Serving Frederick, Carroll, Harford & Cecil Counties in Maryland
When Regina “Gina” Della’s brother, Rich, was struck head-on by a drunk driver in 2002, he was placed in a coma and deemed paralyzed. Although doctors recommended cutting off life-support, Gina refused to give up. Gina spent months researching and investigating recovery methods. Against all odds and with family support, Rich miraculously recovered due to a unique device called Quadriciser and intense one-on-one therapeutic exercises that Gina was able to utilize for her brother. After being an eye witness to her brother’s advances, Gina desired to bring the benefits of the Quadriciser and therapeutic rehabilitation to others who have been suffering from severe physical disabilities. The Quadriciser creates a cross-crawl pattern using all four limbs which results in stimulation of the brain and muscle function.
In 2006, Gina opened Therafit Gym for the Disabled as a non-profit organization out of her 500 square foot basement in Westminster, MD. When the demand for her services began to grow in 2008, Gina contacted the Small Business Development Center and opened Therafit Enterprises, Inc. which encompasses the Therafit Gym brand as a for-profit business. Gina and her son Justin worked closely with the Small Business Development Center in business plan development, strategic planning, marketing, finances, and loan preparation. They quickly found the value of the Virtual Advisor program by taking the free courses on her own time with topics such as financial statements, pricing services, and building a website.
Over the years Gina and Justin remained in contact with the Small Business Development Center, and in 2012 they needed additional financing for an expansion. With help from the Small Business Development Center staff they re-evaluated the TheraFit Enterprise, Inc. business plan, and updated it to the meet the needs of lenders. Throughout this process, current customers were defined, a targeted marketing campaign was developed for a new out-of-home location, and further competition was evaluated. After a few months, Gina and Justin received a SBA loan of $80,000 and invested an additional $20,000 of their own cash into the business to open their first location in Westminster, MD.
With the Westminster, MD location successful, Gina and Justin expanded again in January 2015. They borrowed an additional $80,000 SBA loan to purchase equipment and to hire therapists to deliver services at their new Timonium, MD location.
Recently, TheraFit received $50,000 line of credit to expand into additional counties in Maryland. In 2016 Therafit will be partnering with The ARC of Prince Georges County to open TheraFit in two of their locations.
Although the journey has been long, Gina and Justin continue to stay true to their initial mission statement by restoring the quality of life in children, adults, and seniors with disabilities through rehabilitation. Therafit Gym is a neuro-based fitness and therapy facility specializing in physical, aquatic, occupational, and fitness therapy, as well as, gym memberships and training consulting.
Posted: 08/04/2017
