry was oversaturated, making things extremely competitive. The state paid all the agencies in this industry the same; and as a smaller company- she didn’t have the resources to deliver what more prominent companies could pay; in this case, Miss Clay needed a plan to start her new business dream right away.

Justin PETERSEN came on board when Miss Clay was applying for a PPP loan, getting the help and assistance that she needed, “Justine PETERSEN was holding my hand; walking through the process from start to finish” as she stayed.

Today, 1st Ally Home Health Services is a reality, and after all these months, Miss Clay was able to take care of her mom and make her dream business come true. The next step? She would like to start satellite locations in Kansas City and Springfield within the next five years. And then, in 10 years, she would love to get Medicare-certified and get into the skilled nursing side of the business.