Trained physiotherapists, Audrey‑Ann Côté and Alice Dumont never thought they would become co-owners of Physio Victo so early in their careers. Formerly known as Physiothérapie Victoriaville, the clinic was founded in 1989 by physiotherapist and owner Raymond Pelletier, in premises located at the Cégep de Victoriaville. This earned it the status of being associated with the institution and its sports teams, the Vulkins. The services are nevertheless accessible to the general public, in an approach that emphasizes empathy and personalized care: “We’re a clinic where the client is at the heart of it all, receiving customized treatment. Here, people aren’t just numbers,” says a proud Audrey‑Ann. Alice and she, co‑owners since June 2023, both have a particular attachment to the clinic, which made a major impact at the start of their own professional paths.
After earning a master’s degree in sports therapy, Audrey‑Ann became a physiotherapist at Physiothérapie Victoriaville, where she had already worked as a receptionist during her studies. Meanwhile, a few months after graduating, Alice was approached by Raymond and Audrey‑Ann. She jumped at the opportunity with enthusiasm: having herself sustained a sports injury when she played rugby for the Vulkins, Physiothérapie Victoriaville was her first experience with the profession—and it inspired her to pursue it as a career.
Even though they knew Raymond planned to retire soon, neither Alice nor Audrey‑Ann had been aware of the clinic owner’s intentions for the future of his practice. When he told them in December 2022 that he would be leaving in May 2023, Alice and Audrey‑Ann passed the idea back and forth: as they were the only two employees of Raymond, each assumed the other would become the next owner. Eventually, they concluded that it would be better to combine their strengths and go into this venture together. What motivates them the most is their strong passion for sports therapy. Opportunities in that field are rather limited in the region, so the contract with the Vulkins is something they deeply value.
Once the decision was made, there was not a moment to lose: they only had five months until Raymond’s retirement, and there was a lot to do. Lacking any prior administrative or management background, Alice and Audrey‑Ann learned the ropes as they went along. This was no easy task, since both future co‑owners kept working full‑time as physiotherapists while also carrying out the takeover.
The first step: contacting financial institutions to ensure that adequate financing was available for the purchase. Once that financing was secured, many administrative tasks followed, relating to insurance and government bodies. The two partners also took this opportunity to refresh the clinic’s image. They officially registered under the name Physio Victo and introduced a new logo.
Fortunately, Alice and Audrey‑Ann did not have to do this alone. Their contact at Desjardins, their corporate lawyer, the SADC’s youth entrepreneurship program (Stratégie Jeunesse), and the RDL Group, to name just a few, were invaluable allies during the entire process. However, it was largely Raymond’s assistance that truly allowed the new managers to take flight. Having the success of the clinic and of both successors at heart, the former owner made sure to teach them everything they needed to know and equip them for their new role: “He was so happy and proud when we told him we were ready to buy, and he always had total confidence in us,” they said.
Now that Alice and Audrey‑Ann have been running Physio Victo for more than a year, they have guided the clinic’s evolution by digitizing its administrative system, broadening its service offerings, and hiring two new physiotherapists in order to reduce client wait times. Beyond that, the clinic suits them perfectly as is: their team makes a difference in people’s lives every day—and that’s all that matters to them.
physiovicto.com
physiovicto.com
