Franchise Opportunities

Since 2012, ActivOT has been empowering occupational therapists to make the transition from employees to successful business owners. We provide the tools, advice, support and systems required to set up and maintain a thriving private practice.

Occupational Therapy Franchise Opportunities

Since 2012, ActivOT has been challenging the status quo of occupational therapy service delivery. We’re Australia’s first and only occupational therapy franchise, led by award-winning occupational therapist and founder, Helen Whait.

ActivOT was founded as a franchise – offering shared resources and proven business processes – on the basis that it would serve as a cooperative of private practitioners with shared values who support each other.

ActivOT has consistently created opportunities for occupational therapists to make the transition from employees to successful business owners. We’ve done this by providing the right tools, advice, support and systems needed for occupational therapists to get started and to thrive in their own private practices.

As at June 2023, we have 56 thriving practices across regional and metropolitan South Australia, South East Queensland, Western Australia and New South Wales.

Our franchisees have been drawn to ActivOT for a variety of reasons, including:

  • an increasing need for better work-life balance
  • a desire to do more diverse and satisfying work
  • a long-held desire to own an OT practice but no opportunity to start one
  • a great desire to experience the satisfaction of complete control over their career
  • the need for flexibility in their work lives in order to achieve both personal and professional goals.

Franchising benefits for occupational therapists, therapy assistants and physiotherapists

Franchising is a proven system of business growth and is used all over the world, although its move into the healthcare arena is more recent. ActivOT was founded as the first franchise for occupational therapists in Australia.

ActivOT offers a stable business model, with 85% of franchisees continuing their practices past their initial five year term.

We know that our franchisees enjoy many benefits of ActivOT’s franchise model, including:

  • the use of an established business name/brand, trademark and proven business systems
  • reduced set up expenses
  • lower risk of failure
  • financial success and stability
  • promotional/marketing support
  • ongoing training and professional support systems
  • peer support and access to resources not available to sole practitioners.

In short, franchising brings together all the skills and resources of an experienced company with the driving ambition and dedication of an individual practitioner.

To learn more about each of our franchisees, use the button below.


The ActivOT franchise model

Helen Whait, an occupational therapist herself, founded the ActivOT franchise as an alternative to employing therapists when she became inundated with demand in her own private practice.

Helen is passionate about occupational therapy and is always client-centred in her approach to OT practice. Having employed therapists in the past Helen recognised a need to support therapists in having their own private practice. Most just wanted to know how to do it for themselves!

Helen understands that its a huge leap going from employed to self-employed.  The franchise model Helen designed is a “safety net” in that the systems of work are tried and tested.  ActivOT has been, from the outset, a franchise business that provides full business support for both start-up and ongoing needs.

Franchise structure

The ActivOT franchise is structured as a traditional franchise model. The buy-in fee is comparable to other personal services franchises, in contrast to the much more expensive retail franchises.

All ongoing fees are based on professional services provided and do not include travel/transport costs.  Profits for therapists are maximised. In fact, ActivOT franchisees earn, on average, double what they earned in traditional employment settings.

ActivOT’s core values

While clinical skills can be taught and developed through our mentoring/supervision and experience, core values cannot.

ActivOT is, above all, a values-based opportunity – we are looking for like-minded therapists to join our team.  Our values can be described as:

  • Client centred
  • Empowering
  • Holistic

ActivOT therapists work to the highest standards and best practice and they display:

  • Integrity
  • Compassion
  • Empathy
  • Sincerity

The ActivOT franchise opportunity

Compared with establishing private practice from scratch, The ActivOT franchise opportunity offers a quick start-up, as the brand and networks are already established.

The ActivOT franchise model allows you to build a saleable asset.  At any time if you need to leave the franchise you can sell your business.  Most other private practices just shut down when the practitioner is no longer able to service clients.

We’re currently providing services in South Australia, Queensland and Victoria and are inundated with demand. There are clients waiting for our services in the following areas:

  • South East Queensland
  • Melbourne
  • Sydney
  • Perth
  • Regional and metropolitan South Australia including the Adelaide Hills.

ActivOT is really the best of both worlds – complete autonomy with truly flexible working conditions combined with a supportive team environment to ensure you are supported and succeed.  Most importantly you have genuine support from an experience practitioner and business woman who has a real interest in your success.

If this opportunity is of interest to you please contact us using the button below.