Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Matt Swift, Founder of Change Sports Physical Therapy Institute, located in Huntington Beach, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I am a physical therapist and run a physical therapy clinic in Huntington Beach, CA. We serve patients in this area with rehabilitation from all kinds of injuries and surgeries. We also have some online options for serving people. We focus on people who are active and want to get back to an active lifestyle.
Tell us about yourself
I played sports growing up and wanted to stay in that type of setting. I was first drawn to athletic training and helping people get back to playing sports after injuries. I then broadened my studies and furthered my education to be able to help people recovering from all types of injuries. At the center of it all, I enjoy helping people take brokenness and restore it to wholeness. I also help pastor a small church, which, as it turns out, is all about helping people take their brokenness and restore them to wholeness.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Honestly, right now, the biggest accomplishment feels like it is still being around after 12+ years. Our industry is one in which expenses are rising and payments are decreasing, which is squeezing profit margins. I've always been on the lookout for ways to improve what we provide in a manner that will lead to growth in the future.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Figuring out how to make this a profitable business for the long term. There is a lot of competition for the same pool of people. I've had to come up with ideas on my own and then test them in the marketplace. This leads to a lot of failed attempts. However, all these failed attempts have given me a better view of the next place to jump into.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Start small and just get moving. We have the tendency to try and come up with a perfect grand plan before putting it to market. Just get the bare essentials and get started. You might find out that what you thought would work actually doesn't, and you will need to pivot. If you have already committed too much to your original idea, it will be a hard and painful pivot.
- Don't sacrifice the important relationships in your life just to get the business off the ground. Still, stay plugged in with family and friends. These are the people who make life meaningful, so in your journey to business success, don't forget that life is happening along the way.
- This is the most crucial for me personally. You may or may not believe in God, but if you know you are walking the path with your heavenly Father at your side, the journey is much more peaceful.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
“Most of the mistakes we make are not due to wrong decisions they are due to indecision, omission, and inaction out of the fear that something will go wrong.”
- William Douglas and Rubens Teixeira from "The 25 Biblical Laws of Success."
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://sportschange.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sportsPT/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/changesportspt/
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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