Registrations, licences and tax depend on your state and your situation. Speak to your CA and your state's professional body for those.
1. Your clinic software
Choose your practice management software before you open, not after. Starting on day one is far easier than moving three hundred patients from a register later. Look for one system that covers bookings, notes, bills, reminders and staff. Our physiotherapy practice management software buyer's guide explains what to look for.
Clinidiary is physiotherapy software built for Indian clinics, free for the first six months. For a new clinic, that covers the first, slowest months at no cost.
2. Services, prices and packages
Write your price list before the first patient asks:
- Initial assessment, follow-up, and their lengths.
- Home visit, if you offer it, at its own price.
- Two or three packages for common courses of treatment. See treatment packages.
- Classes, if you plan to run them.
3. Billing and payments
- GST: ask your CA whether you need to register. Treatment is generally exempt; products like braces carry GST.
- UPI: set up a UPI ID for the clinic's bank account, so patients can pay by scanning a QR code on the bill.
- Bills: your clinic name, address, GSTIN if registered, and a bill series from day one. See GST billing for physiotherapy clinics.
4. Being found online
- Google Business Profile with your exact name, address, phone and hours, and photos of the clinic.
- An online booking link on Google, Instagram and WhatsApp. See online booking for physiotherapy clinics.
- A simple WhatsApp Business profile on the clinic phone, with your hours and address.
5. Patient records and consent
- Note templates for assessment and follow-up, ready before the first patient. See physiotherapy EMR and treatment notes.
- An intake and consent form to send after each booking. See patient intake forms.
- A short note to patients on how you use their data, for the DPDP Act. See patient data security and the DPDP Act.
6. Reminders from day one
Set up your reminder wording and send one to yourself. Then send tomorrow's reminders every day from the start. See WhatsApp appointment reminders.
7. Referring doctors
Make a list of the doctors near you: orthopaedic surgeons, neurologists, family physicians, gynaecologists. Visit them, and when they refer, write back. See doctor referrals and letters.
8. Your team
Even if it is just you and a receptionist, give each person their own login and the right role. When you add staff, attendance and leave are already in place. See staff attendance and leave.
9. Know your numbers from month one
Look at the dashboard every evening and the monthly reports at month-end: revenue, new patients, where they came from, and cancellations. See clinic reports.
The day-one checklist
- Clinic software set up, with your logo and details
- Services, prices and packages entered
- Note templates and intake form ready
- UPI ID set, bill series started
- Google Business Profile live, with the booking link
- Reminder wording tested on your own phone
- Staff logins created with the right roles
- A list of local referring doctors
Frequently asked questions
What software do I need to start a physiotherapy clinic in India?
One practice management system that covers appointments, treatment notes, GST bills with UPI, packages, WhatsApp reminders and staff. Clinidiary does all of this and is free for the first six months.
Should I start with a register and move to software later?
It is much easier to start on software from day one than to move hundreds of patients from a register later.
Do I need GST registration for a physiotherapy clinic?
It depends on your situation. Treatment is generally exempt from GST, but products may be taxable. Ask your CA.
How do new physio clinics get patients?
A complete Google Business Profile with online booking, good relationships with local doctors, and patients who finish their treatment and tell others.