In 2023, founder of OakStone Health and Nutrition Samantha Turner went from seeing two or three clients per month to 10+ clients per week.
“This increased access to more affordable nutrition services in my area,” she says. “It has been such a blessing helping so many community members improve their health and reduce the community’s healthcare costs.”
The key to her business’ rapid growth? A strategic shift from a cash-based to an insurance-based nutrition practice, a move guided by Longwood SBDC’s resources and counseling.
A registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN), Samantha launched OakStone Health and Nutrition in October 2021. Her Martinsville-based practice provides personalized nutrition counseling and education — not just to individuals but also to families, workplaces and media — with a goal of helping people build healthy, sustainable lifestyles.
“When I started my business, I only knew nutrition and how to be a dietitian and had minimal business knowledge,” she explains. “I knew I could be successful in business if someone were to teach me what I needed to know, and Longwood SBDC did just that!”
In 2022, Samantha secured the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce‘s Partnership for Economic Growth (C-PEG) StartUp Funding. Through this process, she teamed up with Longwood SBDC Western Regional Director Michael Scales, participating in the SBDC’s free online workshops as well as one-on-one business consultations with Michael. She notes that a particular strength of the SBDC is that all of its resources are geared toward local business owners — and that they are completely free!
“Many online business programs are very broad and expensive and have minimal proven results,” she notes. “Whereas Longwood SBDC is a free program that has produced so many successful small business owners!”
Since working with the SBDC, not only has OakStone scaled up in terms of the number of clients it serves, but it has also expanded from a telehealth-only practice to a hybrid practice with a brick-and-mortar office in Uptown Martinsville.
“I will continue to use the mentorship aspect of Longwood SBDC to gain insight on how to expand and scale my business,” she says.
Samantha recommends the SBDC to other business owners. She notes that even small resources like cashflow statement templates have been key for her success.
“Longwood SBDC has many valuable resources and tools that can be used to start and grow a business.”
Are you ready to join successful entrepreneurs like Samantha? Discover the power of personalized counseling, targeted workshops and comprehensive resources — all available at no cost. Get started on your journey to small business success with the help of the Longwood SBDC.