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Today I speak with Danny Matta DPT, OCS, CSCS of Athlete’s Potential and MobilityWOD. His cash-based PT practice within a CrossFit gym is less than a year old but already going strong. Though we dive into the nuts and bolts of starting a cash practice within a gym, this interview is absolutely packed with cash-based wisdom applicable to all practice locations. Enjoy!
More specifically, we discuss these cash-based practice topics:
- Why he decided to start a cash-pay practice (even with two very young children at the time)
- His advice for choosing the right type of gym for you and your practice style
- Negotiations and tactics he used to create a win-win with the gym owner and get some free rent
- How to “get your foot in the door” with gym owners, even if they already rent space to other healthcare practitioners
- A clever way to get in front of loads of potential patients, even at gyms other than the one you rent from
- What he teaches to Crossfit coaches and tactical military units and how you can use it for your own patients
- How he uses video and blogs to generate new business
- How he is able to shoot high quality videos quickly and edit them in less than a minute
- His social media marketing strategy and how he uses cheap Facebook “post boosting” to generate new patients for his practice
- Some of the best advice he ever received from his business-minded Clinical Instructor in PT school
- The business books he most recommends
Resources and Links mentioned in this episode:
- MobilityWOD (go to “Seminars” to learn about courses near you)
- Danny’s video on how to use a “Voodoo Band” … and you can buy one here
- Front Desk practice mgmt and scheduling software
- Athlete’s Potential – Danny’s clinic website
- Podcasts Danny Likes:
- The Fitpreneurs
- Barbell Business
- Audible.com – Listen to books on the go
- Books he recommends:
Connect with Danny: Twitter, Instagram, and Athlete’s Potential Facebook Page
Let us know if you enjoyed the show:
[Click to Tweet] Thank you @DannyMattaPT for being an awesome guest on the Cash-Based Practice Podcast w/ @DrJarodCarter
Interested in the cash-based private practice model?
Click here to learn how to start your own Cash-Based Practice
Jarod, thanks so much for having me on the podcast! I wouldn’t have started a cash based PT clinic if it wasn’t for your ebook and website. Thanks for all you do for our community.
Danny
That means the world to me to hear, Danny. Thank YOU for all the great info and for the kind words. Keep up the great work!
This podcast was truly awesome! I consider myself a Crossfit “dabbler” as I love the Wods but have a hard time fitting it in between long distance triathlon training and mommy hood. I’ve done a few mobility seminars at local Crossfit gyms but it’s been a long time- this has definitely motivated me get back into marketing to this population again. Thanks so much!
So glad you liked it, Victoria! This one was a lot of fun.
It’s cool to hear that you had already done some mobility seminars with CrossFit gyms in the past. Did you see any new business/patients as a result of them?
Hey Victoria, thanks for listening. I’m glad you got some good info out of it.
-Danny
I am currently training out of a gym in Ohio and am beginning a cash based practice, I have the clientele already but want to make sure I have all the proper paperwork, insurance etc.. I currently have an llc, hpso malpractice insurance obviously am licensed and already have a space available. I also want to do concierge PT is there anything else I should do to make sure I can bill and possibly take insurance in the future. I am based in Ohio. Thank you!
Yes, I definitely did see new patients from doing seminars and even taught a weekly mobility class at the CrossFit gym I was going to before. But since I haven’t trained there consistently in the past 2 years, out of sight out of mind. Plus, a chiropractor moved into the space there and has really discounted rates so I’m less likely to get patients from that particular box now. However, I still get referrals from the coach I used to work with who’s now at a different CrossFit gym. I will say that every time I do some type of presentation, it brings me news clients. I recently taught a strengthen and mobility class for endurance athletes and it was a big hit so I hope to do a specific running seminar next. It definitely helps that I’m well known in the cycling and triathlon community just like Danny Matta said, you have to know their sport whether it’s CrossFit or triathlon.
That’s great to hear! Give tons of value up front and they will think of you when injury strikes. Well done!
I really enjoyed this podcast and all of the great information! Thanks so much to both of you for doing it. I’m currently in a transition within my business and this helped me refocus my goals and take a step back to brainstorm marketing ideas. Great talk!
So glad this episode could be a help and inspiration!
Thanks for listening Brenda. I’m glad you enjoyed this one. Good luck with your business going forward.
-Danny
Jarrod and Danny,
I really enjoyed this pod cast. I have not listened in a while and this was a great one to come back on! I recently started my own practice, but really only have one account (wellness for a center for adults with handicaps). I have known I need more exposure to other groups, and even window shopped some various gyms in my area for me personally. This podcast taught me I need to get out more. Thanks so much. I know you said you don’t use an EMR, you should check out Practice Fusion . I use it and it is totally free! It takes a little getting used to but is cloud based and had tons of capabilities. You can pay to get better service. Just thought I would throw that out there to see if it helps you. Thanks again. I am very interested in the mobilityWOD and will follow the links.
Great to hear, Aaron. And thanks for the EMR suggestion! Let us know how your newly-inspired marketing efforts go.
Thanks for listening Aaron, I’ll check out that EMR.
-Danny
Jarod and Danny,
This by far has been one of my favorite podcast interviews that you have had on your site, Jarod. I started my cashed based practice in March 2015 in partnership with a fitness center and it has been quite successful. Danny, hhanks for all of the useful marketing tips, books, and information regarding the Voodoo band. It’s great to have a network of colleagues who are doing cashed based private practice and sharing this valuable information. Hopefully it continues to inspire more physical therapists to do the same.
So pumped to hear about the rapid success of your new cash practice, Heather! Thanks for the kind words and for taking the time to comment … your story is an inspiration, and I hope we can share it on the podcast someday as well.
Danny, thanks for the tip on “boosting posts” on Facebook. I’ve done it a few times since we recorded the episode and it’s amazing how many impressions you can get for just $5!
Are there difficulties or struggles in regards to HIPAA compliance when running a PT practice out of a gym? I’m thinking about HIPAA paperwork that we have our patients fill out and sign in the clinic. Would that at all have to be extended to gym members if PT treatment and training sessions are occurring in the same location? Thanks.
Hey Detlef,
Thanks for listening to the podcast. I think it may be an issue if you didn’t have a separate space within the gym. We do all the evaluation/re-evaluation and manual therapy in our office which is separate from the gym space. We use the gym space to look at gross movements and retrain them like the squat, deadlift and olympic lifts. In our opinion it’s strength training work at that point not physical therapy, there is a lot of grey area between the two. Thanks again for listening!
Danny
Jarod and Danny,
I recently opened a private practice in a Crossfit Gym and this podcast has helped me broaden what more I could delve into! Thank you! I had one question though, how do you reach out and approach the other Crossfit gyms in your area being that you have a permanent residence at another competitive box? Do they ever get territorial or feel reluctant to send athlete’s your way because they are afraid athlete’s will get steered towards the one that your practice is in?
Congrats Sarah! I’m gonna let Danny field that question since it’s not something I’ve personally dealt with.
Hey Sarah, first of all thanks for listening to the podcast.
I get this same question from many of the PTs I consult with in regards to opening a practice in that setting. I think this is a bit of an issue but we tend to over exaggerate it. The best course of action is to have a good line of communication with the gym owner and coaches at referring gyms. They have to know that you have no ownership in the gym your practice is in. Also, if your gym is in the practice of poaching other people’s members, I would look elsewhere for a gym to house your practice.
Good luck.
Danny
Great podcast, one of my favorite f
ones yet. Danny, I am just curious on if you give your patients a bill to submit to their insurance? If so how do you alter that bill if you are selling packages?
Just wanted to add that in order for your patients to send in self-claims and get reimbursement, the bills do still have to show what units you provided and the rate you charge for each. See this post for details:
https://drjarodcarter.com/cash-pay-pt-receipts/
Joe, thanks for listening. Yes we do give super bills to people that want to self claim. It’s kind of rare honestly, maybe 10% of the people we work with do that. If we have a package and the price is different we adjust the billing accordingly. It’s not like an insurance reimbursement where you get paid a certain amount for each billed block. You can break it up however you want because it’s an agreement between me and the patient. It’s not a contracted rate between me and an insurance company or medicare
I hope this answers you question.
Danny
Great, thanks guys.