Melissa Allis

So nice to meet you! First off, what’s your name? Tell our readers a bit about yourself—where you’re from originally and where you live now.

Hello! My name is Melissa Allis. I grew up in Yardley, PA which is located in Bucks County. After college, I secured a job in Philadelphia, PA, where I lived for the next 6 years. After lots of fun in Philly, my husband and I moved out to Harrisburg, PA for a variety of reasons, the best one being less traffic! My business now serves clients that are located within an hour of Harrisburg, PA.

Tell us one thing you love about where you live now.

The people. I know there are wonderful people located all over the country, but I truly feel that the people of central PA make the best neighbors and are truly caring people.

Tell us a little more about what your company does and how it started. How does it help your customers?

My company is called Safe Optimal Spaces. I decided to start my own business after I worked as an occupational therapist in home health care. There was so much more that I wanted to do for my patients in home health care that I could not do because of insurance and time constraints. So, out of frustration, I decided to create my own business model. My goal was to provide community members with occupational therapy services at home that would be comprehensive and unconstrained. My goal is to help my clients prevent falls and live out their lives as safely as possible. I am able to assess a client's home and then advise them on how to make successful home modifications. Typically, modifications to your home are low cost and easy to install. The most helpful aspect of my business is that I am a connector to useful resources that my clients usually don't know exist. I make sure a person's environment is safe and easy to navigate using my occupational therapy expertise, but also in collaboration with my community partners.

If someone wants to start a business, what advice would you give them?

My best advice is pretty blunt...don't quit your day job! Seriously, starting a new business does not become profitable for a while (months, maybe years). Having a separate, but steady source of income is extremely important for the success of your new business.

What is one piece of feedback from a happy customer or client that you won't forget?

One client really appreciated that I was able to be calm during a very stressful transition in their life and at the same time it made their stress lower as well. Stress can have a lot of negative impacts throughout your life. I consider it a privilege to be able to ease stress in someone's life, hopefully making them happier and healthier.

Where do you see your company in the future?

I see my company growing slowly and steadily year after year. I want my company to be a strong presence in the central PA community. Providing assistance, whether it be a resource, guide, mentor, occupational therapist, expert, partner, educator, or collaborator, is the goal.

What is the biggest misconception about your industry?

The biggest misconception about healthcare professionals is that we don't actually care about our clients/patients. That is completely untrue and in fact, most of us love our field because we love our clients/patients and improving their lives.

What has been one of your biggest struggles building your business, and how did you deal with it?

To date, my biggest struggle has been navigating Medicare Part B as a payment source. I want to accept insurance so more clients can access my services. However, it has been extremely challenging, almost similar to learning a foreign language. So, my solution after a long time of struggling to master Medicare by myself is to reach out to someone who is more knowledgeable than I am. I plan to pay someone to help me successfully bill Medicare Part B and who can also educate me on becoming a competent Medicare Part B provider.

Who was your favorite music artist and athlete growing up?

My favorite music group growing up was U2. My family was a big tennis-watching and tennis-playing family. If I had to pick a favorite athlete(s), it would have to be Serena and Venus Williams; they continue to amaze me.

Any shoutouts you want to make?

I'd love to send a shout out to my husband and best friend, Ned. He whole-heartedly supports me and my business, sometimes even when I feel defeated. A bunch of my friends cheered me on when I was deciding to start a business. I don't think it would have happened if it wasn't for their continued enthusiasm. THANK YOU!

Where can our readers learn more about you and your company?

You can learn more about Safe Optimal Spaces by reaching out to me personally, via email, text, call, or website message. You can also learn more about my business on my website, safeoptimalspaces.com. From my website you can view my recent newsletter, blog posts, and social media platforms.