Steven Berkman, Founder and Owner, Boost Physio

Steven Berkman, Founder and Owner, Boost Physio, and Tier 1 MSKPN member, talks about growing a physio business and why he values MSKPN. Having a trade body representing the interests of the collective is a major benefit.

 Being a member is incredibly beneficial and the membership fee is tremendous value for money

I was inspired to be a MSK clinician from a love of helping people

When I was in high school, I loved going to the gym and learning about muscles in the body and I also loved the sciences, so physio was a perfect career for me. With MSK conditions I feel there is a very clear beginning, middle and end to help people on their journey and achieve their goals.

Joining MSKPN really was an eye opening experience

Pre-Covid, whilst I was aware of MSKPN, I felt too busy to get involved in another network. And then Covid came along and it was amazing to share ideas and get help on how to get back to work.

What are the main benefits of being part of MSKPN

Content of the webinars – much more important and engaging to business owners, eg recent series on practice ownership models have been very insightful. This content isn’t available anywhere else

Leadership course – we’ve put 3 team members through the leadership course to help them develop their career path and given them confidence

Opportunities to meet face to face – We have met to talk about recruitment, training and developing less experienced physios, and members have very openly shared their experiences with colleague as opposed to competitors.

Range of businesses and people involved – Members are business owners with business hats on. Other physio networks are mostly only dealing with physios.

MSKPN is giving me two things as a growing business

Firstly Networking – I find the biggest benefit is being part of the conversation and at the table with similar business owners who understand our shared issues. Hearing the perspectives from colleagues and information sharing has been incredibly valuable, whether via webinars, meetings, face to face dinners and networking events.

Secondly having a bigger voice – As a group, we are able to flag issues with insurers and third parties. We all struggle equally in dealing with insurance companies. Through our WhatsApp group, it became clear there were payment delays so MSKPN had a conversation at a higher level. This wouldn’t have been possible for a single person to do.

What I needed during early Covid was reassurance

I realised that everyone was having exactly the same challenges and grappling with the same difficulties as myself. We were preparing to restart and had to see people safely. So between us we created an umbrella of agreed parameters – any real meaningful national guidance was so infuriatingly slow.

We didn’t just survive, we thrived

All our clinics are in residential areas and didn’t suffer from office closures, as people were all working from home. Therefore we had good periods of growth and were busier than we were pre-Covid.

I feel there is a fantastic spirit of sharing and openness within the group which I feel is very welcome.

I wanted to be a Tier 1 member  

I felt I needed to be at the top table and have the high level discussions with practices of a similar size and help shape the agenda. I felt like we should be held accountable to the members and deliver on the asks. I feel very strongly that accountability is two way.

My advice to other practices about joining MSKPN?

I think you will get a tremendous amount out of the network that is completely different to any network you’ve been involved in before, whether that’s a professional, clinical or business group. MSKPN consists of people with a business hat on, who work within MSK care with a clinical and business agenda.

Read more about Steven’s early career and progress to date …

I graduated in Physiotherapy at the University of Cape Town, South Africa in 1997

I worked in a small private practice. I then moved to London and worked in the NHS for 6 years and whilst I gained and learnt a huge amount, I felt I was doing my job with one hand tied behind my back. Feeling frustrated because of limited resources and pressure on waiting lists and the push to move to self management approaches, I started working on an evening in private practice and in 2006, myself and a part time colleague set up Boost Physio. Initially started out by hiring a gym in Middlesex University, a fire pushed me out of my comfort zone and I opened my own clinic on the high street in Hendon.

The initial financial commitment was very stressful

When I took to leap and set up on my own, the first challenge was the finance required to complete the fit out, which caused many sleepless nights. Everything else was small mini steps. Hiring a full time receptionist and growing the number of full time physios made me feel a real sense of gamble and jeopardy, thinking if this doesn’t go right it’s my money. Another challenge was which area, which street and which shop. Key things to consider were parking and convenience to clients.

We developed a unique approach involving “hands on” treatments with a focus on finding and treating the source of the problem

The business grew gradually and now Boost Physio has six high street clinics in London and a team of 22 physios. We have helped over 20,000 people feel fantastic, faster. Our latest clinic was established in Kensington in October 22 with the main aim to provide patients with everything they need to achieve their goals and help them with their recovery.

We love helping people get back to the things they love to do, that pain or injury has taken away from them

We aim to provide the same level of physiotherapy and rehabilitation to our patients, that professional sports people receive.

Having a low back problem myself helps me better understand and help people

I love helping people achieve goals they never thought possible and recover from pain and injury. As I have a low back disc problem that I have managed for over 20 years. I’ve managed to run several marathons and complete many triathlons with my condition.

Download Steven’s showcase here:  Steven Berkman members showcase

Learn more at: https://mskpn.co.uk