How to Future-Proof YOUR Clinic!

In this issue, we’re diving into a conversation with Emily Ball, an experienced podiatrist, clinic owner, and leadership expert who has transformed how healthcare businesses operate. Emily’s journey—from bootstrapping her first clinic to building a self-sustaining business and launching Leading Practice—is packed with valuable lessons for any healthcare professional looking to grow and future-proof their clinic.

Emily shares her insights on scaling a business, avoiding common pitfalls, and how leadership at all levels can drive success. She also opens up about the challenges she faced when stepping away from her clinic and how that experience shaped the way she coaches others today. Whether you're just starting out or looking to take your practice to the next level, there’s something in this interview for you!

Let’s jump in.

Q: Emily, you opened your first clinic in 2011. Can you take us through your journey? What inspired you to start your own practice, and what were some key moments along the way?

Emily Ball: Of course! I graduated from the University of Southampton in 2010, and I always knew private practice was my goal. I chose podiatry because I saw an opportunity to specialise in MSK from the start, and there was only one other person in my area offering that at the time. I knew there was a real gap in the market.

Before podiatry, I worked in recruitment and sales, which gave me a business-minded approach from the outset. I’d always worked in roles where I could influence my own income, so working for myself was inevitable. The challenge was that I had never actually run a business before.

After graduating, I was lucky enough to get an MSK Band 6 role straight away, which is rare, working with Virgin Healthcare. I also worked in private practice as an associate in Fareham, and this dual experience really helped build my MSK expertise early on.

Around 18 months into private practice, I started doing home visits in my spare time, and that’s really how my business started. As my caseload grew, I left my associate role and focused on building my own practice. Then I got an incredible opportunity to work at the RRU with the military in Portsmouth. Unlike the NHS, they had the best equipment and unlimited budgets to provide top-tier care. That experience massively developed my skills and confidence.

Eventually, I set up a clinic in a rented room in Whiteley while still doing home visits. A defining moment for me was when I fell pregnant with my second child, Clara. I hired associates to keep things running while I was on maternity leave, but I quickly realised I wasn’t actually making any money after covering all the costs. Three months into my maternity leave, I had to return to work because I had no financial choice. That was a huge learning curve and made me realise I had to build a business that could run without me being physically present.

Q: Nowadays, you and your partner, Paul Kinkaid, run Leading Practice, a key resource for clinic owners. What’s the vision behind it, and how do you support healthcare professionals?

Emily Ball: Leading Practice came out of my experience running a clinic that I thought could function without me, only to realise that wasn’t the case. By 2021, I had grown my clinic to a three-room facility, had a full team, and was no longer treating patients myself. I thought I had built a sustainable business—until my daughter Martha was diagnosed with leukaemia.

I had to step away completely, and I expected my team to keep things running. But within three months, revenue had dropped significantly, and we burned through £40,000 in savings. My clinic wasn’t as independent as I had thought. Paul, who is a leadership consultant, helped me understand that my team was working hard but lacked leadership and direction. Together, we built a structured leadership program, first for my own team, and then for other clinic owners facing the same issues.

Leading Practice now helps healthcare professionals build thriving, self-sustaining businesses. We focus on leadership development, team mentorship, and strategic business growth to ensure clinics can function effectively without the owner having to be involved in every decision.

Q: For practice owners looking to build a self-sustaining business in six months, what are the most crucial steps?

Emily Ball: First and foremost, you need strong systems and processes—for recruitment, marketing, finance, stock control, and daily operations. But processes alone aren’t enough.

What most clinics lack is leadership at all levels. Many businesses rely too much on top-down management. Instead, every team member should have clearly defined roles and goals and understand the bigger picture. If they feel part of something meaningful and know how they contribute, they will take ownership, and the practice will thrive even if the owner isn’t there day-to-day.