As average life expectancy in this country continues to rise, so does the demand for quality products and services that meet the needs of our aging population. Since 2001, Mark and Ellen Warner, founders of The Alzheimer’s Store (www.alzstore.com), have met this demand by supplying caretakers with the products and information they need to care for those stricken with Alzheimer’s disease.
Mark and Ellen of Cumming, Georgia, started their unique home-based business three years after Mark -- a licensed architect specializing in gerontology design -- wrote the book,
The Complete Guide to Alzheimer’s – Proofing Your Home. “As soon as it came out, we started getting calls from people who wanted to know about the products mentioned in the book,” recalls Ellen, a former teacher and career counselor. “Readers found it easier to contact us than to reach the manufacturers.”
It donned on the couple that there was a tremendous need for a store that offered products designed for those battling Alzheimer’s. Living in Florida at the time, they started their online business with 14 products, however soon encountered a serious challenge. “After getting hit by multiple storms that knocked out power and telephone service, we decided to move to the Atlanta area to be able to better serve our customers,” says Mark.
Today, Mark and Ellen offer nearly 300 products on their web site and through the company’s catalog. They also publish
The Alzheimer’s Daily News (www.alznews.org) -- a free, daily online newsletter that contains briefings and links to articles on care-giving issues, clinical drug trials, and medical advances. In 2005, their business grew 41 percent, and in 2006, it won 3rd place in the annual UPS Best "Out-of-the-Box" Small Business Contest (
www.ups.com/outofthebox) which honors innovative business enterprises.
“We are very pleased to be given the opportunity to help so many people and touch so many lives,” says Mark. “We do look forward to the day when there will be no need for The Alzheimer’s Store, but until then, we will continue to do all we can to improve the quality of life for people who must deal with this disease.” HBM
Previously published in the April 2007 issue of HOME BUSINESS® Magazine, an international publication for the growing and dynamic home-based market. Available on newsstands, in bookstores and chain stores, and via subscriptions ($15.00 for 1 year, six issues). Visit www.homebusinessmag.com
