Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Steve Procter, founder of Physio Steve, located in Montreal, QC, Canada.

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

As the expression goes, I don’t simply give patients a fish; I teach them how to fish. What I like to tell clients is that I don’t need to go see a physiotherapist because I know how to treat myself. My goal for Physio Steve’s patients is for them to learn the information relevant to their condition so that they can do the same. Instead of them coming to be ‘fixed’ once a week, I like to think of them incorporating my advice to drive their recovery throughout the entire week while simultaneously becoming self-sufficient at preventing recurrence.

This includes teaching office workers and students about posture and ergonomics for back pain, giving weekend warriors drills to increase knee protection on the soccer pitch, and guiding weightlifters’ program design to maintain training volume while promoting shoulder healing.

Tell us about yourself

I saw myself working in the field quite early in life, but honestly, I didn’t imagine starting my own business. I think I questioned why I would take on the work and risk required when I could just show up, practice the trade I was passionate about, and not have to sweat the other details.

However, at a certain point in my career, I started to find all those elements of building and maintaining a business interesting, which unlocked a whole other world of skills and knowledge for me to explore. It also gave me the opportunity to implement more of my vision for how the entire customer experience would take place. Running my own business has also allowed me to balance work and life, which allows me to continue bringing passion and energy to my clients.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I’m fortunate to have clients who have helped promote what I’m doing to win service awards for each of my seven years in Montreal. That said, the greatest accomplishments for me are when I work with all the members of a family, office, or friend group. If people value their experience with you enough to actively convince those they are closest to, I think you’re doing something well.

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

Managing and optimizing the whole customer experience is something I found to be a big task but vital to owning a business. I think the actual treatment I’m giving only makes up a small portion of the client’s overall impression of the service they receive. Optimizing their transition between booking, payment, reception, receiving my care and follow-up notes, etc., is intended to keep things as user-friendly as possible. This requires a lot of intention, reflection and problem solving, but it’s something that patients often express their appreciation for.

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

  1. Whatever your profession, that’s only half your job now: Being a great chef, florist or physiotherapist will only be half the equation if you run your own business. You’ll need a plan for how all the other things like marketing, accounting, managing, etc., will get done at the same level of excellence.
  2. Constantly refine your process: It’s incredible the cumulative improvements that can be achieved by reflecting upon each seemingly insignificant element in your business and exploring ways of improving them. See where you're spending time, money, or creating friction in the customer experience unnecessarily and play with changes. Learn from other businesses that do things you like or would like to avoid, and incorporate those lessons.
  3. Learn, and then keep learning, how to connect: Few businesses don’t require knowing how to interact with others successfully. That can be challenging if all your partners, employees, and clients have different goals, values, expectations, and ways of expressing them. I think we all pay lip service to the importance of communication but are usually not mindful of how we do so. I can’t think of anything that would make life easier, in business or otherwise, than actively improving upon your soft skills.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone, but it offers many opportunities that can be incredibly enriching. It’s exciting and tempting to jump in a bit ‘half-baked,’ but I think sober pragmatism and exhaustive due diligence are called for prior to committing yourself. That said, if you have a genuine understanding of what it will take and are willing to do it, I can’t recommend it enough. It’s something I never thought I would do, but I couldn’t possibly imagine myself going back.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://physiosteve.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PhysioSteveProcter/

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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