VBE Spotlight on: Mobility Roadside Assistance

Mobility Support Solutions

Mobility Support Solutions was founded by Jim Speer in 2013

Mobility Roadside Assistance™ began in 2013 after Jim Speer, President of Mobility Roadside Assistance, was making a visit to the VA Hospital in Seattle. Jim was sitting next to a gentleman in a wheelchair who was missing his right arm and leg. He got into conversation and found out he lost them in Desert Storm in the early 90’s.

They got to talking about their work and Jim told him he was in the “Emergency Roadside” business. Right away this veteran shared that he had used a service like that a few weeks before, and it worked fine picking up his van, except it left him on the side of the road.

Interactions like this with the Veteran community led Jim to researching for something that would help veterans with these kinds of needs. He found nothing that could help outside of specific regional services, and knew something had to be done. Jim went to work and created Mobility Roadside Assistance.

Their mission is to make sure you are never left on the side of the road.

Learn more by visiting their website: https://mobilityroadsideassistance.com

About the Business - Continually Adding Value & Creating Peace of Mind

What services do you provide?

"Mobility Roadside Assistance."

Who are your primary customers?

"Anyone with a mobility challenge."

When and how did you start your business?

"I'm a SDVOBE (Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business Enterprise) and as such, I was at the VA Hospital in Seattle for an appointment. I got to talking with a guy in a wheelchair that lost his right arm and leg in the first Gulf War. We got to talking about what we do for a living, and I told him about being in the emergency roadside business with insurance companies. He shared he had just used that kind of service a few weeks before and I asked him

'How did it work for you?'

He said, 'It worked great on his van, but they left him on the side of the freeway'.

Because he could not ride in the tow truck with a 400lb chair he then had to wheel himself off the freeway to a a strip mall and waited 3 hours for his wife to come after work. I had never heard of such a thing and when he went off to his appointment, a marine (he was wearing a t-shirt that told me) that was in a wheelchair, said he overheard our conversations and he said that was his greatest fear.

A marine admitting fear surprised me, so I asked him 'Why?'

He said, 'I know I can take care of myself, but what do I do with my wife and 3 small children?'

That go wheels turning in my head and it is what started my business in 2013, because no company was offering that service at the time. The need was so great and no one was serving this demographic which includes 85 million that say they are mobility challenged in some way. "

Business Growth Challenges - Growing Through Challenge and Change

What were some of the challenges in starting your business?

"When you don't have any competition, brand awareness is a challenge. We started by serving the Mobility Van dealers that sell accessible vans and they sold it to their customers. Now we are reaching into the rest of the potential market through HR departments, associations, insurance companies, etc. Some of those have taken two or three years to cultivate, so the sales process can be very long."

What is the key to the success of your business?

"Perseverance and being creative to reach the goals we have set as a company. 'There is more than one way to skin a cat.'"

What lessons learned can you share with people to make their business succeed?

"Surround yourself with good people, and make sure that you all get to the same place with any ideas by agreement; do not force compliance on your teams part. Trust your gut feelings, be patient, and never move out of fear - it's usually not real anyways."

What pitfalls should they avoid?

"Be very careful when hiring friends or family, it can be very costly on the relationship. Sometimes their abilities will not be what you desired to achieve."

What other information about you and your business would you like to share with the NaVOBA community?

"Our mission is to 'Restore dignity and provide peace of mind to the 85 million people with mobility challenges in the United States and Canada.'"

Service information

Branch:

United States Navy

Service Years:

1963 - 1969

Highest Rank Attained:

E-3

Why did you join the military?

"It was my duty and honor to follow in my fathers footsteps, who served for 37 years in the Navy."

Military Occupation:

"Coxswain on the Captain Gig and the ships utility boats."

Any Significant Military Achievements/Experience you'd like to mention?

"During the Dominican Crisis, I had the privilege of running 16 Marines in full gear into the port at Santa Domingo to protect our embassy. I also had the privilege of going from the Arctic to the Antarctic, doing 2 Med tours and 2 Caribbean along with meeting the Independence when it came around the Horn of Africa from Vietnam in 1965."

Biography/Fun Facts

"Retirement is not a goal, as I love to create new products and services to help our fellow man, so I always see myself either running my business and mentoring those that will succeed me."

"To relax, I take my family, all 11, and travel to all parts of the world. We recently have gone to Fiji, Costa Rica, Hawaii - 3 times, and the next trip is to South East Asia I hope. "

"Something unusual. When my father was stationed in Newport News VA as a plank owner on the Enterprise, I had a paper route and delivered papers on a route that had 5 of the first 7 astronauts. They were stationed at Langley Air Force Base at the time.

I also lived in Cuba when my father was stationed at Guantanamo in 1954 to 1957."