40 | INNOVISION MAGAZINE She explained that both encouraging friends and professional consultants can offer the support needed to get started. McClain addressed numerous organizations in the area such as KU’s Small Business Development Center (KUSBDC), Penn State’s LaunchBox, and Alvernia University’s O’Pake Institute where “if you’re willing to do the work, these are resources out there that I’ve used personally and can’t recommend enough.” She also provided a booklist that helped her navigate various facets of starting her business highlighting The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber and Start With Why by Simon Sinek. Another question that often gets asked, McClain voiced, is ‘knowing when to expand?’ “When you own a business,” she began, “you’re the owner, the front desk person, HR, billing, therapist (in my case) and that’s how it was when I first started Paragon.” When it starts to become unmanageable and you see a decline in quality or deadlines being missed, it’s a good sign that it’s time to hand off some areas and hire employees. “It can be frustrating letting go of certain tasks,” she explained, “because there’s no guarantee that it will get done as well as you liked or hoped, but it is essential to your company and your work/life balance as your business grows.” In helping the community, Paragon is one of the largest autism support service providers in Berks and Lancaster Counties and instead of expanding geographically throughout the state (like its competitors), Paragon seeks to expand its service offerings. “We want to do a really good job where we’re at,” McClain explained, “and take real good care of Berks and Lancaster Counties and Western York. Social impact is also something that Paragon gives thought to and is something that entrepreneurs “can think about and make decisions on instead of decisions being made for us,” McClain explained. For instance, small details of not using plasticware, and reducing the company’s carbon footprint are within the entrepreneur’s control. Innovation is another important aspect for the entrepreneur, McClain stated, “and great things have come out of Paragon recently, such as our virtual reality modules, which help autistic kids develop the skills needed to gain independence in their adult life.” This aspect of Paragon will be branching out as a separate company where we will sell subscriptions to other behavioral health companies sharing our virtual library across the nation. We’ve recently been accepted in the Benjamin Franklin Technology Partners Portfolio and plan to launch in the next couple of months. McClain offered interesting thoughts regarding women and the workplace stating that while the healthcare field is a predominantly female industry (as providers) there are not many women in leadership roles. “At Paragon we have 100% women in leadership and a study by Peterson University stated that when women hold at least 30% leadership in a company, they drive 6% higher profit margins.” McClain ended her presentation with a challenge saying, “find out who you are, what drives you, be humble enough when you make mistakes, and accept expertise and advice when it’s needed, using that to move you forward.” After her presentation, she opened the meeting for questions and spent time afterwards greeting both students and faculty. “Please add me to your network,” McClain stated honestly during her talk, “I’d love to help any of you or connect you to others who can help you.” The engagement continued as we transitioned to a luncheon where attendees networked together while discussing their entrepreneurial journeys and ambitions. Kyrn McClain, Dr. Anne Carroll, Dr. Jeff Wehrung
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzcxOTE=