Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Larson.
Hi Nicole, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My business future was born in my teen years in the hospitality industry. I was, and often still am, a poster child for the First Aid Box. If there was something to slip on, trip over, or a way to cut myself, I found it. I also found that the nearest First Aid Box was almost always empty. This was my life as I bumped, bruised, and hacked through college. One day, I was speaking with a friend and mentioned I might as well sell bandaids if I used so many. I thought about opening my own business that was tailored to restaurant folks like me who needed a bandaid and also needed to stay at work! I decided to try it and knew I couldn’t look back. And that was that. I started buying and stocking first aid supplies. Then, I became an expert on OSHA compliance and helped a lot of business owners who needed guidance on their liability. I started small, grew slowly, stayed loyal to my customers, and eventually reached a point where my clients preached safety with me and referred us to others who needed our services. I always remind everyone that in the event of an emergency, you are the first responder. But beyond that, the First Aid Box is a statement of how much you value your employees and patrons. Over the years, I’ve realized that I chose the right business. I am compassionate and empathetic to a fault. If I can help, I will. A few years ago, we stopped into one of our regular businesses, and the owner said the AED was making a noise; we hurried back to change the pads and batteries. Two days later, it saved someone’s life. Wildly, that’s happened to me more than once. These things are signs that I’ve chosen the right path in life. It’s been a challenge at times but always rewarding. I am now a certified WBE, and my client roster is more significant than ever. But no matter what, I’ll always stop what I’m doing to welcome innovative, safety-conscious clients into the Larson’s Medical Supply family.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
In early March 2020, chefs and restaurateurs asked me if I stocked N95 medical masks. I didn’t, but if my clients needed them, I would do my best to get them. Little did I know that for a horrible long while, masks were just about my only business. I was fortunate to find a source within my network. The world shut down. My supply was weeks from reaching STL, and shipping was a nightmare. Those few weeks were the longest days of my life. A younger worker at a senior care facility got COVID while we waited. A first responder got COVID while we waited. A nurse, my in-laws, people I knew. All the while, we waited. And when they finally arrived, my life and business wouldn’t return to “normal” again for a year. We drove masks halfway across the state to meet desperate caretakers. I will never forget the struggles we encountered, and I am just thankful now to look back and realize what an impact we had on helping save lives.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
First Aid is straightforward: with bandages and pain relievers and whatnot. Everyone assumes that somebody has first aid. That’s only sometimes true. It’s hard to describe the feeling of opening an empty box when you’re bleeding. That’s why, for me, First Aid is a statement. It says you care about the people under your roof, customers, and employees. It says that you care about your fellow human. Set aside the fact that it’s the law. Let’s talk business. Every businessperson should weigh their liabilities. Consider the needs of a restaurant. A bartender might need bandages, while a chef might need burn cream. If they can get to a quick solution, you retain their person-hours, talents, and ability to generate revenue for your business. Downtime is lost time. But back to law. OSHA will identify and fine non-compliant businesses to the tune of thousands, so having a good first aid supply is smart. A smart businessperson will have a three-shelf metal first aid box full of supplies for various injuries.
What kinds of supplies? My job is to help a business choose their safety stock to be most relevant for their operation. A barge operator has very different needs than an accounting office. And my job is not just to show up at the door with a list of things and say, “Yeah, I have First Aid supplies.” My job is to help explain why they are needed and, more importantly, how a simple metal box with a red cross can save a life.
Further, I encourage business owners to install an eye-wash station and an AED. Vision loss is usually permanent; the first step is rinsing your eyes. And AEDs save lives. The odds of surviving a heart attack drop as every second passes by. I check on everyone to ensure they’re current on supplies. I take my work seriously. Its impact is meaningful. When I come to restock an empty first aid box, that means someone I know experienced pain, and my supplies helped them. When I service an AED, someone I know has had a health emergency, and my customers who had the forethought to plan for the worst might have saved someone. So, my business is also my passion and commitment to people in general. I ask everyone to call me to invite me over. We will discuss your needs. We’ll get the right mix for your business. And often, we’ll even handle the installation. And just like that, you’ll be better prepared because, in an emergency, you are the first responder.
What makes you happy?
What makes me happy is walking into a business and having them greet us and tell me how we helped them when they were injured, That it mattered, and that they were able to get themselves patched up and back to work. There is nothing scarier than bleeding and panicking, and no one has any supplies or any idea what to do. It’s funny, but people often send me pictures of their injuries, and I had to get used to opening a text message with an injured finger before and after. It makes my heart smile knowing that we positively impacted a scary situation and made their lives just a little bit easier that day. Not to mention the phone calls I have received that a life was saved from one of our AEDs; it has brought me to my knees in tears. Happy Tears.
Pricing:
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Contact Info:
- Website: www.Larsonsmedicalsupply.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larsonsmedicalsupply/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LarsonsMedicalSupply
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-larson-67571429/
Image Credits
Juwan Rice
