Vicky Bledsoe, a licensed physical therapist, and Toni Wagner, a safety and occupational health specialist, often talked of starting their own business. Vicky received her degree in physical therapy from The University of Texas Health Sciences Center in San Antonio in 1995, and Toni received a degree in industrial technology from Southwest Texas State University in 1989. Since receiving their diplomas, Vicky's worked for physical therapy clinics in Austin and Corpus Christi, and Toni's worked for the US Department of Labor, most recently in OSHA's Corpus Christi office.

After a few years in Corpus Christi, they longed to return to Austin, but not working for someone else. Vicky had always wanted her own clinic, and Toni said she was "growing tired of the governmental bureaucracy". They started talking in earnest about opening their own physical therapy clinic in Austin, and the more they thought about it, the more excited they became.

They reasoned that Vicky's strong interpersonal skills, training and expert hands-on therapeutic care, coupled with Toni's administrative experience and bureaucratic know-how, and their desire to help patients, would insure the success of Atlas Physical Therapy . With not much more than a name for their clinic, but with plenty of experience and ambition, they contacted the Del Mar College Small Business Development Center in October 2002, for help in structuring a business plan and loan proposal. SBDC counselor Michael North assisted them in preparing a business plan, cash flow projections, personal financial statements and loan proposal.  

After the plan and financials were complete, Vicky and Toni approached a bank in Austin, as well as some potential investors, for a loan. Before the bank completed their analysis of the loan request, a retired physician agreed to finance the clinic. According to Vicky and Toni, "the assistance provided in large part by Mr. North made our dream a reality. Mr. North wrote a business plan and loan proposal for us and enabled us to obtain financing for our startup. Our investors and potential investors were impressed with the thoroughness of our business plan. Mr. North provided us with excellent advice, guidance and moral support. The SBDC provided us with excellent service and we look forward to future assistance."

Vicky and Toni's dream of starting their own business will become a reality in April 2003, the anticipated opening of Atlas Physical Therapy located in the Exchange Park Office Building at 7800 Shoal Creek Blvd., Austin, Texas. Atlas Physical Therapy is an outpatient physical therapy clinic providing rehabilitative and preventive physical therapy services, fitness and disability awareness programs and wellness education.