PEOPLE with mobility challenges can face a dilemma when it comes to accessing the equipment needed to get around.
In many cases, they need to visit a bricks-and-mortar store to get outfitted for mobility gear, but, unless they already own the equipment, how do they get there?
Recognizing this catch-22 situation, Mark Senner and his wife Karmen McKellar decided to buy into the Canadian franchise Premier Mobility and Health Products. Their recently launched business features a mobile showroom that brings mobility equipment and home safety products right to the client's doorstep.
"I just liked the concept of the business, you know, built upon the premise and the irony that for those that have mobility challenges the only way they can really get outfitted is to go to a retail establishment, which is a burden," said Senner.
The couple lives in West Vancouver and their roaming business serves the North Shore, Vancouver, Sunshine Coast and Sea to Sky region. Inside their large van are wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, rollers, plus a variety of bathroom and bedroom accessories. Bigger and higher-end items such as stair lifts, porch lifts and elevators are available on request.
"In addition to that, I can actually outfit, right then and there, elements of their home while on premise," Senner said. "We can show them and give them a sample, they can try it out and then we can customize an order. They can usually get that in two to three days."
Senner is available for appointments seven days a week, including evenings, which allows clients, caregivers and family members to make decisions together.
"It's a far more personal service, which I enjoy," he said. "We provide a service that fits with your timelines, when you can get your family together at your place of residence, and provide something that not everybody wants, but they need."
The North Shore has one of the largest percentages of residents 65 and older in the Lower Mainland, and Senner says his customer base is only going to expand.
"The market, it's at its very early stage. There's a big growth potential and an aging population," he said.
He also knows from personal experience what it takes to equip a person and home with mobility gear. His father had a stroke in early February and now requires the items his son provides.
"I'm actually living it and seeing it firsthand, the issues around mobility," Senner said.
After spending 25 years in the pharmaceutical industry and living in Eastern Canada for a decade, Senner is pleased to be home on the North Shore.
"I wanted to start my own business back in my home and provide a service back to the community, so here I am."
For more information about Premier Mobility and Health Products, visit premiermobility.ca.
