Occupational therapy practice GrowFully was established by Eloise du Plooy and Janka Poggenpoel. Its main area of interest is in the field of paediatrics. They offer group-based therapy to children of various ages. Two core needs were identified and their group sessions, Senso-Art and Baby Bump, were developed to address these needs.
Senso-Art provides a platform for multisensory exploration. It consists of various art, craft and messy play activities that are aimed at stimulating development as well as creativity. Baby Bump is a collection of sessions aimed at new parents and their bundles of joy. The vision of these antenatal groups is to teach little hands to do great things.
How did your business start?
GrowFully was born out of love for children. The name was chosen to reflect not only the vision but also the purpose of the practice, which is to guide children to grow to their full potential. Our goal is to empower parents to create an environment for their children in which growth and learning can flourish.
Why did you choose this area to set up shop?
Moreleta Park is a residential area boasting various small home industries. As it is an established neighbourhood, there are many preschools and childcare centres in the vicinity which provide us with a vast client base while being conveniently located for parents.
How did you find your premises?
Fortunately one of the therapists is a homeowner in Moreleta Park. The property is ideally located and had previously housed a daycare centre which made the premises ideal.
Why are the premises ideally suited to your business?
The premises are situated in a family-friendly neighbourhood with lush gardens and various trees all of which create a calming and inviting atmosphere.
Who are your neighbours?
Residential owners.
What are the shop rental/sales prices like in this area?
A four-bedroom house can go for anything between R2m to R4m.
What is your shop footprint?
The practice can accommodate up to 10 children per group session.
Do you have any expansion plans?
We feel that there is always room for growth and development. However, at present, we are focused on the current services that we offer. We have recently expanded by opening an online store (The Grow Shop) which offers a variety of therapeutic equipment and activities.
Do you operate online as well?
We have a website and we want to create an interactive educational platform for parents in future.
What’s your most popular item/service?
Our most popular occupational therapy service is the early childhood stimulation Senso-Art groups. These groups are 90 minutes in duration and offer a wide variety of stimulation activities that were carefully selected and planned to optimise creativity and play. The most popular item in The Grow Shop is the Baby Floater. This device offers a unique water-based exercise for infants. Research has shown that baby floating improves muscle tone, balance and early left/right brain development.
Eloise du Plooy, 082 665 3175
Janka Poggenpoel, 082 786 0525
Words: Zena le Roux Images: Oh So Pretty Photography
