We interviewed Edit Várhelyi, one of the owners and CEO of three clinics in Budapest, Hungary that utilize David’s state-of-the-art orthopedic equipment and technology. In 2011, after several years of therapeutic work experience with DAVID equipment, Edit, with the help of other investors, decided to build a therapy clinic business. What is interesting is how the clinics operate with an out-of-pocket business model and have successfully seen a generous inflow of eager clients. Let us take a closer look at how Edit has created her success story in Budapest.

What does your therapy center network in Budapest look like?

We have three DAVID Gerincklinika physiotherapy clinics around Budapest, and our team includes 18 physiotherapists as well as contracted massage therapists. There are also orthopedic doctors that come in to see clients upon request. We also have a consultant doctor that we visit once a week for consultation over certain client cases.

People are committed when we do something against the pain they are experiencing.

How do clients find your clinics?

Clients find our clinics through several different ways, from a simple online search to local doctors referring their own patients. However, the strongest marketing tool is word-of-mouth. Most of our clients are very pleased with our professionalism and how client-oriented our therapy is. People are hooked when we do something against the pain they are experiencing, so it really speaks for itself. I believe it is about creating an atmosphere of health and optimism.

What else do you do to keep clients coming back?

The employees at the clinics frequently call back first-time customers and established clients to ask about their wellbeing and how the team can better support their recovery. This is how we keep a strong level of client-oriented professionalism, which not only brings clients back but also their friends and family.

I actually only see benefits of having self-paying clients. It makes them more motivated to work with the clinic’s team and achieve the positive results from using movement as medicine.

What are the challenges with physiotherapy clinics?

The challenges are like in any other business, but I actually only see the benefits of having self-paying clients. It makes them more motivated to work with the clinic’s team and achieve the positive results from using movement as medicine. Clients are excited to report their experiences through our Facebook pages, and share how happy they are to have found a customized solution that alleviates their physical pains for a long time. For example, one client already had two back operations and was on the waiting list for a third, but after finding our clinic five years ago, is currently running marathons.

What does the future hold?

I am excited about the future and our plans to open 5 to 6 therapy clinics around Hungary. The team is beginning to implement group therapy sessions which I hope will add more fun to the clinics. I have also been in touch with David Health Solutions about getting a therapist-focused training academy up and running. I believe this will help standardize the work of physiotherapists and get the best-practice methods used around the world.

We are excited to work with Edit on this developmental training program and bring more knowledge to the hundreds of physiotherapists using DAVID exercise therapy technology worldwide!