Small Business Highlight: Flex Physical Therapy

Wondering how to get people pumped about your physical therapy clinic? Meet Jade Giffin, MA, LCAT, ATR-BC, co-owner and director of operations of New York’s award winning Flex Physical Therapy. Co-founded with her husband, Dr. Joel Giffin, PT, DPT, CHT, Flex has been a popular choice among locals for nine years. Jade sat down with us to share her tips on how to build a successful physical therapy business.

What Sets Flex Apart?

Flex operates with the warmth of a local clinic and the cutting edge resources of a renowned hospital network. Patients are always treated one on one by a Doctor of Physical Therapy who customizes their care to target individualized needs and goals while holistically addressing symptoms and root cause. Jade uses her experience in psychotherapy to infuse their physical therapy practice with mindfulness in the way they streamline their systems, train their staff, and support their patients. Together, she and Joel work to make physical therapy more accessible while guiding and supporting patients through some of the most stressful points in their recovery.

Tips for Creating a Successful Physical Therapy Business

Tip #1: Think From the Patient’s Perspective

[I] put myself in their shoes. What do I want when I’m a patient? For example, you’re laying on [a] table, so you want light that’s maybe not too bright in your eyes. Things like that, really getting in sentiment of what’s the patient experience[.]

[It’s also important to] read the reviews and hear from people that our intuition is correct[.]

Tip #2: Show Gratitude with Gifts

[Our patients] are often coming in with a very serious health need….I feel like the least we can do is thank them by showing up and doing our best, and also by occasionally giving them a thoughtful gift through raffles, collabs and within the clinic.

It becomes such a life enhancing relationship between the patient and their therapist, that when it ends…it’s nice to have a token to think fondly and reflect on how far they’ve come in their healing journey. If [they] have a friend or family member that ever needs physical therapy, this can serve as a helpful reminder too.

I have to tell you, things fly out. Anytime I restock the pens, they don’t stay.

Tip #3: Be Creative and Intentional

Everything’s intentional. Nothing’s accidental. Whether it’s something as small as the organic scent of the air freshener and recycled paper choice for the business card,…[or] as big as the approach to navigating collaborative patient communication and care, everything we do is reflective of who we are and how we want people to feel in our space….[I]t has set us apart.

Tip #4: Market Who You Are

Authenticity. [It’s] in what you choose to [do], who you choose to surround yourself with, what you choose to market yourself as….[T]he more honest you are with others,…the more set you are for success.

I try to really set us apart by just always looking at…is the product, is the message, is the digital presence reflective of what we do when you meet us in person? When they match, there is more opportunity to make a meaningful impact for each patient and provider trusting us with care, making every moment count.

Tip #5: Trust in Your Leadership and A Great Team

Dr. Joel Giffin, PT, DPT, CHT, is an incredibly thoughtful, humble, genuine leader. I think when you have really strong leadership in place, it helps [us] stay positive because [of] trust. I trust that we have the skills available. I trust that we have the solution-oriented thinking. I trust that we have the passion. I trust that we have the partnership.

And I think that also is very evident in the system and support of the team around us. It’s not just from Joel and I….[W]e talk about as a team, how integral every person is[.] It isn’t about one person who everybody’s relying upon. It’s each of us and how we all bring different strengths.

[W]e’ve been very thoughtful about diversifying those strengths so we don’t just fill a spot because it needs to be filled. We’ll vet very thoughtfully to make sure that the people who are on our team are a part of just that, the team. All of this really contributes to getting through the bumps, to getting through the obstacles….I think that’s how we’ve stayed positive. I think that’s how we’ve stayed motivated in our commitment to excellence.

Want to learn more about Flex Physical Therapy and the care they give to their community? Check them out at their website on Instagram, or Facebook.