Moray woman behind physiotherapy business on her ‘childhood dream’

When a Lossiemouth businesswoman was a teenager, it was her dream to become a physio – but she never thought it was possible.

Now, Claire Houston runs CLH Physio and Therapy on Queen Street after relocating to the town five years ago.

She answers our questions on her biggest struggles, achievements and more.

How and why did you start in business?

As a teenager, it was my childhood dream to become a physio, but I never thought it was possible.

At school I was advised that I wasn’t academic enough but, in 2009, I was accepted into university.

My first degree was in sports performance and coaching, and my second was in sports therapy.

These qualifications meant that I could apply to become a physio, and I went on to study for my masters in physiotherapy.

How did you get to where you are today?

When I first started out on my own, I had a small part-time business in England.

I relocated to north-east Scotland in 2020, right in the middle of Covid, and continued to work remotely from home.

Relocating came with many challenges, but at the earliest opportunity I was keen to get back to seeing clients face to face.

Like most business owners, I would say that running a business is about hard work, dedication, passion and never giving up.

For me, it’s also about looking at how you can evolve both as a person and a business.

Who helped you?

I must thank my son, who’s always believed in me, and all my friends for suggesting business locations and for listening to all my fears.

Business Gateway were really helpful in the beginning, listening to my dreams of going full time and giving me the belief in my ability to make it work.

They also helped me apply to for a British Business Bank start-up loan, and approval for that funding really helped to boost the business.

Most importantly, thank you to my clients.

They’ve supported the business by providing recommendations and referrals, which are really important, and they keep making returning visits.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever had?

Only you know what you can achieve. Believe in yourself. I was also given great advice to join the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

I recently attended one of their in-person networking events and enjoyed spending time with other business owners, chatting about our challenges.

I’m also vice president of Moray Business Women and was a finalist in two of the annual awards last year.

What is your biggest mistake?

I don’t think there’s been a big mistake, but I’ve made a couple of wee ones.

I was once scammed through advertising on social media, but fortunately I didn’t lose too much. At least now I get an alert that highlights potential scams on the platforms that I use.

What is your greatest achievement?

I’m delighted with everything I’ve achieved – relocating, opening the business, making it a success and then going full time, all whilst on my own.

How are you managing the rising cost of doing business?

I do lots of reviewing of costs and recording of numbers on spreadsheets. I check my bank balance every week.

I need to know what’s coming in and what’s going out, whilst trying to keep an eye on additional costs like training and staffing.

What do you still hope to achieve?

I want to continue to grow the Lossiemouth business and keep raising the standard of service I provide.

It would also be great to establish a better work-life balance, but I can’t see that happening any time soon.