Even with reimbursement rate reductions for healthcare businesses nationwide, one physical therapy clinic is still finding ways to grow. By strategically targeting a niche population, focusing on referral marketing and expanding service lines, FYZICAL Sparks added five clinical staff members and is planning a second location since opening for business in May 2024
Simon Buesnel, who owns the Northern Nevada franchise with his wife, Christine, says, “People have told us they haven’t seen another physical therapy startup add so many staff in such a short time.”
After retiring from their corporate careers, the Buesnels decided to launch a second career by opening a business together near their home in Lake Tahoe. “After retiring, we wanted to do something meaningful and had never owned a business,” says Simon.
In this Q&A, Simon shares what’s fueling their growth as physical therapy franchise and first-time business owners.
Q: What made a physical therapy clinic the right small business for you, despite not having a clinical background?
When the Buesnels explored small business ownership, they quickly realized they had much to learn. They pivoted to franchising for the built-in support. FYZICAL stood out because of the company’s emphasis on balance.
Simon could relate personally to the need for balance therapy after watching his mother in England suffer from Parkinson’s disease. “When I saw FYZICAL’s overhead support system, I realized how much access to balance and mobility services would have helped extend her quality of life as her disease progressed,” he says.
Q: What did you learn from the corporate world that’s helped your clinic succeed?
Unlike many physical therapy practices run by busy PTs who also treat patients, Simon can focus entirely on business management and development. He leverages his corporate business development background to emphasize relationship-building with physicians.
“Now I use those same corporate skills to connect with medical providers, primary care offices, even cancer clinics — anywhere we might get referrals,” he says..
Q: How does serving a niche patient base help your PT clinic grow?
FYZICAL Sparks’ focus on balance and neurological conditions gives the Buesnel’s clinic a clear niche among an underserved patient population. “Our service around balance is absolutely a differentiator in the marketplace,” says Simon.
Typically, anyone over 45 will start to see some degradation in their balance. “We’ve seen patients who are dizzy, have Parkinson’s, had a stroke, or are just recovering from surgery,” he says.
Q: What are your top tips for building a referral base?
As a physician liaison, Simon visits each referral source every month. “That cadence of regular contact over the last 10 months has been instrumental,” he says.
Simon stops by the medical office or schedules lunches with providers or the administration team to share how PT at FYZICAL stands out. Simon follows up with a handwritten thank-you note when a physician makes a referral. If a mutual patient doesn’t follow through with physical therapy, the team informs their physician partners. “It’s all about relationship maintenance,” says Simon.
These in-person visits set FYZICAL apart from local competitors. “It’s surprising, but many physicians tell me I’m the only PT clinic who ever visits them,” he says.
The team also nurtures patient loyalty through excellent service and thoughtful touches, like handwritten holiday cards.
Q: How do reimbursement rate changes affect your PT clinic?
Reimbursement rates are declining for everyone in therapy. “Medicare cut most of our commonly used codes by about 2% this year. Meanwhile, we have to keep paying staff cost-of-living increases, so the margin hit is even more,” says Buesnel.
To counter that, the Fyzical Sparks team is researching cash-based services. “Some PTs are already going 100% cash,” says Buesnel.
Q: How are you expanding your services to grow?
As referrals picked up and patient demand grew, Simon’s team expanded their offerings beyond traditional PT and balance care. They first added pelvic health when local clinics told them it was an unmet need. A physical therapist on the team was interested in getting additional training, and interest has been growing.
FYZICAL Sparks is also piloting wellness services for post-PT patients seeking a next step to stay fit. They’re testing monthly subscriptions and ways to use the space during off-hours, like lunchtime or Saturday mornings. Buesnel hopes to open a second clinic soon with a designated space for fitness classes. “After PT, they feel better. They want to continue using equipment and getting in shape,” he says.
For every new service area, Simon runs it past his insurance agent to determine if there are any risks or coverage issues the clinic should consider.
Q: How do you determine what new offerings are right for your PT clinic?
The team considers specific criteria with every expansion possibility to determine if it improves care and complements their core PT business. “We don’t want to cannibalize physical therapy and balance services, which are the heart of what we do,” says Buesnel.
Simon says talking to patients and referral sources is a great place to start. On physician liaison visits, he asks about services patients are requesting and not finding. That’s how FYZICAL Sparks launched pelvic floor therapy.
Wellness classes are also a natural next step for their 55+ patients who have never been to a gym.
Q: Any final thoughts now that you’re nearly a year into business ownership?
“It’s been tremendously rewarding. I have time to ski in the morning and make a difference in the afternoon. We’re giving back and loving it. I have no regrets,” says Simon.
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