Gwendolyn Shelton left a career in banking to start a health care staffing business in 2022. It was a career change that’s paid dividends in more than dollars and cents, and one that, eventually, connected her with a helpful business partner in the Virginia SBDC.

“My teenage daughter graduated high school a year early to take up nursing,” Gwendolyn says. “After she started working for a nursing facility, she came home almost every day upset that clients weren’t properly cared for. That opened my eyes to health care.”

Gwendolyn took her daughter’s words to heart and decided to do something about the issue.

“I talked to my husband about starting a medical staffing agency,” Gwendolyn says. “In 2022 we invested our savings and started United Choice Healthcare Staffing.”

A sign she had made the right choice came a week later.

“The week after I started putting my own business plan into place, I was laid off from my job,” she says.

Starting her business from scratch, Gwendolyn sought out a mentorship program to expand her knowledge of the health care industry and learn how to run a business. That empowered her to launch the medical staffing agency. In 2023 she decided to switch gears and began seeking licensure for home health care.

This switch led her to the University of Mary Washington SBDC and Director Susan Ball.

“I knew the basics of business when I reached out to the SBDC,” she notes. “Susan opened my eyes to the areas of home health care I could provide and introduced me to certifications that would help my business.”

Susan also assisted Gwendolyn through the certification process for the Small, Women-owned, and Minority-owned Business (SWaM) certification, a state program to enhance procurement opportunities in state-funded projects, and System for Award Management (SAM), a government-wide registry for vendors doing business with the federal government.

The SBDC also provided step-by-step guidance through the micro-loan application process.

“Susan explained each piece of the micro loan application, and we did write a business plan to apply for one,” Gwendolyn notes. “We did not complete the loan application process because we decided we should wait on that. At first, I worked cases myself and saved enough to allow me to hire other individuals.”

United Choice Healthcare Staffing started with three employees in October 2023; currently the employee count is 18. Since March, Gwendolyn’s business has also reached the six-figure income level. And even as the company continues to grow, Gwendolyn plans to keep her connection with the SBDC.

“Since I started with the SBDC, Susan Ball has not left my side,” Gwendoly says. “Without the SBDC, I really don’t know where I’d be today. I still meet Susan monthly. I always have questions, and she’s there to answer them.”