Dr. Kelly Boyle: Small Business Owner of the Year
Small and Medium Enterprise Agency Dr. Kelly Boyle became interested in naturopathic medicine while working at a health food store in the 1990s, then studied at Bastyr University in Seattle, graduating with a master’s degree in acupuncture and oriental medicine in 2003.
Five years later, Boyle founded Integrative Acupuncture, a practice that combines traditional healing with evidence-based medicine. Her passion for her patients and leadership in the field has allowed the business to grow and thrive, and was instrumental in Boyle being named Vermont’s 2024 Small Business of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Photo: Dr. Kelly Boyle, owner of Integrative Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Photo: Baldwin Photography
Integrative Acupuncture currently employs a team of acupuncturists and massage therapists at three clinics in Montpelier, Williston and Colchester, and services include herbal medicine, acupuncture, cupping, massage therapy and, most recently, flotation therapy at the Montpelier clinic.
Acupuncture, which has been shown in studies to be effective for many pain conditions, makes up a large part of Boyle’s business and is mostly covered by health insurance.
After Boyle graduated from Bastyr University, her entrepreneurial options were slim, so she decided to return to Vermont and open her own clinic, but first she pursued another enticing possibility: Celebrity Cruise Lines’ just-launched Acupuncture at Sea program.
“I heard rumors that they were introducing acupuncture on international cruise ships and that was enough for me,” Boyle said. “Without any training manual or introduction, I hopped on a cruise ship and set sail for South America.
“It was a pilot program,” she continued. “We had some massage tables in an old conference room, and I was giving lectures there.”
It took a while to launch the program and successfully market the service.
“There was no education system or network on board, but I got pretty good at that,” she says. “I love advocating for acupuncture and introducing it to people, so that became my focus on board. I was pretty successful in getting people to try acupuncture.”
After a while, Boyle was recruited by the company’s headquarters to help expand the program to other cruise ships. She eventually joined the team responsible for hiring, recruiting, and training new acupuncturists. Acupuncture is now offered on 150 cruise ships around the world.
“My work in the cruise industry inspired me to not only expose as many people as possible to acupuncture, but also to provide jobs for acupuncturists,” Boyle said. “What I’ve learned from hiring and training acupuncturists on board is that not everyone wants to own their own business or has the skills to be an entrepreneur. There are amazing practitioners out there looking for work to provide their services, and I felt honored and excited to be part of this movement.”
Ultimately, Boyle is one of those practitioners who has the skills necessary to be a successful entrepreneur. Her drive, determination, creativity, tenacity, resilience and persuasion have served her well in both setting up her own acupuncture practice and owning and operating a successful business.
When she returned to Vermont in 2009, Boyle put those skills to work. She opened a Montpelier practice within the offices of Integrated Family Health, the flagship practice for Central Vermont Medical Center, and developed the vision to integrate her services with the primary care clinic, initially teaming with another acupuncturist but eventually taking over the entire operation.
Boyle quickly learned that running a business is hard at all times, but never more so than during a pandemic. For most of the two-year pandemic, customers were unwilling to share their 10-by-10-foot rooms with others, so Boyle had to get creative and think of other services she could offer.
So she took a risk and purchased a floatation tank, a giant tub filled with 92-degree water and 1,400 pounds of Epsom salts, programmed to stay as quiet and dark as possible to reset the patient’s nervous system.
“It was a great service to introduce during the pandemic because it allows people to get the benefits of stress reduction, pain relief and relaxation even when they’re alone in their room,” Boyle said.
Photo: Dr. Kelly Boyle, owner of Integrative Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Photo: Baldwin Photography
The Small Business Administration’s COVID-19 relief programs have also been extremely helpful during this time: Boyle was able to use an Economic Injury Disaster Loan from the Small Business Administration to cover working capital and other regular operating expenses, like continuing health care benefits, paying rent, utilities, and fixed debt.
The pandemic wasn’t the only time Boyle turned to the SBA for help: She also participated in the organization’s THRIVE program, an executive-level training series designed to accelerate the growth of high-potential small businesses across the country.
“The program was like a crash course on how to be a CEO,” Boyle said. “I learned a lot during that time and implemented a lot of changes that helped the business.”
Continuing on her path as a successful business owner, Boyle has this advice for other aspiring entrepreneurs: “Starting a business requires a lot of time and energy to be invested before opening. Sometimes entrepreneurs get so excited about their vision that they’re ready to open before the foundations are laid.”
Boyle recommends creating a business plan, understanding your financial situation, and defining your niche in the market before you start your business. Once you have a plan in place, it will help you weather any tough times down the road.
“When you’re trying to grow from a startup to a 13-employee, three-location business, having the fundamentals and the foundations in place is really important,” Boyle said.
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