NEXUSPRACTICE MANAGEMENTSTART Workbook
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Your Workbook

This workbook saves to your browser as you type

Everything you enter is stored privately on this device — no account, no upload. Use Save any time, and Print to keep a PDF copy. Work through it module by module as you move through the course.

Your details

This shapes a few of your obligations — registration, advertising rules and GST recognition. Where guidance differs, the workbook flags both pathways.

01
Module 1

You Belong Here

From clinician to practice owner

You trained for years to help people. Running the business is a different skill set — one you can learn. The discomfort you may feel is normal, and it is not evidence that you are not ready.

Founder readiness self-audit

Reflection

02
Module 2

Choose Your Foundation

Start simple, start fast

For most practitioners in their first year, a sole trader structure is the simplest start — free, immediate, and easy to change later. Compare the options at business.gov.au. This is general information, not tax or legal advice — confirm your structure with your accountant.

Your structure

If unsure, most start as a sole trader and restructure later if they grow.

Registration checklist

Which pathway are you on?

Australia regulates 15 professions through AHPRA — including chiropractic, pharmacy, Chinese medicine and osteopathy (see the register). Naturopathy, nutrition and remedial massage are not AHPRA-registered; they are regulated through national professional associations. Your pathway affects registration, advertising rules and GST recognition.
03
Module 3

Protect Yourself First

Before client one — non-negotiables

This applies to you regardless of your size

Most small businesses under $3M turnover are exempt from the Privacy Act — but health service providers are not. If you handle health information, you are bound by the Privacy Act and the 13 Australian Privacy Principles whatever your turnover. Read the APPs at oaic.gov.au.

Privacy obligations check

04
Module 4

Know Your Lane

Knowing when NOT to treat is a clinical skill

Your referral network is not only about clients coming in. Recognising red flags and referring a client out to a GP or specialist protects the client, protects you, and builds professional trust.

My scope

AHPRA codes & standards: ahpra.gov.au. Association members: check your association's code.

Refer-out readiness

05
Module 5

The Money Engine

Calculator

Break-even & minimum viable fee

Your break-even fee is the minimum you must charge per consult to cover costs and pay yourself. It is your floor, not your goal.

$
$
Your minimum fee per consult—

Enter your figures above to see where you stand.

Calculator

Profit allocation — 30 / 30 / 30 / 10

Split every dollar the moment it lands. The tax buffer is the one new practitioners most often skip — and most regret.

$
30% Owner pay—
30% Operating—
30% Tax buffer—
10% Growth—

The 30/30/30/10 principle is adapted from Profit First (Mike Michalowicz). Set up separate accounts and transfer the tax portion immediately.

The scarcity trap — which signs feel familiar?

06
Module 6

Get Paid & Stay Compliant

The GST three-element test

A health service is GST-free only if it is a listed health service, performed by a recognised health professional, and generally accepted as necessary. For self-regulated modalities, ‘recognised professional’ generally requires membership of a nationally representative professional association. Goods and supplements are usually taxable. Confirm your position in writing with your accountant — ATO guidance: ato.gov.au/health.

Tax & GST

The $75,000 turnover threshold is when GST registration becomes compulsory.

Calculator

The true cost of no-shows

No-shows are a silent drain. See what they cost you in a year — then decide on a deposit or cancellation policy.

$
Revenue lost to no-shows per year—

Getting paid — set it up

07
Module 7

Systems That Run the Practice

Your practice-management system

One system holds your bookings, reminders, invoicing, claiming and notes. It is the backbone — set it up before social media.

Must-have features — tick what your chosen system covers:

Where you'll practise

Your setting affects your insurance, privacy set-up, and the rent line in your break-even.

Clinical records

Use SOAP notes (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan) for every consult. If it isn't documented, it didn't happen — in a complaint, an audit or a claim. Retention is generally 7 years from last contact for adults, and for minors until they turn 25, but this varies by state — check your state's health-records legislation and your professional standards.

Records checklist

08
Module 8

The Client Experience

The four-phase consultation — my approach

The rebooking phrase

Every consult ends with a specific next appointment: “Based on what we've worked on today, I'd like to see you again in [X weeks]. I have [day/date] at [time] — does that work for you?” That directness is professional care, not a sale.

Where your first clients come from

KPI tracker

Your numbers — the four that matter

Track these monthly. They tell you what to fix.

$
Enquiry → booking—
Rebooking rate—
Average fee—
09
Module 9

Be Found

Builder

Your brand formula

One clear sentence. The more specific you are, the more the right person recognises themselves.

“I help [who] who struggle with [problem] so they can [outcome].”

The digital ecosystem — in this order

Most new practitioners jump to step 5 and skip the free, high-impact steps. Do them in order.

Content & referrals

Plan one post a week, rotating through four content types:

10
Module 10

Advertise Within the Law

The rules that catch practitioners out

You cannot claim to treat, cure or manage specific medical conditions in public marketing. Under the TGA Advertising Code, practitioners (current or former) cannot give testimonials or endorsements about therapeutic goods — and reviews on your own channels count as your advertising, so you must moderate them. Private one-to-one clinical advice is out of scope. See TGA testimonials guidance.

Rewrite the claim

Turn a risky claim into a compliant one. Describe what you do and who you help — not disease treatment.

Advertising compliance checklist

11
Module 11

Work Smarter

Your AI tool register

List the AI tools you use and check where each stores data. Review every AI output before it is used.

Data location matters

Under the Privacy Act, where client data is stored matters. Check before you commit to any tool. APP guidance.
Builder

AI Use Policy builder

Every practice using AI with clients needs a short AI Use Policy. Fill these in to draft yours.

Fill in the three fields above to generate your draft policy.

Core practice documents — do you have each?

12
Module 12

Launch & Sustain

Your 30 / 60 / 90-day plan

Each goal needs a specific action and a date. Not a wish — an action.

Week-one rhythm — one focus per day

Before my first client — master checklist

Sustaining yourself

Roughly half of sole traders don't survive past their early years — rarely from clinical failure, usually from unsustainable business practice and burnout. The most ethical thing you can do for future clients is build a practice that is still here in year ten.

Self-care & commitment

START — The Foundations of Private Practice · Interactive Workbook
Lipstick Consulting Pty Ltd, trading as Nexus Leadership · nexusleadership.com.au
General business education only. Regulations, thresholds and fees change — confirm your own position with your accountant, insurer, National Board or professional association before acting.