Opening your own practice presents numerous challenges (as well as rewards, of course).  Sometimes there is a strong temptation to simply view oneself as a therapist who is self employed. While that is technically true, running a successful practice will require you to change the way you think about yourself. You’re not only a therapist anymore; you’re also a business owner. So now it’s time to start thinking like one.

For many business owners, marketing their business presents a challenge. You know your industry and you’re confident in your ability to serve the community with your skills. But marketing is an entirely different occupation, and it’s not the same as selling. It’s about forming relationships that contribute to your success.

That’s why we urge industrial therapists to view Employers not as clients, but as Partners. As you form these relationships, the services you provide to Employers become a primary point of contact with members of the community. Then, those contacts help your business to grow.

Here’s a typical example of how this process works:

1. First, you assist an Employer during their hiring process, providing prior-to-hire assessments.
2. Then, you continue to teach and work with their employees on an individual or group basis addressing injuries and joint specific issues.
3. Over time, you become the physical therapist of choice to those employees.
4. And you might even work through those employees to do community education programs (for injuries or joint specific education)

This process dovetails perfectly with how your growing practice is set up to operate. You can get started by offering mobile services – in this case, by visiting Employers to offer your services on site – and then allow your brick-and-mortar practice to gradually expand as patients return to you for individual services.

You control this growth via your partnerships on the Employer end, and invest in a location and support staff at the rate that suits your goals. A focus on abundance within your partnerships results in an abundance of patients (and streams of income). 600

This is what we mean by shifting your thinking, so that you view yourself as a business owner who just happens to be a therapist. Following the process outlined above, it is easy to see that Employers serve as the gateway to an ever-expanding business. As a successful business owner, you will also become a successful therapist.