Business Resources

Setting up your own practice as a Sport Rehabilitator

Many BASRaT Registered Sport Rehabilitators successfully run their own rehab business, if you are contemplating setting up your own practice, this compilation of advice and guidance could help. We look at whether self employment is for you and provide an indication of what you need to know from business plans to health and safety.

Your BASRaT Registration provides Rehab Guru: invaluable to your future practice as it provides exercise prescription software and the clinic management.

Guidance includes:

  • Is it for you? Self-employed vs employed

  • How to Operate

  • Business Plans

  • Finances and Insurance

  • Rehab Guru Clinic Management

  • Health and Safety

  • Tax and Government

  • BASRaT’s Private Practice Group Network

  • Marketing, productivity and personal development

  • BASRaT Support Documents and Sport Rehab testimonials leaflet

  • Further resources

Is it for you?

This section considers self-employed versus employed work; personal qualities that will benefit you and questions to ask yourself before you start out.

  • Starting a business can be rewarding and invigorating, but it can also be risky and challenging. This article outlines some of the key things you should consider before you take that big step, including advantages and disadvantages and questions to ask yourself about whether you are ready to start your own business.

  • We recommend that new graduates start work in an employed role to continue to learn and consolidate knowledge. Mentorship and experience will help to build both clinical and business skills which will be beneficial for your future clinic.

  • Whatever type of business you are thinking of starting up, all business owners need to have a range of skills and abilities. This resource looks at some typical characteristics of successful businesspeople.

  • Beauty entrepreneur Maria Hatzistefanis explains how to start out in business by taking risks, having a plan B, being realistic and more. View the video here.

  • · Do I really want to operate independently and be the person making all the decisions and shouldering the responsibility?

    · Am I willing to put in the hours and make the sacrifices necessary to start a business?

    · Do I have the self-confidence and self-discipline to persevere and build my new business into a success?

Setting up your Business

How to operate

Consider how you will operate. You could choose to become a sole trader, form a partnership or set up a limited company. This site helpfully runs through the differences - Set up a business

Business Plans

A business plan gives an outline of your business, the market in which it will operate and how it aims to make money. The plan should answer this question: why will your business succeed when others fail? The King’s Trust and Gov.uk have the following useful resources:

King’s Trust Business plan pack

Download the business plan pack (PDF 1.5MB)

The pack covers everything you need to consider when starting up your business, including:

  • Pitching your business

  • Selling yourself as an entrepreneur

  • Defining your products and services

  • Identifying your customers and conducting market research

  • Marketing and competitor analysis

  • Operations and logistics

  • Pricing strategy and financial forecasting

  • Back-up planning

Gov.uk business plans

Business plan templates, examples and details information on how to write a business plan. View

Finances and Insurance

  • If you’re aged 18 to 30, you can apply to join the Enterprise programme, which will equip you with the skills and knowledge you need to become your own boss – including how to manage business finances.

    Find an Enterprise course near you

  • Understanding how much money your business will need to make each month is a core element of the King’s Trust Enterprise programme.

    To start recording the money your business has coming in and going out, you can download the King’s Trust budget planner which contains guidance on completing the planner in the spreadsheet.

  • Once you’ve worked out your monthly outgoings, you’ll have an idea of how much money your business needs to earn each month. Then, you’ll need to think about the costs of getting your business off the ground.

    One of the biggest challenges when starting your own business can be the question of funding.

    Remember to build into your financial forecasts a generous margin for contingencies and the unexpected. It's not worth investing money and then running out before your business has got off the ground.

  • There are different finance options available for businesses. Read the Business Wales guides explaining the main differences and the key things to think about when deciding which option is the most appropriate for your business. 

    It is important to plan any investment and control your costs carefully. You should:

    • include future investment in products and services into your strategic business plan

    • plan exactly where this investment will be directed

    • justify the expenditure on every development project

    • manage your cost

    Before making investment decisions, consider how much your business stands to gain from the new product or service. Weigh this against any risks you face.

    Types of finance and how to apply.

  • All businesses need insurance as soon as they start trading.

    Some types of insurance are required by law and should be in place before you’re up and running. For example, you must have employers’ liability insurance if you employ people.

    Other types are optional but worth considering, as uninsured losses could put you out of business or leave you in debt.

    BASRaT members can contact James Hallam for advice on the additional insurance covers that will be required. Speak to an adviser on 01245 321185 or submit details to promedschemes@jameshallam.co.uk.

Rehab Guru

Your BASRaT Registration provides use of Rehab Guru, which offers a full clinic management system with exercise prescription software.

Rehab Guru offers Exercise Prescription software with built-in telehealth, outcomes, notes, reports, forms, bookings and invoicing; the full clinic management system.

Rehab Guru is a tried and tested Home Exercise Prescribing platform trusted by sole-practitioners, private practices, the NHS, PMIs, and the UK Ministry of Defence.

Built-in features include:
- 6000+ exercises
- 280+ pre-made templates
- Treatment notes and patient forms
- Outcome measures
- Telehealth for virtual video consultations and group classes
- Diary management
- Online booking, invoicing and secure payments

Health and safety

As you are working with members of the public, you will need to ensure you adhere to Health and Safety guidance, you can use the following to help guide you:

Basics for your business

As your clinic grows, health and safety requirements may change. The Health and Safety Executive has a user friendly website that covers this including: Preparing a policy; Managing risks and risk assessment at work; Reporting accidents and illness; Providing information and training; Consulting your workers; Workplace facilities; First aid in work; Display the law person and Appoint a competent person. Health and safety basics

Tax and Government

  • Once you’ve set up your business, you must register as self-employed with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

    Visit the HMRC website for guidance on registering your business with HMRC, with useful information on setting up in business.

  • You need to set up as a sole trader if any of the following apply:

    • you earned more than £1,000 from self-employment in the previous financial year

    • you need to prove you are self-employed, for example to claim Tax-Free Childcare

    • you want to make voluntary Class 2 National Insurance payments to help you qualify for benefits.

    HMRC recommends that you register as a sole trader as soon as you start your business.

    To set up as a sole trader, you need to tell HMRC that you pay tax and National Insurance through Self Assessment and you will need to file a tax return every year.

    If you have to submit a tax return and you did not send one the previous year, you must register by 5 October in your business’s second tax year; you could be fined if you do not.

    You can register online as a sole trader and a Self Assessment Online account will automatically be set up, which will allow you to send your Self Assessment Tax Returns online.

    You will be given a 10 digit ‘Unique Tax Reference Number’ (UTR), which you must retain for future use

    • DO submit online rather than using paper form (which will be gradually phased out).

    • DO prepare and save your tax return in the April to June period, while numbers are fresh, even though the deadline for submission is not until the end of January. This gives you time to seek help or speak with an accountant if needed.

    • DON’T pay until early/mid-January (in time to meet the end-of-January payment deadline). This will help your business’s cashflow.

    • DO estimate and save for your tax bill each month using HMRC’s self-employed budgeting tool.

    • DON’T miss the deadline – you’ll get a £100 fine or more if you file your tax return late and be charged daily interest for late payment. Consider setting a calendar alert or another reminder.

  • You must register for Value Added Tax (VAT) if your VAT-taxable turnover (i.e. the total value of everything you sell or supply that is not VAT exempt) exceeds the VAT threshold in any 12-month period.

    The VAT threshold for tax year 2024–25 is £90,000. Find out more about VAT on the HMRC website.

    Once you register your business for VAT, you will need to use Making Tax Digital compatible software for digital record keeping. This will allow you to submit VAT returns digitally to HMRC.

    • Personal money should always be kept separate from business money, in separate bank accounts, with transfers evidenced in your book-keeping.

    • Keep the original receipts for all your office supplies, copies of customer invoices, bank statements, etc.

    • It is mandatory that you maintain accurate, up-to-date financial records for your business. Whilst your book-keeping is not submitted to HMRC, they may ask to see it at any time.

    • Your book-keeping will be used to complete your Tax Return, so it must be accurate. HMRC requires you to retain your financial records for 6 tax years.

    • The cost of items used for both personal and business purposes (e.g. a mobile phone) must be split in proportion to the amount of use for each purpose.

  • Any business expenses that you incur wholly and exclusively for the sole purpose of earning business profits are known as ‘allowable business expenses’. HMRC will deduct these expenses from your taxable profit before calculating how much tax is due.

    An allowable business expense is money spent on the day-to-day running cost of your business, for example:

    • rent, rates and utility bills for business premises

    • a phone for business use

    • marketing

    • business insurance

    • stock

    • raw materials

    • business tools and equipment

    • stationery and postage

    • professional fees such as for solicitors and accountants

    • protective clothing.

    Where expenses relate to both business and private use, only the business part is allowable as a business expense. Therefore, costs must be divided so that you claim only the amount spent on the business.

BASRaT Private Practice Group Network

An open network for BASRaT Registrants working in or owning private practices.

This group provides a space for positive discussions and a space for advice and questions for those that need it and members share good practice. Subjects covered have included legalities of employees and contractual arrangements and the use of patient cashplans. Join.

  • Marketing

    Providing valuable information on market research, brand identity and getting online. Access here.  Kings Trust marketing resources

  • Productivity

    Emma Gannon’s two minute video presents tips and hacks on time management.

    Time Management Tricks

  • Personal Development

    Apprentice winner Mark Wright explains how anyone can succeed in business. He gives his top tips for how to be at your best in your career, including how to think positively, work harder, go further and be yourself.

BASRaT Support documents

BASRaT Policies and key documents can be accessed here. These cover insurance, fitness to practice, and CPD guidelines.

Member Guidance documents

Member resources can be accessed through your member area of the website. Resources include Lone working; safeguarding; medications advice; clinical record keeping; use of a chaperone and more.

The BASRaT Client Testimonials Leaflet is a vital tool for your business. This leaflet presents case studies from Sport Rehabilitators who run their own clinic, this will illustrate the benefits of Sport Rehabilitation to your future clients.

The BASRaT member communications toolkit contains leaflets on Sport Rehabilitation as a Healthcare Profession and how we are regulated, alongside logos to help promote your Business. You can also access the PSA toolkit which contains PSA logos.

Further resources

Private practice advisory pages

- Advantages and disadvantages, income, tax deduction, CPD, points of consideration, finance and running costs and marketing. Physiopedia
- Setting up your own business. Physiopedia

Federation of Small Businesses

Learn everything you need to know about starting a small business, including business law basics, finance fundamentals, and tips for securing your first sale. Federation of Small Businesses

Help to Grow: Start a business

There are over 5.5m businesses in the UK. If you’re ready to join them, we can help. Check what you need to do to set up your business and how to get help from government-backed schemes. Help to Grow.

Starting a Business

Advice on how to start your own business, with guides to help you plan, develop and finance a start-up company, plus recommendations on registering the business, its legal structure and finding financial backing for growth. SmallBusiness.co.uk

Start up donut

Everything you need to know about starting a business.

www.startupdonut.co.uk

10 Steps To Start A Business

Setting up a business is one of the most exciting and rewarding things you can do – but there’s a lot to think about before you get started.

Ten crucial steps of the process, from defining your initial idea to registering, launching and growing your business. Forbes.com

Getting Started

Got a business idea? Want to know how to start a business in your chosen industry? .

Advice on planning: how to start, strategy, guides and business support. Website builders and hosting. Marketing tips, tools and CRM software. startups.co.uk