Success Story: All Embracing Home Care

All Embracing Home Care – Grand Forks, 2022

THOMPSON — Deanna (Dee) Decimus is the definition of perseverance. Dee’s small business, All Embracing Home Care, was developed as a result of her tenacity and the motivation to make an impact for an underserved community in North Dakota.

While she hadn’t owned a business before, Dee had worked in a range of industries and had a number of life experiences. After some life changes, including becoming a single mom, she knew that she would need a job that provided stability as well as flexibility. She determined small business ownership was a path to that.

Once that was decided, picking the type of business was an easy choice to make. Dee’s niece is part of the Developmental Disability (DD) community and serves as quite an inspiration. In addition, she had industry experience and knew firsthand the limited resources for Medicaid in this area. The path was set with her passion driving her to support other individuals like her niece.

As luck would have it, the part-time job she held as she was looking to being a business owner also led her right to the tools to support her. In the fall of 2018, Dee started a part-time job with the local Chamber of Commerce and was introduced to the SBA resource partner programs. This included Nicole Evans, Center Director of the ND SBDC Grand Forks Center. Nicole brought up things that Dee had not yet considered like securing her BAIL team (banker, accountant, insurance, lawyer). Nicole also helped her work on her financial projections, including the plan for Medicare reimbursement. With those pieces officially in place, Dee was able to work with Lake Agassiz Development Group, a regional CDC, to secure the funding she needed.
On April 19th, 2019, All Embracing Home Care, LLC was open for business. At that point, it was just Dee, a few clients, and one other part time employee. Dee knew she had to take a leap of faith and step away from her part-time position, dedicating all her time to her business. In just a few short months, the first full-time employee was added.

Since then, the growth of the business is nothing short of amazing. In 2021, All Embracing Home Care had 26 employees, which more than doubled to 58 in early 2022. They now have approximately 100 clients, some of which require around the clock care.

A typical week for the team at All Embracing Home Care includes covering an impressive 900+ work shifts. The business has also outgrown its office space. Most recently, renting space in a downtown Grand Forks building owned by a law office; they moved to a bigger space in April 2022.

The business growth is all that Dee could hope for and is worth every bit of work that she puts into her business operations. She likes to joke that she “got sick of working 8-5 and now works 24/7.” However, she is comforted by the fact that she is working for a great cause and helping people every day in her community. All Embracing Home Care now serves individuals in Fargo, Bismarck and rural communities around Grand Forks.

When asking Dee how the community supports her business, she stated, “It is more like a symbiotic relationship. I help the community and in return, they give back to me.” She also attributes much of her success to the support of her parents, her family, and the natural work ethic that she developed growing up on a farm in Roseau, MN.

After going through the process – beginning with no business ownership experience, to getting in touch with the ND SBDC, and now fully thriving as All Embracing Home Care continues to grow, Dee has advice to share with others looking to start their own business. “If you have a passion for something and the work ethic to see it through, do not let anything deter you from what you think you can do. Anything can be done, with a little hard work and the grace of God!”