Frontier Journeys Inc. - Grangeville

Jack Smith, CCS, ICADC and Tricia Gardner, RN, MSW, LCSW recognized a need to provide dependable, individualized and comprehensive mental health and substance-abuse counseling services to a rural section of north central Idaho, a place they called home. The partners founded Frontier Journeys, Inc. and decided to offer a complete array of counseling and consulting services, including 24-hour crisis response, for their mental health and substance-abuse clientele. Equally important to them was a desire to create a healthy work environment for their staff to support their ability to offer expert, caring and quality services to their consumers.

Jack and Tricia, due to their caring and competent nature, grew the business dramatically during its first four years. Revenue increased over fifty percent during the past two years. An unplanned event brought them to the Idaho Small Businesss Development Center (SBDC) in Lewiston.

During the past year, regulatory changes in their industry affected the timing of their cash flow. Jack and Tricia quickly recognized the need to manage the growth and subsequently their cash flow, but were unsure how. With the help of the SBDC, they designed a management reporting structure, developed budgets using the structure, and implemented process improvements that would allow them to make proactive decisions for managing their resources - both people and cash. The SBDC in Lewiston is also working with the Idaho Rural Partnership advocating legislative changes that would assist rural health providers such as Frontier Journeys, Inc.

Frontier Journeys, Inc. now employs 12 full-time and five part-time employees, including Jack and Tricia. Their gross revenue is just over a half-million dollars with ample ability to grow. They wish to continue a relationship with the Idaho SBDC to receive continuing assistance in strategic planning to ensure their continued long-term success.