Heather Evans began to feel the isolation of being a solo small business owner while renting a small office for her independent chiropractic and medical massage practice, She enjoyed the independence of being her own boss and helping clients, yet missed the camaraderie of other healthcare professionals. She found that others in her position felt the same way and opened The Health Collective,  a coworking space, in 2018.

Evans explains, “It’s the same model as the salon suites have been doing for many years. The basic model already exists, I simply added a new twist and brought it to the health and wellness community.” The 5,000-square-foot space features 14 treatment rooms, a reception area, laundry facilities, a kitchen, breakroom and shared internet services for practitioners.

Twelve of the treatment rooms are available full-time. Providers rent the room empty and furnish it to represent their unique style and business function. Two additional treatment rooms, or flex rooms, come furnished with a massage table, furniture, lamps, a hot towel cabinet and a music speaker. They can be rented by practitioners hourly, daily or monthly for $12 per hour.

Practitioners reserve the flex rooms via a booking app then arrive at their reserved time with their own supplies. “These rooms are perfect for a new provider who is just beginning to grow their business, with very little overhead, the seasoned provider that needs a second location, or a provider that is slowing down their larger business model,” Evans notes.

The modern, airy space has a spa-like feel, with neutral tones and calming lighting. Around two dozen practitioners, including acupuncturists, massage therapists, reiki and energy workers, physical therapists, hypnotherapists, counselors and aestheticians currently rent space at The Health Collective. Evans says she strives to keep a balance among the types of services offered to prevent oversaturation of similar practitioners and offer a diverse mix.

“The Health Collective’s unique model allows a practitioner to work in their own room, and the owner is not taking a percentage of their business,” Evans says. “Practitioners pay a flat rent, they come and go as they please, and they can do their own thing however they choose.”

The Health Collective is located on a service road for Central Expressway. There is ample parking, and it is conveniently located off the main lobby of the building on the first floor. A self-service check-in area features an iPad kiosk for clients to check in for their appointments, then the system sends a text to the provider to let them know the client has arrived.

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Evans notes that being part of a collective allows practitioners to save on expenses by sharing resources so that they do not have to outfit an entire office themselves. They can also cross-refer patients internally and gain clients by word-of-mouth. Profiles of the providers are displayed on the reception wall, and clients can scan a QR code to learn more. Evans emphasizes that this saves the providers marketing dollars.

They are also less isolated. Evans has seen practitioners discussing scheduling, accounting, marketing and overall creativity. She says, “It can be challenging to be self-employed. We learn from each other at the collective. There’s a shared synergy.”

Evans also observes that practitioners collaborate on client cases that may need another intervention to fully address a particular health situation, sharing, “The client’s health ultimately benefits, and this is why we do what we do.”

The collective model is growing throughout the country, for not only health and wellness entrepreneurs, but also restaurateurs, small batch food producers and art collectives. Evans sees this model becoming standard for aspiring entrepreneurs because it makes economic sense to share resources while increasing visibility.

“My overall capacity at The Health Collective is to create a nice environment for practitioners to work in, and for their customers to visit, says Evans. “People walk into our space and say that it feels good here, and that is what I work hard behind the scenes to maintain.”

The Health Collective is located at 10670 N. Central Expressway, Ste. 110, in Dallas. For more information, call 469-755-6905 or visit HLTHCO.com.