Doug Vestal, PhD, offers practical and tangible advice to Occupational Therapists looking to start and grow their own Private Pay practice. He and his wife founded their own OT private pay practice in 2014 in NYC focusing on pelvic health and grew it from scratch into a thriving business.
Start your OT private pay practice with confidence, learn to attract your best clients, operate your business smoothly and gain the freedom to treat who you want, where you want, when you want and for as long as you want.
FREE GUIDE: The 13 point checklist shows you exactly what steps are needed to legitimize your OT private pay practice www.freedomofpractice.com
This is an interesting conversation about something that has been a common practice for decades. I have worked years as a contract therapist and there was no leadership involved. You have no voice and must conform to the model you have chosen to contract with. You generally do not qualify for healthcare, paid time off, or retirement benefits. So if you do not need to provide those thing for you family and if you do not want career advancement, then contract is a great option because it is typically paid at a higher rate.
Holy moly. Not only did you simplify this for me but totally motivated me. I’ve been a licensed and practicing OT for 13 years (11 of those home health) and I’m getting burnt out. Not from the patients but from the micromanaging and productivity requirements and bosses (so many bosses!). Some part of me thought it would be really difficult to just start seeing clients on a cash basis but this gives me hope. I’m already out there on the road every day, no one knows this area like I do. Any other tips for success?
How do you determine your business taxes for the year? Is that usually about 15%? How did you determine your businesses expenses? Did you just set a budget for that? Checking out your videos and this was very encouraging.
the taxes part really depends on the type of business entity you are as they are all taxed differently. For business expenses I would take a careful look at everything to determine if it is a "now" item or if it can be a "later" item. I like starting simply and then using revenue from seeing clients to re-invest in the business. The place I find not to see as an "expense" but rather an "investment" is your marketing efforts. Flyers, brochures, events, community workshops, your website, etc., are all the things that are really going to move the needle in terms of getting clients to reach out and book so you can earn revenue. I've got a whole video on costs that you can watch here: www.freedomofpractice.com/cost
I’m aligned with that. When I meet my clients, I introduce myself. I patiently wait and listen to what they have to say. Paraphrasing their concerns and asking more in depth questions has been an important part of establishing trust and rapport with the parents. Acknowledging the other family members and asking if they have anything to contribute also helps. Spouses, grandparents and siblings often contribute details that facilitate the evaluation process and help them to feel heard.
Isabel - thank you for sharing your valuable insights. Truly '' in sights', allowing us to see from the inside how you navigated the intimidating and scary pathways with courage and conviction, using your OT MBA learning to transform ideas into a beautiful new reality. Very inspiring!
Are you an introverted OT? How are you balancing being an introvert and growing your practice? Curious about how to succeed in private pay as an OT? Download my free OT guide on the 5 key steps to succeed in your practice: www.freedomofpractice.com/thriving-ot-private-pay-practice
Exceptional customer service is the thread 🧵 🪡 that connects all of Kirsten’s marketing efforts that EMBRACE her clients through nurturing the mother and child. Her husband’s support has been such a genuine expression of his belief in the importance of her work. 🙏🏾🌹🕊️ This is an excellent example of how to address some of the potential stumbling blocks to success in private pay private practice.
Absolutely! Exceptional customer service can be such a distinction in today's volume based healthcare system and providing highly individualized care will get you recognized and the go-to in your community!
Curious about how to succeed in private pay as an OT? Download my free OT guide on the 5 key steps to succeed in your practice: www.freedomofpractice.com/thriving-ot-private-pay-practice
What was your biggest takeaway from Ashley? If you want more specialized advice on how to start your OT business successfully then download my OT guide: www.freedomofpractice.com/thriving-ot-private-pay-practice
Yikes, the idea of wearing different hats would be the biggest challenge for me. But I see my vision to outweigh this con. I feel like I can truly learn this skill 😄
Yes - different hats can be scary but the good news is that as you start seeing clients you can reinvest that money back into your practice and start to hire!🔥
Monica had so many valuable experiences to share, each illustrating the ease with which we can approach private practice. I’m going to need to look her up! Doug thanks for that interview it was very inspiring!💃🏽🌹
Hey Doug! Nice clear concise video. I’m currently using vistaprint for my website. I love it, it’s affordable. I’ve used them for printing, but don’t prefer them for that. I also use Canva to design and print which is MUCH faster and less expensive than Vistaprint. Just so you know, Vistaprint and Canva are incompatible. Believe me I’ve tried. Canva is compatible with Office Depot. They have a relationship and that’s how I do print materials fast and inexpensively. 🎈
