Spotlight: Beanstalk Health Centre

This week’s local business spotlight on Flower City Mom goes to Crystal Morrison of Beanstalk Health Centre, a child-friendly and family health care service centre, located in downtown Brampton.

FCM:  Can you tell us about Beanstalk Health Centre and the services that are offered?
Crystal:  Beanstalk Health values family and offers health care and support to help with the struggles and challenges that every family faces.  We work to keep families healthy, active and growing and acknowledge the needs of pregnant women and children throughout our business by continually working to ensure that their needs are addressed.  Parents can rest easy when their children get curious as we’ve ensured our facility is as child-safe as any toddler’s home.

In addition to providing Registered Massage Therapy and Nutritional Counseling services at the health centre our practitioners offer education on their practices and tips on things that you can do at home to help your family. Workshops and information nights are available to the community to help families make informed decisions regarding their health.

FCM:  Where did you get your motivation or inspiration to start Beanstalk Health Centre?
Crystal:  When my youngest child became very sick I spent a lot of time searching for different health options to help him get better. I discovered that information and community services weren’t always easy to find unless you knew exactly where to look and finding alternative natural solutions were even harder. As a Registered Massage Therapist I found that the treatment of children and pregnant women is often ignored by the health industry. This was unacceptable to me as both a woman and a parent. I believe that every person should be able to easily discover what health treatment options they have available and where they can receive them. Beanstalk Health Centre was started to provide a local resource for families, to offer easy access to natural health services, workshops, classes, and other resources in one convenient location. My vision is to see more families, especially children and pregnant women, receive the natural health care they require for their unique needs.

FCM:  I love how your centre offers “Play Time”, a childcare option for parents coming in for your massage and nutritional counselling services. Can you explain how that works?
Crystal:  Parents often schedule their “personal time” around their children. Only when they have babysitting or the children are in school do they invest in their own health. At Beanstalk Health Centre, we provide the opportunity for stay-at-home parents, singles parents, and every parent in between to partake of our services while the children play in a supervised room. No need to arrange babysitting or take time away from the family at night. By providing Play Time, we encourage parents to make natural health care a part of their lives and provide a foundation of health education for their children.

FCM:  What has been your biggest challenge with having your own business? What is your favourite thing about being in business for yourself?
Crystal:  I have been a work-at-home mom before but nothing can prepare you for the time commitment required to launch a business of this magnitude. My biggest challenge is definitely maintaining balance between work and my family.

My favourite thing about being in business for myself is the flexibility I have to work my schedule around my kids or even being able to bring them with me to work.

FCM:  I see Beanstalk Health Centre is on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Have these social media tools helped you market your business?
Crystal:  The reception to Beanstalk Health has been great. Social media helps to develop on-going connections with our customers and the community. I’m still pretty new to the whole social media scene and there are still so many ways to help our customers using these sites that we’ve only scratched the surface.

FCM:  Will we be seeing Beanstalk Health at any upcoming shows or networking events?
Crystal:  Beanstalk Health will be at the Brampton Mom2Mom Show in October and the Brampton Board of Trade Business to Business Fair in November. Watch for us in the community throughout the year or check on our site to find out where we’ll be.

FCM:  What is your favourite business site or resource?
Crystal:  In order to stay current with health, parenting and business advances, I have to review many different resources.  For business I would have to say that the Brampton Small Business Centre (http://www.brampton.ca/en/Business/sbec/Pages/Welcome.aspx) has been one of my greatest resources for great business advice both in the start-up phase and in growing my business. I have also found the Small Business Centre events to be a great way to meet new people and exchange ideas and resources from other business people in the community.

FCM:  Can you share any advice to the Flower City Mom readers that might be thinking about starting their business?
Crystal:  Preparation is the key to a successful business. You need to be prepared for as many possible outcomes as you can. Understand what you are getting into and evaluate if you can realistically do the job. However, at some point you need to decide to jump in and take action. Be sure to seek advice from those of us that have already done it; mentors will be your biggest asset.

FCM:  Where is Beanstalk Health Centre located, and what is the best way to reach the centre to book an appointment, or for more information?
Crystal:  Beanstalk Health Centre is located downtown Brampton at 57 Mill Street North, Unit 104 (across from the Brampton GO station). Online booking and product purchasing is available through our website and we always welcome you to call us at (905) 216-0280 or drop by for tea if you are in the area.

For more information on Beanstalk Health Centre or to connect with the Crystal please see:

http://www.beanstalkhealth.ca
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Beanstalk-Health-Centre/183323441734091
http://www.twitter.com/beanstalkhealth
http://www.youtube.com/beanstalkhealth