A Cautionary Note

If you have completed the SWOT analysis and identified that a fitness program would be an excellent addition to your physical therapy services, most of your misconceptions should be gone. However, some PTs may feel that they still do not have what it takes to get started. The three most common excuses are: "I don't have the time or the money"; "I need a large space with a lot of equipment"; and "I won't be able to attract enough customers."

The two most valuable resources are time and money. If time is the biggest problem you face, don't work harder, work smarter. Involve your staff and have them do small parts of the project. If your staff is too busy, hire a new employee whose job is to set up the program.
You say that leads to money problems, right? Get around this by being creative. Hire the new person and give her "a piece of the action." Give her a small monthly salary, and pay her additional money with each sale she makes. Also, make sure you have budgeted enough capital to get this employee started. This tigher you are on cash, the smaller the budget - but do not be afraid to start small and grow as the customer base grow.

A realistic goal is to run the program for a year and just try to cover expenses so the program pays for itself. Manage the fitness program separately from the standard physical therapy side so you can track the exact progress of the fitness program.

If space and equipment are an issue, then modify the scope or size of the fitness program. You probably have most of the balance and stabilization equipment already. Ask yourself what additional equipment your customers will need to have a fun, entertaining, and effective workout. Again, get creative and have a master plan to add equipment as you grow. I knew a personal trainer who used to work his clients with nothing but gravity and a towel for resistance. I was amazed at his personal attention and the amount of sweat pouring form his clients.

If you do not think you will have enough customers to satisfy your expenses, then take a look at your discharge patients from last month. Now go back 3 or 6 months. Is that enough to start? Personally call (do not mail or have your staff do this) discharge patients and tell themthat you have started a fitness program designed specifically to keep them healthy. Offer them a great deal to get them going and make sure you emphasize that this is a logical continuation of their therapy.