Building a Telstra-award practice

In this episode of the Business of Allied Health series, Barry sits down with Fiona White, founder and director of Own Body and winner of the 2019 Telstra Victorian Small Business Award. From her early days working across hospitals and private practices to identifying a crucial gap in home-based rehabilitation, Fiona has built a thriving mobile network from the ground up. Today, her company operates with a dedicated team of over 90 clinicians spanning the East Coast of Australia.

Tune in as Fiona discusses her entrepreneurial journey, the realities of scaling a healthcare business without a formal business background, and the value of accelerator programmes. She also shares key insights on tracking Net Promoter Scores (NPS), building robust systems that allow a practice to grow independently of its founder, and why avoiding 'shiny object syndrome' is essential for long-term success.

Timestamps:

00:08 - Introduction to Fiona White and the origins of Own Body

01:45 - Early career experiences and identifying the gap in home-based rehabilitation

03:20 - Taking the leap to start a mobile practice and overcoming initial business hurdles

06:15 - Scaling the network to over 90 clinicians across Melbourne, Sydney, and Queensland

09:40 - The turning point: joining the Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) accelerator programme

12:10 - Navigating 'shiny object syndrome' and staying fiercely focused on core values

14:30 - Taking maternity leave and building systems to let the business thrive in the founder's absence

17:45 - Key metrics: The importance of a 95%+ NPS and retaining quality practitioners

20:10 - Fiona’s final advice and truth on running a successful allied health practice