Three Ways To Be In Charge
The Hard Way, The "Be Careful" Way, And The Easy Way...
Sure you want to start your own clinic—but do you really have what it takes? The table below shows some of the comparative advantages of starting your clinic yourself vs. partnering with USPh… and also shows some of the downside associated with taking a Director’s position as an employee (which is usually the highest rung on the ladder for a therapist outside of private practice).
| Issue To Consider | Self-Startup: The Hard Way |
USPh Partnership: The Easy Way |
Director of Clinic: The "Be Careful" Way |
| Status | Owner | Owner | Employee |
| Startup capital required | $150,000 to $300,000 | $0 | $0 |
| Startup expertise required | Extensive | Minimal | N/A |
| Average first year salary | $0 to $25,000 | $75,000 - $90,000 | $69,262 (payscale.com) |
| Average compensation | Varies wildly; most who survive 5 years make over $100,000 | $122,873 Single-Location Partners $213,966 Multiple-Clinic Partners |
$80,000 to $90,000 (but capped) |
| Income dependant on | Business knowledge (which many PTs don’t have) | Clinical skills and your ability to leverage relationships into business (which some PTs can do very well) | Bonuses that may or may not have anything to do with you |
| Who calls the shots | The bank, until you are out of debt | You do | Ultimately NOT YOU |
| Biggest upside | You make all the money from the clinic (after you pay everyone else) | Zero risk and unlimited income | Steady Job (hopefully!) |
| Biggest downside | Startup costs are prohibitive for most... risk is huge. First 2 years take-home pay very small. | None really | You’re not in control of your income; you may be handed unrealistic goals... you may hit your goals and STILL not receive full bonus. Income is CAPPED. |
| Best for PTs who | Have easy access to lots of capital or who are extremely risk tolerant | Have good referring physician relationships and have a desire to own a clinic | Prefer an "employed" environment |
| Success rate | ?? | 90% | N/A |
| Comments | If you are truly qualified to open your own clinic, you’d be wise to at least explore becoming a USPh partner first. You can eliminate all downside risk, eliminate tedious back-office work, and still make great money while being in control of the clinic. | Since there is literally NO downside, the biggest issue to consider is "are you qualified?" for this opportunity. Please see the list of qualities we look for in our "perfect candidate" on page 7 and contact us immediately. | Some therapists feel like they have a "good thing going" when they receive profit sharing or bonuses from their clinic. Be careful; oftentimes bonuses are tied to things you have no control over (like your budget) and your income is capped. |
