Physical therapists are health professionals who work with people who have suffered an injury. A physical therapist may help stroke victims learn to use their right arm again, teach a young woman the proper gain for using crutches and work with a quadriplegic to improve his lung capacity all in a single day. Physical therapists work in varied settings including nursing homes and hospitals. A physical therapist may work on staff full-time or as a temp. Starting a physical therapy agency can be an ideal way to combine your interest in medicine with your background in business.

Create a space for your business. The space can be a room with a separate entrance in your house or you can rent office space elsewhere. You will need room to keep records, an area where candidates can wait to be interviewed, and a space where you can interview them. You may also need space as you hire additional employees to work for you. Look for rental offices that have potential expansion capacity.

Get contracts. Contact local physical therapy employers directly. Speak with human resources officials. Emphasize your background in the field as well as your ability to find qualified workers to meet their needs. If possible find out as much as you can about the facility before you go including the typical number of patients, staffing capacity and history. Bring documents with you ready to be signed that give you permission to hire employees on behalf of the facility in question.

Find candidates to hire. All candidates should have completed their education and passed state licensing exams. If possible look for those who have at least a year of full-time experience. Ask if you can speak at local schools on career day about what you can offer graduates. Place ads in trade magazines that target the physical therapy community. Make sure that you have material to hand out with your contact information and details about available jobs.

Vet candidates. Interview them about basic techniques and procedures. If possible visit them at their current place of employment to observe how they interact with patients directly. Have candidates bring copies of all their work papers. All material pertaining to an employee’s background should be filed in an easily accessible place in your office. Both the employee and employees on your staff should be able to gain access to the documents for payroll purposes. Create standardized documents that all potential employees fill out about their work history and background. Such documents should also be on file.

Make sure that you are in compliance with all state and federal regulations. Contact a lawyer who specializes in business law to verify that you have met all state supervisory laws regarding the employment of physical therapists.