Now, more than ever, it is vital that you bet on you and not let your future be in the hands of others. Recently, I have met with several physical therapists set to discuss their future plans of opening up a private practice. However, their lack of knowledge in this area, was causing every single one of them worry and indecision. Between their own indecision, and counter-intentions from friends and family members, the chance of them not launching was high.  The fear of failure is a powerful force that suppresses us at various points in our lives, but those who succeed, do not allow fears to hold them back. They take actions to fill these voids with knowledge to minimize the fear of the unknown.  This week Brian talks about overcoming these fears and talks about how to achieve that personal and professional success – however you define it for yourself. Overcoming these fears doesn’t happen without an appropriate level of communication, believing in yourself so you can confront others to bring about agreement. Listen to this week’s episode for more strategies on success and overcoming the challenges holding you back.  Check out our NEW Packages & Pricing in MEG Academy!   Are you ready for growth? Request your free private practice expansion evaluation  

Although none of us have a crystal ball, if you are paying any attention at all to the landscape of physical therapy, it’s easy to see that our treatment set up is evolving.  Take a look at how family/general practitioners are set-up. You have a medical doctor, a certified nurse practitioner or a physician’s assistant, followed up by a medical assistant. All of whom can provide reimbursable care to their patients based on the morbidity level of the patient and the educational degree of the professional. This is a tiered approach that encourages the use of care extenders.  ​You don’t need to look far for the signs of these pending changes. First, we saw the change in the morbidity level of the evaluation codes we were asked to begin using two years ago, and now it’s the reimbursement that Medicare will be paying physical therapy assistant’s for delivering the same care to the same patients being reduced to 85% of what the DPT will be getting starting in 2022.  This week’s episode, Brian dives into these predictions and how you can structure your team and practice to prepare for them.  What's missing from your private practice? Check out our Physical Therapy Guide to Optimizing your Private Practice

Recently we shared the top hiring and recruiting strategies. This week in our podcast, we’re elaborating on those strategies. Brian’s experience running a large staffing company in Maryland that placed Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapists led him to these tried and true best practices when it comes to hiring new staff. So many practices start the recruiting and hiring process off on the wrong foot and it spirals from there. Give this week’s podcast a listen for more best practices on hiring and recruiting strategies. Grab one of our top resources, the Physical Therapy Personnel Toolkit

Whether you're treating your patients or your staff, you have to start with your organizational set up. This ensures that your practice functions effectively. Download our great starter tool for revamping your company structure: The Structure Worksheet  

It’s time we look around and research innovative strategies to move our practice out of 1995. After years of upgrading the way in which PT owners run their practices and managing their staff we have to balance that with innovative practice techniques that not only get the results we want but also build our brand of bringing the best patient care possible to our to the community. Are you ready for growth? Request your free private practice expansion evaluation  

One of the biggest struggles some physical therapy owners have is the inability to motivate their staff. This week, on the heels of some practice evaluations, we’re chatting about the reasons for this. ​Being a business/practice owner is not the same as being an employee no matter what position they hold in your company.  They are still going to think differently and lean differently, they will in fact be leaning to one side, the side that is self-preservation.  One of the most common encounters I have when I am called upon by to go out and do a practice evaluation is a practice owner who is still operating from the worker point of view. This week we share how to get out of the employee mindset and be an owner, and how to motivate your staff.  Grab one of our top resources, the Physical Therapy Personnel Toolkit  

Let’s face it for many of us the financial area of our practice is not often our strong suit. This is why I say billing and bookkeeping services should be outsourced into the hands of those who are experts in the field of bookkeeping and billing. Take away from this episode some tips on what to look for when seeking that bookkeeping support. Take our Billing Stress Test to check the pulse of your PT private practice  

In this week’s episode of Secrets of the Top 10%, Brian talks best practices for the best practice. In order to be the best, you need to know what the best practices are. All professional athletes have their own private coaches and trainers working with them nonstop to always improve their abilities. This week we’re answering questions from startup owners about management best practices and sharing a few success stories from our clients.  Check out our NEW Packages & Pricing in MEG Academy!   Are you ready for growth? Request your free private practice expansion evaluation  

This week we’re talking about social media and internal marketing best practices. After PPS, one of the hot topics was marketing and how to get new patients without going out knocking on doors. I brought in our marketing director, Heidi Schmidt, to talk social media and internal marketing best practices. Here's your guide to acquire, retain and manage patients effectively - Marketing Strategies Toolkit  

Most PT owners will discover that throwing more time and effort at their problems is not the most effective way to reach a resolution. It’s in the sequence of steps that actually need to be taken based one’s knowledge and experiences based off their past results that will provide the greatest resolution. Check out our NEW Packages & Pricing in MEG Academy!   Are you ready for growth? Request your free private practice expansion evaluation  

Knowing what it takes to properly communicate your message with your staff will allow for you to be better understood and gain more group agreement. It’s usually an out reality point on behalf of the therapists that makes these conversations seem like they are so difficult and then when you add to it the fact that the approach may be off and or the message you want to get across is not the one they are hearing things can get difficult.  I will cover the most effective ways to cross the most common bridges. What I am hearing from owners regarding their therapists today is their lack of knowing-ness on things that we once believed to be understood. If you know how to handle personnel in manners and with integrity you will find it to be much easier to bring about agreement. Grab one of our top resources, the Physical Therapy Personnel Toolkit  

Knowing what it takes to protect your practice and yourself and liability is serious business today. So many PT owners are unaware of the risks they are taking by not having a practice assessment by a cybersecurity expert.  Even after that we need to have an on-going plan to remain compliant with the HIPAA regulations and Cybersecurity laws. The penalties and risks of a breach are very real for all of us and we need to get the right advice to not only learn how and what needs to be done, but to also be guided by someone you can trust so you are not taken advantage of in the process of getting the help you need. Craig Petronella is just that high level expert with whom I trust and believe in to specifically handle our PT owners in an affordable and professional manner that we can afford. Don't risk a violation - Check out our Compliance Program   Are you ready for growth? Request your free private practice expansion evaluation  

Success by one definition is “The accomplishment of an aim or purpose.” The secret to success is GIVING. I believe All successful people focus more on what they're giving than what they are getting. In reality what you find is that givers attract more abundance than takers. How does this apply to us in private practice? I believe it applies more to us than many other professions because we are a people focused profession that has to engage with others in a meaningful way over weeks of interaction.  As PT’s we not only need to learn how to lead our patients but also how to educate and motivate them in pro-survival ways that they can easily have. I want to share with you some of the most successful strategies that you can use with your staff to ensure that the bar you set high is able to be met by every staff member you have. Check out our NEW Packages & Pricing in MEG Academy!   Are you ready for growth? Request your free private practice expansion evaluation  

One of the frustrations of being a practice owner today is finding the right way to clear up the confusions surrounding proper charging and coding for our therapists. It starts with college instructors at our PT schools across America misrepresenting how to properly charge and code without the drama and fear.  With a good education, you can build a team approach for the successful abundance of care being delivered every session. Take our Billing Stress Test to check the pulse of your PT private practice  

If your practice is not where you like it to be and if you are not living the life you had in mind for yourself as a practice owner, I want you to know there is something you can do about it. If you are currently working for someone else and know in your gut and heart that you can do more and be more fulfilled running your own practice but have yet to take action you must know there is a reason why that is. Both are versions of the same thing and the good news is they are totally under you control. Having the right MINDSET, surrounding yourself with the right people, and being willing to put in the time to do the work is all it takes. Let’s face it Physical Therapy is not rocket science and when you really understand it, it’s really a mixture of art and science. I have seen far too many really good clinicians make this false assumption that if I’m a good therapist then I’ll be an equally good private practice owner. These are not the same thing in any way, and eventually it will catch up with you that something serious is lacking and that your owner life has not turned out the way you expected it would.  Are you ready for growth? Request your free private practice expansion evaluation

One of the frustrations of being a practice owner is riding the ups and downs of the weekly New patients coming into your office. I used to be the effect of the weekly new patient number in terms of how it affected my mood and my enthusiasm for my practice. When the new patient numbers were high I always had some pep in my step and became much more creative as an owner toward expanding my practice. The new patient statistic became a bellwether to my own personal happiness and professional confidence when it came to expanding and trying new things. Later I learned that the new patient stat needed to be something I drove and not the other way around. Only after extensive study of this topic of marketing, sales, and prospecting was I able to comprehend the full recipe for success. Up until then, I was always looking at the individual ingredients and never the big picture. Only after fully understanding the importance of committing to an annual marketing plan with monthly marketing campaigns that were measured statistically was I able to be more at cause over how I felt about my business and myself versus the effect of my NP stats. Are you ready for growth? Request your free private practice expansion evaluation  

One of the greatest frustrations of being a practice owner is working with staff who lack accountability. Meaning, they failed to do what they know is expected of them or they fail to follow through with what they say they are going to do. In both of these instances, the employee clearly knows and fully understands that it is their responsibility to complete a particular task, and yet chooses to not complete it. Why is this? Why is it that some people rise to the occasion and hit their targets with great pride, while others are not bothered by incomplete tasks. It all comes down to accountability and staff accountability comes from leadership. Are you ready for growth? Request your free private practice expansion evaluation  

Whether you're wanting to start your own private practice or you're looking to open your second office there is some vitally important information I would like to share with you. Both of these are situations that would be new experiences for you. Both of which you will have a substantial investment of time and money in. Having a coach/mentor to guide you through the process and protect you from the land-mines that lay out there just waiting to waste your time and deplete your bank account gives you a distinct advantage. All the information I want to share on this topic cannot possibly be expressed in the time allotted for this podcast so we invite you to reach in to www.megbusiness.com and go to the MEG Academy tab to learn more or email me directly at [email protected] where we can get on the phone together and discuss your unique situation so that you get your specific questions answered. Check out our NEW Packages & Pricing in MEG Academy!   If you're not sure what actions to take and in what order to take them - request a free private practice startup evaluation  

Listening to what other owners have been wrestling with around the country brings to light our common struggles. As a private practice owner we are never alone in terms of the challenges we face and the problems and solutions we must learn to implement. Therefore, we have a greater chance for success by learning from those who have march through this jungle of practice management before us. In this podcast, I will identify five of the leading successful actions owners before you have taken throughout the years as to how to be a better boss/owner/executive/team leader. Check out our NEW Packages & Pricing in MEG Academy!   Are you ready for growth? Request your free private practice expansion evaluation  

Maybe it was idea of being your own boss or the idea of practicing the way you wanted that sparked your interest in going into private practice. Most likely what quickly followed was the desire to be better off financially or have more free time to spend with your family. Whatever it was that empowered you to take the leap into private practice chances are you were not fully prepared for the challenges that awaited you. Let me share with you how you can overcome the number one challenge that all business owners have in common. Check out our NEW Packages & Pricing in MEG Academy!   Are you ready for growth? Request your free private practice expansion evaluation  

It has long been a mystery among PT owners as to how and where to get new patients. I have claimed for many moons that I can get more new patients as easy as turning a faucet on or off. All it takes is that PR personality and knowing that this is a marathon, not a sprint. You and your staff must be dedicated to putting in the work necessary to get the number of new patients you want. Are you ready for growth? Request your free private practice expansion evaluation  

There are now valid reasons to consider changing your business model in order to react to the present-day market and future of PT private practice in your geographical area. There are no Blockbusters stores around anymore and that’s because they ignored what was happening when it was happening and fell behind the industry and as a result went out of business. Don’t fall behind in your area and wait to make a change until it’s too late and you are suffering financially. You need to be true to yourself in business and personally in terms of how you can exchange in abundance with your patients, your staff, and your community if you want to succeed long term. Check out our NEW Packages & Pricing in MEG Academy!   Are you ready for growth? Request your free private practice expansion evaluation  

Depending on what state you're practicing in, you could face some real challenges when trying to get the insurance contracts you need and want in order to service the people in your community. Whether we like it or not, the overwhelming majority of our patients are paying a handsome sum for their insurance coverage. This means the overwhelming majority of the people within your community will continue to seek providers who are in-network with their insurance carriers. The more you know about how to employ strategies that have worked successfully for others the better your chances are for getting in-network and servicing those within your community.  

All too often we have been feed false data like the patient is always right, or never show your emotions with your staff. We try to please everybody and in the end we wind up frustrated with ourselves. It’s a new world out there with more informed people and a disastrous health care system. We need to be aware of the staff training that is needed in order to make a positive change.  

You need to consider the type of practice you have in terms of the patient public you are servicing and the employment market you are reaching. There is not a one-size-fits-all solution for every type of practice out there today. However, there are some real factors you need to consider when selecting your compensation package if you want it to contribute to the company culture you're trying to develop. There are only two things that truly upset if the physical therapist and that is when you play with their money or you play with their schedule. So let's consider all the options in this podcast and decide what is going to be the best fit for your practice.

Based on what I have observed there is a lot of misinformation being passed along from others interpretation of how one is to appropriately charge and code for a therapy session when those other people have not taken the time to research the topic. As a result, far too many new grads are spending more time worrying about getting into trouble and losing their license due to fraudulent charging than they do getting the information for themselves. Unfortunately, DPT schools are more often than not contributing to these fears by preaching such fears to them while in school. When a practice owner (with decades of experience) tries to educate their young new grad they get looked upon as being unethical and are out just for the money. Knowledge is power, as the saying goes.

As a PT practice owner, many think it’s going to be something that it’s not. No matter how good things are going it’s going to be hard and when things are not going well it’s going to be harder. It’s the responsibility we all have as owners to gain the presence of mind and skills on how to succeed in overcoming these challenges. No matter what you are going to be faced with them so ask yourself are you prepared to confront each one head on and have the confidence that you gave the right answer or made the right decision. No matter what others say there is no magic course or program for you to take that is going to handle your every whim.  Not our program or anyone else’s workshop, lecture or course is going to do that for you. There is no replacement for just jumping in the lake with the rest of us and swimming harder and harder to keep your head above water until finally you have mastered your technique and can now cover more ground with greater ease. But, of course, having a coach and agent you can trust looking out for you and mentoring you in conjunction with your experiences will over time make YOU the greatest PT Private Practice Owner you can be.  

This week we interview an awesome member of our Billing team, Stacey, who is an Account Control Manager. Stacey discusses her role in servicing physical therapy private practices as well as the changes in Medicare. Tune in for some powerful tips and tools regarding billing & collections and insurance coverage in private practice. 

Having the best company group culture that is full of upbeat, energetic, productive staff members who enjoy their job and the people they work with is what every owner wants for their practice.  How to get there is a topic for many books and lectures. I have found a method that has worked well for me and many of my clients over the years and it starts with us being true to our intentions as to why we went into private practice, to begin with. If we hire based on the person and their intentions then we will assemble a team of positive people who all want to take pride in their achievements. Learn how that can be done from the interview process all the way through to the long-term employee relationship.

It seems everyone I meet today has lost their mind in a sea of rationalization and justification for the most outrageous behaviors from their staff. I get that it is human nature to try and make sanity out of insanity but when you do that you are committing a big mistake. A mistake that doesn’t only affect you but your staff, patients, and your family. Learn how to approach and resolve staff issues

Offering the right bonus structure and/or incentive program can make all the difference in the world to your staff and your practice.  The funny thing is I have found there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to optimizing the performance of your staff because depending on where you are practicing in the country people value different things. As owners, we need to pay attention to the needs and wants of our own particular staff and originate a system of exchanging with them that actually brings about abundance both for them and that practice.

Revolutionizing Physical Therapy private practice must start with environment first. It will then lead into the proper structure which will attract the right personnel so that you have who you need to help you implement the best systems of operations. So many owners know what they don’t want and they can often articulate what’s less than ideal in their practice but they don’t have the solutions necessary to bring about the change they desire. The first step is knowing how to attack the situation and then learning what you don’t know. Once you have the new knowledge in your head it’s all about the implementation step if things are really going to change.

In this ever-changing healthcare system of ours, many are finding that it’s time for them to take back control over their lives and drive the narrative instead of being the effect of the insurance carriers.  Is it better to go all cash-based or stay in-network and continue playing the insurance game? Maybe it’s time to take back control with a proven HYBRID Model. As insurance carriers continue to reduce reimbursement and the federally funded programs are becoming increasingly more difficult to deal with, start-up owners and others are looking for more viable options today. The newest arrangement that is gaining popularity is the HYBRID model.

It’s more important than ever before that as owners we find ways to bring in good spirited fun and games into our office, for both our patients and staff. By survey, the highest reported degree of job satisfaction is based on staff friendliness resulting in the optimal workplace culture. If we turn our focus to servicing not only our patients but our personnel, community, and referral sources we will have something truly special that will be felt by all. 

Almost every PT private practice owner I have worked with has shared with me their dream that life would be better once they owned their own practice. However, almost one-for-one they didn’t understand the full scope of what they were getting into. Yet, there is one common thing that all successful owners do understand and that is how important it is to be focused, with unwavering commitment, to their goals. Even though they may lack the experience and skills necessary to navigate easily through the enturbulation from their staff and various external market influences, they never give up on wanting to grow and learn what it takes to survive and thrive in PT private practice. My goal has always been to provide practice owners with the help and tools they need along their journey, in order to make it the most rewarding decision of their life. Learn in this episode what it takes to thrive as a PT private practice owner.

All owners are responsible for the quality of their patient’s care, as well as their patient’s overall satisfaction with your practice. Your practice is a reflection of who you are and what is important to you. Your patients shouldn’t be experiencing anything that you wouldn’t want to experience yourself. All too often practice owners place too much attention on generating more revenue rather than having their attention on what is most important to the viability of your company, which is making sure that you are in exchange in abundance at all times with your patients. Providing your patients with an over-the-top customer experience, while maintaining staff compliance with your company policies and metrics, will ensure that everyone is winning.

As the owner of your own practice, you are not only responsible for the quality of patient care, and satisfaction of your employees, but also the viability of the organization you created. When it comes to your finance division it is important to understand the strategies and concepts necessary for maximizing your Net Revenue. All too often practice owners place their full attention on generating more gross revenue when in fact net revenue is the only thing that really matters when it comes to the viability of your practice.

As the owner of your own practice, you are not only responsible for the quality of patient care, and satisfaction of your employees, but also the viability of the organization you created. When it comes to your finance division it is important to understand the best set up and workflow to maximize your operational needs. All too often practice owners place their full attention on their front desk and clinical staff workflow and operations while the billing and bookkeeping "back-end” lags behind. Ironically it’s the "back end” that is controlling your MONEY LINES. The fact is: you are the CEO whose primary stats are growth/expansion and net revenue/profit because it’s the only thing that really matters when it comes to the viability of your practice.  

As the owner of your own practice you are now being looked upon as the leader of your group, and as that leader, your staff will only follow you if they trust you. Trust is built on transparency between you and your staff. The same could also be said for any marriage or friendship the basis of all healthy relationships can be found in the foundation of trust and respect. 

The year was 2001 and I had just completed my second year in private practice. Back then I thought if I gave everybody everything they wanted they would love me and my staff morale would be high and everybody would be happy. Why wouldn't it work that way? I was giving everyone everything they wanted. One hour treatments, paid documentation time, paid lunch, full-time benefits for working 36 hours or more and I don't think I ever denied a time off request. The reality is the more I gave the less I got. The more out exchange I went with my employees the worst things became. I began to think I needed them more than they needed me. I quickly lost the respect of my staff. They came to work wanting to be led and I came to work wanting to please. The idea of becoming an excellent personnel manager was quickly becoming a mystery to me.

The year was 2003 and I was losing my shirt financially. I was $85,000 in debt losing $5,000 a month when my wife told me we have $15,000 left our name and that if I had a solution I better put it in play now. Like so many other PT owners, when things are going well we will bury ourselves in patient care. It was not until I was willing to look at the areas of business that I did not have the understanding in that I needed that things began to change. The more I forced myself to learn how to do billing and to hold the line on my business expenses, the more successful my business began to be. Fortunately, being a good therapist and having good therapists work for me led our practice through this difficult time, because of our great reputation. But having a good reputation was not enough for us to pull it out alone. I needed to finally confront my billing department in order to make things right.

Since the very beginning when I started consulting private practice owners back in 2004 it was the button of “How to get more new patients” that attracted the most owners to consulting services.  Even though we all knew it was because of them failing to be a good leader, time manager, quality control officer, personnel establishment officer, and an overall good executive that was the real problem. Typically, people cannot easily see the faults in themselves but are quick to point out the faults in others, even when they may share those same faults. So, if your marketing is not turning the volume of new business that you'd, like look no further than yourself to find the answer. Your patients want to be proud of the choice they made to want to come to your office for their care, you just have to give them as many reasons as possible to solidify that good decision. Once reaffirmed they will do the rest for you. They will become your little legion of marketing foot soldiers out in your community. Successful marketing is both internal and external efforts, and the better you are able to identify the Who, What, Where, and How the more success you will have in marketing your practice.

In today's podcast, you will learn the importance of the four key elements for personal growth. Only through your ability to CONFRONT others with effective COMMUNICATION while taking full ACCOUNTABILITY to achieve maximum UNDERSTANDING will you be able to gain their AGREEMENT. You will also learn that your company's culture must be established by you and I have provided you a three-step approach in order to achieve the company culture you desire.