Living with Purpose in Cash-Based Practice

“Am I living out my purpose?” That’s the question Amanda Heritage asked herself as she assessed her career in physical therapy. When she realized the answer was “no,” she knew she needed to make a change. Despite the naysayers who told her it was impossible to create a successful cash-based PT practice in southern New Jersey, she decided to give it a go.

She began looking online to learn how to build a profitable, cash-based practice that could meet the needs of an underserved market. By July 2017, she left her job and launched a cash-based PT practice focused on pelvic health. In less than a year, her original vision of a thriving niche PT practice that enables her to fulfill her purpose has become a reality!

In this interview, Amanda shares her key insights from the past year and the special considerations that come with marketing a niche private practice. She explains how she’s built her referral network and what she did to manage an unexpected surge in business last October. And she offers her strategies for keeping the right mindset as you find your way in the cash-based PT practice model.

More specifically, we discuss these cash-based practice topics:

Her process for deciding if she should try to find her purpose by opening a private Physical Therapy practice.
How she determined that her vision for a cash-based practice was financially viable in her area and niche.
Why she chose to create a cash-based practice that specializes in the niche of pre- and post-partum health.
Clever ways she collaborates with other healthcare providers to grow her practice and improve patients’ lives.
Tricks for conquering your fears and keeping the criticism of others from preventing you from reaching your cash practice goals.
What led to an “explosion” in the growth of her Physical Therapy practice after just 3 months.
Things to consider to make sure that limiting overhead costs doesn’t actually create unexpected obstacles.
How to develop a strong referral network and optimize your word of mouth cash-pay patient referrals.
What worked best to build engagement in a closed Facebook group that actually led to paying customers.
Optimizing workshops that will attract paying customers in a “sensitive” niche.
How to leverage technology to grow your audience, help more people, and maximize your profits.
How to manage rapid growth in the early stages so you don’t lose business.