Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Michelle Warren and Julia Reid, co-founders of Play On Pediatric Therapy, located in Ottawa, ON, Canada.

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

We are Michelle Warren and Julia Reid- the co-owners of Play On Pediatric Therapy. Our business is a multidisciplinary Pediatric rehabilitation clinic, in a 3000 square foot space, with 1000 square feet as a 'Super Special Fun Gym.' Our clients are babies, kids, youth, and teens in Ottawa who need any kind of support for physiotherapy, occupational therapy, athletic therapy, or the other health professionals we have on our team.

Kiddos would come in for various reasons - feeding issues, torticollis, developmental and milestone delays, sports injuries, concussion management, behavioural challenges, and support to learn how to move and be more functional in whatever capacity they want or can.

Tell us about yourself

We are two moms who have had kids who struggled and benefitted tremendously from the support of a pediatric physiotherapist and occupational therapist. We are a duo of pediatric physiotherapist and athletic therapist who are driven to provide excellent health and rehabilitation services with a focus on kiddos.

We wanted to expand the services available to the pediatric population in Ottawa through our clinic since they are overall lacking. We are driven to help kids live their most FUNctional lives and promote healthy movement for life! We are motivated each day by the kiddos we see and by our incredible team who is on this journey with us.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Making the decision to open this clinic and doing it. Hiring an amazing team that understands our values and is also driven to support the kids in Ottawa.

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

Knowing that your success or failure impacts not just yourself but your employees/team as well as the clients and kids who need the services and support we will be providing.

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

  1. Get help and build a support network from others who have successfully done this before.
  2. Get at the true 'WHY' you want to own a clinic business.
  3. Be ready for the ups and downs, and know that even with all the preparation in advance, things will happen to derail you, but you can get back on track/pivot wisely with the right preparation.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

As of May 31st, 2022, our clinic isn't fully constructed yet due to a 6-week permit delay. We have been doing home visits and rented space in a temporary location so we can meet the needs of our kiddos already. This has been one of the first big pivots we had to do quickly as new business owners for reasons out of our control. We have a team of 4 employees already working with us and 6 more team members coming on in the next 6-8 weeks. So, our experience as new business owners is still quite new, but we have been working on this together for over a year and are so excited to be where we are.

Still, a long-term goal for both of us is coming to fruition! We have been lucky to work with and be mentored by other entrepreneurs and business owners and a community of other 'clinic bosses' in this journey and have heard many times that 'we are ahead of the curve' in some ways. This is nice to hear as a rookie in this space; however, we are still definitely riding the highs and lows of this new clinic venture. We are very excited to be fully open soon in our amazing space. We are honored to serve the kids and families in Ottawa and surrounding regions!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://playonpediatric.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/playonpediatric/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/PlayOnPediatric/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/play-on-pediatric-therapy/

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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