Educating Grandparents on ADHD in Grandma Carol’s Corner

Carol Staudacher has lots of knowledge and experience working with both personal family members and patients who have ADHD, which affects about 8% of children and 6% of adults. She decided to take her knowledge and experience, wrap it up in a pretty box, and share it with others who could benefit greatly from it.

Staudacher, an entrepreneur and client of 1-800Accountant, proudly manages her own small business called Grandma Carol’s Corner, LLC. It’s based right out of her home in Lake Leelanau, Michigan and was officially established in March 2014.

Through the startup company, the grandmother of 13 is educating fellow grandparents about some of the challenges their grandkids face, particularly when it comes to ADHD and other learning and behavioral conditions prevalent in about two-thirds of children with ADHD.

“I have learned that this older population doesn’t understand the three basic features of ADHD which includes inattention, physical hyperactivity, and impulsivity,” Staudacher says. “I want to be able to inform them so that they can have more positive interactions with their grandchildren with ADHD. Most of these children receive so much negativity because of their challenging behavior. More positive reinforcements could trigger a better self-image in these kids which might help to improve their functional levels.”

Staudacher, a former nurse with a master’s degree in psychiatric nursing, used to send out a family newsletter to her grandchildren and called it Grandma Carol’s Corner. She would include news about all the grandchildren as well as information on various health issues, including ADHD. Little did she know that one day she would run her own startup business with the same name! She has her own website – www.grandmac.co – and plans to launch a blog on which she’ll feature a plethora of articles and information about ADHD for grandparents as well as for their grandchildren.

“It’s discouraging to see so many of these children struggle so much with their schoolwork in grammar school and high school,” she says. “Many of them want to attend college, but fail because they haven’t learned appropriate study and organizational skills to accommodate their unique learning disabilities. Many of them end up with low-paying jobs even though they may have creative talents which, if nurtured, could lead to advances in industrial or scientific fields or even the arts. Many of these children also have a unique characteristic of thinking “outside the box,” which enhances their creativity.”

While education is a primary reward in the business, Staudacher hopes to generate some revenue through her for-profit venture. She plans to use Google AdWords, which posts ads relating to the business focus to increase the number of visitors on the site. Revenue is generated by the number of clicks to the site each day.

Small Business Competition

Entrepreneurs strive to pursue the latest and greatest ideas that have yet to be taken in order to discover startup success. Fortunately for Staudacher, she feels like she has found a niche in her industry that has largely been untapped by others.

“I couldn’t find much at all about grandparent involvement in dealing with ADHD. Plus, grandkids generally have a special place in their hearts for their grandparents. I was thinking that getting a little more involved with schoolwork and projects might make a difference. Parents could also use a little reprieve from handling the daily stress of dealing with the nuances associated with ADHD.”

Pointers for Entrepreneurs

Staudacher offers some tips for fellow entrepreneurs looking for an opportunity to jump into a new small business venture.

“I would say research your area of interest to see how much business is out there already,” she says. “Look at websites, blogs, and other informational resources. Have a definite business plan in mind. I think I went into this without doing as much research as I could have in the beginning.”

She admits there are both advantages and disadvantages to being self-employed.

“I travel a lot, especially in the winter. But I can take my business with me. It would be more difficult if I depended on that income to support myself or my family, as one isn’t guaranteed a steady paycheck.”

1-800Accountant Client Testimonial

As a 1-800Accountant client, Staudacher says she’s been very happy with the accounting firm’s support.

“I can call and ask questions whenever I want, and I have gotten follow-up calls regularly,” she says. “I have been very satisfied with 1-800Accountant and would recommend the firm to others.”

Photo credit: The photograph of Carol Staudacher was provided by Grandma Carol’s Corner, LLC and is used with permission.