Overview

This episode takes a different angle. Instead of hearing from another clinic owner, Michael talks to someone who sees the business from the other side of the desk.

Michael sits down with Anne-Kathrin Heuer, a practice manager who has worked in private physiotherapy clinics since 2020. They discuss what really happens behind the scenes, what patients say when the clinicians aren't listening, and why so many clinic owners struggle to let their managers actually manage.

They start with pricing. Anne explains why her first clinic spent years debating a move away from charging more for initial assessments, and how her current clinic made the switch to a flat rate within months of her joining, with no pushback from patients. Michael sets out the numbers behind that decision and explains why pricing against your competitors keeps you stuck in the middle.

The bigger theme running through the episode is trust. Anne and Michael look at why clinic owners delegate responsibility without handing over the authority to go with it, why a good practice manager needs to be able to say no, and why keeping your manager away from the financials limits what they can do for the business. They also cover hiring for personality over clinical ability, the part the reception team plays in patient experience, and the phone call that most clinics get wrong.

Show Notes

• Anne's route into practice management
• Moving to flat-rate pricing
• Why pricing against competitors is a mistake
• The biggest mistake clinic owners make with their managers
• Delegating responsibility without delegating authority
• Why a practice manager needs to be able to say no
• The practice manager's role in recruitment
• Hiring for personality over clinical ability
• What patients say when the clinicians aren't listening
• Patient experience and what makes a good reception team
• The "how much is an appointment?" phone test
• When a clinic should hire a practice manager
• Practice managers, revenue and business development
• Giving practice managers access to financial data

What You'll Learn

• Why moving to flat-rate pricing rarely costs clinics the patients they fear losing
• How much revenue the gap between initial and follow-up prices can be costing you
• Why your practice manager can't do their job if you won't let go
• How to introduce a practice manager to your team so they actually become the first point of contact
• Why a manager who says no is more valuable than one who agrees with everything
• How a practice manager can add value to recruitment, even without clinical knowledge
• Why personality often matters more than the best CV
• The small details that shape how patients feel about your clinic
• What separates a good receptionist from a great one
• How to answer the pricing question on the phone without losing the booking
• The questions to ask before hiring a practice manager
• Why a practice manager should be commercial, not just operational
• Why sharing financial data with your manager builds trust and better decisions

Who This Episode Is For

• Clinic owners thinking about hiring a practice manager
• Clinic owners who already have a manager but struggle to delegate
• Practice managers looking to grow their role
• MSK clinic owners reviewing their pricing structure
• Clinics looking to improve patient experience and front-desk performance
• Anyone interested in how clinics really run day to day

Guest Details

Anne-Kathrin Heuer, Practice Manager

Anne-Kathrin Heuer has worked as a practice manager in private physiotherapy clinics since the start of 2020.

Before moving into the MSK sector, Anne trained as a teacher in Germany, studied applied linguistics in the UK, and worked in training coordination and operations management at a business school and in hospitality management.

She spent six years at a large, established clinic with around 17 to 18 therapists. There she managed a reception team of five, was closely involved in recruitment, and worked alongside the directors on the running of the business. She joined her current, smaller clinic in spring this year.

Visit https://hmdg.co.uk for further information.

Follow Michael on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjschumacher100

Overview

Part start-up story, part industry conversation, this episode looks at what it really takes to grow a clinic when nobody knows who you are yet.

Michael sits down with Josh Newsom, founder of Ancoats Chiropractic, to talk about opening a clinic just a year after qualifying, building it from scratch, and learning very quickly that getting patients through the door takes more than simply being good clinically.

They get into the changing face of chiropractic, why younger chiropractors are moving towards more evidence-based care, and how Josh has built his clinic around rehab, patient education and a broader MSK approach rather than relying purely on adjustments.

But the bigger theme running through the episode is relationship marketing.

Josh explains how office talks, local businesses, run clubs, referrals, and simply getting out into the community helped grow the clinic when traditional marketing budgets were limited. Michael and Josh explore why these relationships can be one of the most valuable growth tools for a new clinic, especially in the early stages when nobody knows your name yet.

Show Notes

• Why Josh opened a clinic so soon after qualifying
• The changing reputation of chiropractic
• Moving away from adjustment-only models
• Combining chiropractic with rehab and MSK care
• Educating patients who only want to be adjusted
• Bringing physiotherapy into a chiropractic clinic
• Why legal and financial advice matters when starting out
• Building a clinic with very little marketing budget
• Using office talks to generate new patients
• Why cold outreach can still work
• Building relationships with local businesses
• Growing through run clubs and community connections
• Turning happy patients into referral sources
• Making referrals more personal to individual clinicians
• Incentives, bonuses and team performance
• Hiring for personality rather than just clinical experience
• Why relationship marketing matters so much for start-up clinics

What You’ll Learn

• Why being a good clinician is not enough to grow a new clinic
• How relationship marketing can generate patients without a huge ad budget
• Why local businesses can become valuable referral partners
• How office talks can create completely new patient streams
• Why existing patients can be one of your best marketing channels
• How to make referrals part of the patient journey
• How to make referral conversations feel more personal
• How rehab can sit alongside chiropractic care
• Why hiring for personality can matter more than experience
• What Josh learned from taking investment too early
• Why good legal and financial advice matters from day one
• How relationships can help a clinic grow before paid marketing really kicks in

Who This Episode Is For

• New and aspiring clinic owners
• Chiropractors considering opening their own practice
• MSK clinic owners trying to grow locally
• Healthcare businesses with limited marketing budgets
• Practice owners looking to generate more referrals
• Anyone interested in relationship-led clinic growth

Guest Details

Josh Newsom - Founder, Ancoats Chiropractic

Josh Newsom is the founder of Ancoats Chiropractic in Manchester.

After qualifying as a chiropractor, Josh opened his own clinic within around a year and has spent the last two years building the business, growing the team and developing a more evidence-led approach to chiropractic and rehabilitation.

Much of the clinic’s early growth came through relationships, referrals, local businesses and community connections, an approach that has helped Josh build visibility in a highly competitive Manchester MSK market.

Visit https://hmdg.co.uk for further information.

Follow Michael on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjschumacher100

Overview

Building a physio business sounds great until you realise you are now responsible for absolutely everything.

In this episode, Michael sits down with Jack Howard, founder of Warwickshire Home Physio, to talk honestly about what it has taken to grow the business over the last five years.

They go back to the early days of bad systems, a homemade website, very little structure and a lot of trial and error, before getting into what actually changed as the business grew.

The conversation covers burnout, hiring, working with your partner, moving from clinician to manager, building a team, patient retention, gamifying rehab, and why Jack eventually realised that growing the business meant spending less time treating patients himself.

They also discuss what home physio can teach the wider MSK industry about patient experience, long-term relationships, simple rehabilitation and doing things differently.

Show Notes

• Jack’s move from the NHS into private practice
• Starting a business with very little commercial experience
• The early mistakes behind Spiral Health Physio
• Rebranding to Warwickshire Home Physio
• Why systems matter as the business grows
• Working with your partner and trying to switch off
• The reality of burnout and poor work-life balance
• Why growth gets harder when you start hiring
• Moving from clinician to business owner
• What the Private Practice Barometer changed for Jack
• Hiring for personality and soft skills
• Building structure, supervision and training into the team
• Why patient relationships matter so much in home physio
• Gamifying rehab without overcomplicating it
• Why low-tech rehab can still be highly engaging
• Patient retention and the value of small gestures
• Standardising the patient journey
• Why Jack now spends less time treating patients
• Building local relationships and creating organic growth
• Whether traditional clinics should offer home physio

What You’ll Learn

• Why starting a clinic without proper systems quickly creates problems
• How business growth can damage work-life balance
• Why hiring does not automatically make life easier
• When a clinic owner needs to step away from treatment
• Why personality can matter more than experience when hiring
• How regular supervision helps newer clinicians develop
• Why long-term patient relationships improve retention
• How to make rehab more engaging without expensive technology
• Why small investments in patient experience can make a big difference
• How to create more structure across a growing team
• Why business owners need dedicated non-clinical time
• What home physio can teach clinics about service and accessibility

Who This Episode Is For

• MSK clinic owners growing their first team
• Physiotherapists considering starting their own business
• Home physio providers
• Clinic owners struggling with burnout
• Practice owners trying to step away from full-time clinical work
• Anyone interested in patient experience, retention and team development

Guest Details

Jack Howard - Founder, Warwickshire Home Physio

Jack is the founder of Warwickshire Home Physio, a home-based physiotherapy service built around delivering rehabilitation in patients’ own environments.

After leaving the NHS and starting the business during COVID, Jack spent the next five years learning how to move from sole practitioner to business owner.

Today, Warwickshire Home Physio has grown into a wider team, with Jack increasingly focused on management, training, business development and building a more consistent service across the company.

Visit https://hmdg.co.uk for further information.

Follow Michael on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjschumacher100