Debra Dowden said she is a natural entrepreneur, but her husband, Bruce, is not.

"I worked 28 years at a job [purchasing for a mining company] that I didn't really like, so that kind of tells you how much of a risk-taker I am," he said.

After extensive research into business concepts that allowed the couple to help others while earning a living, the Dowdens quit their executive positions and moved from the Tyler area to open the 101 Mobility Austin franchise in Cedar Park in April 2012.

101 Mobility began selling franchises in 2008 and now has more than 80 locations throughout the country. The sales, service and installation business provides mobility and accessibility equipment, including stair lifts, auto lifts, porch lifts, patient lifts, power wheelchairs, scooters and ramps to bypass stairs. Short and long-term rentals are also available.

101 Mobility gave the Dowdens an opportunity to improve mobility for disabled veterans and also help aging individuals, Debra said.

"Bruce has always been really connected with the elderly," Debra said. "He attracts them walking down the street. They'll pick him out and talk to him."

About 40 percent of the store's business is with the Department of Veterans Affairs, she said, while other jobs come from retail sales and referrals from home health agencies. One agency introduced them to Loren Goodman, a woman who at age 25 developed transverse myelitis and was paralyzed from the neck down. She and her young sons moved in with her parents, and the challenges of mobility essentially confined her to an upstairs bedroom.

Mobility 101 Austin installed a custom ceiling and stair lift system at Goodman's home that can carry her in a sling from her bed to the bathroom and to the stair lift, enabling her to move safely and more frequently.

"Bruce and Debra were like angels sent to our family," Goodman said. "I never thought I would be able on a regular basis to be out of the house again. They made a tremendous impact on my life."

101 Mobility Austin, 715 Discovery Blvd., Ste. 504, Cedar Park, 512-829-1101, https://austin.101mobility.com, www.facebook.com/101mobilityaustintx, Hours: Mon.–Fri. 9 a.m.–5 p.m.