Become Yourself Again - Chartier Physiotherapie

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Nathalie Chartier, founder of Chartier Physiotherapie, located in Ottawa, ON, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

We are in the business of helping people heal and improve their physical state and mental state. Our approach enables us to swiftly identify and diagnose an injury or ailment with the goal of educating and empowering our patients to reclaim their quality of life.

We are a multidisciplinary clinic offering physiotherapy, massage therapy, acupuncture, personal training, naturopathy, and different health workshops. We are a physiotherapist-owned business that has been part of the community for the past 16 years. Our goal is to be able to help people of all ages.

Tell us about yourself

I started working as a physiotherapist 26 years ago. Competing in different sports in my youth, I had to seek out the help of physiotherapy treatment for different injuries. I got to experience its value to return to my sports and activities. I also was able to see the difference it makes when you have someone who can offer you individualized treatments. Since I was also interested in sports and medicine, physiotherapy proved to be the perfect field for me.

Chartier Physiotherapie came about 15 years ago when I wanted to offer the same philosophy of treatment to more people regardless of their activity level. What started as one single-person clinic is now a 15 people operational, all there to help the community. What motivates me to do what I do each day is the people, the patients who come to the clinic to work with us as a team. It is knowing that I will be able to help people feel better and know that I will learn from that as well. This is what is keeping me passionate after 26 years.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

As a business owner, I would say that my biggest accomplishment was to have been able to survive the pandemic. One month before the pandemic, I had just moved into a bigger space (and bigger debts); not having planned a pandemic in my business plan was a really hard transition. I had to put in extra hours and go out of my comfort zone to be able to see the clinic through the many Covid waves. I learned a lot about patience, perseverance, and being true to your values. I was lucky to have a solid team that had the same values. As a business owner, so far, this is my biggest accomplishment. It was certainly the most challenging, but with challenges come learning and resilience.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

The hardest thing as a business owner is accepting that people will make mistakes and that things cannot be perfect. Being trained as a clinician, my strengths are about focus, accuracy, and looking at all angles. When you are a business owner, you need to learn how to delegate and trust that others will be able to see it through. This means that you need to be good at setting your expectations and creating a good culture within the organization.

I am still learning a lot, but I feel very grateful to be working with an amazing team. Sometimes it is not the others who need to change but the owner who needs to trust more.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

1. You need to have passion for what you are doing or to believe in your product (because you need to be ready to go that extra mile or do those extra hours).
2. Plan, plan, plan. you cannot be prepared enough, have a good business plan and do your research.
3. Surround yourself with people who have the same energy or enthusiasm as you.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.chartierphysio.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chartierphysiotherapie
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chartier-physiotherapie/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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