Published on July 27th, 2020 | by Sumit Bhowal

How to start a Physiotherapy Practice

Given the increasing number of people suffering from mild to chronic pain and other physical ailments, physiotherapy has become a high-demand service in recent times. As such, physiotherapists, who are qualified and experienced enough, can consider opening their own physiotherapy clinic. To qualify, they need to take Physical Therapy training from a reputed source. To qualify, they need to take Physical Therapy training from a reputed source.

Starting your own physiotherapy practice isn’t a piece of cake for sure. It looks lucrative that you will be your own boss, but the reality may be starkly different. You will be an entrepreneur, meaning you will have shoulder the responsibilities of running your business smoothly. This can easily translate to high stress levels and very little leisure time.

However, these aspects are present in any business you name. They shouldn’t stop you from starting your own physiotherapy practice. Just like any other business, patience and commitment can take your physiotherapy business to the summit of success. Let’s take you through some of the key steps involved in starting your own physiotherapy practice in this article.

Know your route in and out

Physiotherapy is a specialized service, and there are norms that dictate its scope and nature. To start your own physiotherapy practice, you need to first get to know the nitty-gritty of the industry and what legal specifications govern it.

You need to find out and get in touch with the regulatory agency with which you will be registering your therapy clinic. Your clinic will have to have the necessary license from the concerned authority before you start your practice. All these processes will involve an upfront registration fee, which you need to pay to the agency.

For you to get a license, you need to present your business plan before the licensing authority in the jurisdiction where you wish to start your clinic. Your business plan should clearly show your qualifications, certifications, experience and expertise in providing physiotherapy.

Choose your location wisely

The success of your physiotherapy practice will greatly depend on the location you choose. So, you need to be smart in this regard. You should clearly know your target audience—who would be coming to your clinic? You need to take various socio-economic factors into account before drawing a concrete conclusion. Delve deeper into the demographics, population, competitors, and physical environment of an area before registering your clinic.

Your initial registration-related tasks will also depend on the jurisdiction you choose for registering your clinic. Different jurisdictions might have entry restrictions on certain types of businesses. So, you need to be clear about that before investing in a physical space. When it comes to choosing a physical space, you should consider a smaller, more flexible one. It shouldn’t burn a hole in your pocket with outrageously high monthly bills.

Set up your space and processes

Once you decide on a physical space where you will be offering your physiotherapy services, you need to invest in the necessary equipment and map out workflows and processes. As an entrepreneur, you need to use your physical space as a marketing tool. Your physical space can either make or break the impression of your clinic before your clients. As such, the visual appeal and design of the space should be your foremost consideration.

Your clinic will have to have some important physical equipment. You need to list them down and shop around, either online or local specialized vendors. To make your workflow seamless, you also need to invest in the latest technologies. SaaS solutions for CRM, accounting, payroll, and marketing can make a huge difference in the overall administration of your physiotherapy business.

Form a team

Once you have set up your space and tasks, you need to now start building a team to help you run your physiotherapy business. Depending on how you structure your business—whether it will be a sole proprietorship, partnership, concierge service, or multidisciplinary care model—your recruitment strategy will vary.

You need to be mindful of various employment laws of the region where you are starting your practice. Governments of some states have laid down stringent requirements in terms of minimum pay, working hours, and other perks and benefits of employees of different industries. It’s important that every business adheres to these employment guidelines and laws.

Establish a pricing policy

Your physiotherapy practice will get a good start if you price your services in the right way. To get an idea of which pricing works best, you need to do some research on your competitors, the income level of people in your business location, and your operating costs. Profit is certainly an unshakable goal, but it cannot be earned at the cost of people’s hard-earned money.

If you are certified as a healthcare professional under an insurance company, that will require you to tweak your fees. You will come across patients who will prefer to get coverage for the service under their insurance policy. On the other hand, if you treat NHS patients, the local health board will be paying you for your service rendered to patients.

Market your business

Last but not least, you need to start promoting your business in order to get clients to enrol for your physiotherapy service. There are n number of online registries where you can register yourself as a qualified physiotherapist. You need to also come up with a robust marketing plan that gives you a roadmap of your promotional activities.

If you are starting off in your native town or city, you can even leverage the power of word-of-mouth. Share your business idea with your friends and family and ask them to spread the word. This way of marketing proves cost-effective and credible.

Make sure you follow these tips to start your physiotherapy business and hop on your much-desired entrepreneurial journey.

These tips are proudly provided by Nookal. Nookal is a provider of Practice Management Software for the allied health industry. They offer practice management solutions to help health clinics streamline their administration systems, effectively manage their business and improve efficiency and productivity.

Tags: medical practice, physiotherapy, practice

About the Author

Sumit Bhowal An Internet addict and a MASTAN , Also a lazy Freelancer . I don't try to reinvent the wheel I just like to soak things in Steroid's :p Thanks (y)