A physiotherapist may not be the most obvious occupant of shared office space, but with Formation Works buildings, we are committed to tailoring our spaces to meet the very diverse needs of a range of entrepreneurial ventures. In the case of Alive Physio & Rehab, we are so glad we went the extra mile, as owner Alice Loughran has become a huge asset to our Cookstown premises. Find out her story here:
Tell us a bit about yourself and about Alive Physio & Rehab
My name is Alice Loughran and I am a physiotherapist and the owner of Alive Physio & Rehab in Cookstown. Alive is a physiotherapy and specialist rehab clinic, specialising in spinal and lower limb rehab. Also within the clinic we have a hot yoga studio, Pilates studio and a wellness suite which includes two plunge pools and an infra-red sauna. I’ve always wanted to open up my own clinic as I’ve always been quite ambitious so when the opportunity arose to have my own place I grabbed it with both hands!
What made you choose Cookstown as the location for your practice?
Cookstown is my home town so it’s been great as a start-up business to be able to open up so close to home, especially when Cookstown is in the heart of mid-Ulster and such a well known place so to open up here was a no brainer for me.
What was it that appealed to you specifically about the Formation Works building?
When I was looking for a place to open up my own place, I had seen another one of the Formation Works buildings and how it was finished to such a high spec, giving that real professional feel. It also seemed to be somewhere that was really easy to get on board with so that was a massive appeal too.
Location wise, I wanted to open up somewhere that was very central and accessible for patients, somewhere that people knew so this building ticked all those boxes for me too. It was so new, so clean, so central – it was the obvious choice for me.
How do you find the facilities there? Do they meet your needs?
The facilities here are second to none. Everything is finished to the highest possible spec, better than I could ever have imagined. I love it when new clients come in and they are taken straight away with the ‘wow factor’ of this place. That’s really important as a first time business owner; that people really like this space and love coming here – that means a lot to me!
Talk to us about the nature of a share office space – do you find it a plus to have other businesses in the same building? Has it helped develop your client base for example? Do you find the social aspect appealing?
The nature of the role of a physiotherapist means that you do spend some time in the day on your own so having other offices close by and other businesses occupying this same building is a really nice addition. I’ve actually grown to have good friendships with the guys in the floors below and that has been really comforting. It has also helped my business as they have referred me to their friends and family having gotten to know more about when we do here at Alive.
Another advantage for me is that together with the other businesses here we have organised lunchtime yoga and Pilates classes so it means they are able to use my facilities to help with their businesses too.
Do you find the Formation Works team easy to deal with?
Dealing with Formation Works has been so easy right from the very start through to now as the process continues. Nothing has been a problem for them – they have been very approachable in every way. This has been a really big deal for me moving into my own place so they have been so encouraging and have made big decisions as easy as possible for me. They have been able to give me advice and guide me in the best was possible, so I’m really thankful for that.
If someone was considering moving into a Formation Works property what would your advice be?
For anyone with a start-up business needing a space and wanting great people to work with to make it all happen, I would not hesitate in recommending the Formation Works team. As a first time small business owner I was naturally very apprehensive about the whole thing but they have made this seamless for me and have been so encouraging. It’s not an easy thing to do and sometimes you just need the right people around you to help bring your dream alive and that’s definitely what they have helped me do. I would recommend this to anyone in a heart beat!
Watch Alice’s video testimonial below: