How can I tell what a walk-in clinic owner really earns?

Check whether the profit on a seller’s statement is what you would take home. If the owner works as a physician in the clinic, their pay as a doctor may be mixed with their return as a business owner. First, you need to see the clinic’s earnings without that mix. An accountant can help.

Clinic income versus physician income

Ask what the clinic itself collects, such as fees from physicians who work there, and what each physician earns personally and keeps. Those are different streams. If the statements blend them, ask for them to be separated. How billing works is a question for your lawyer and accountant.

The owner’s own shifts

If the owner works shifts, ask what it would cost to cover them. A new owner may need a locum or another associate, and that cost reduces earnings. Ask what the owner is paid for their own work, and adjust for a fair wage.

Staff, rent and one-off items

Compare staff costs and rent with what you would pay under your own arrangements, and ask whether the lease will change. Look for extra revenue that will not repeat, such as a single contract or a one-time sale of equipment. Remove it from the base or note it separately. For a wider review, see how to find a walk-in or medical clinic for sale.

• Ask for statements that separate clinic income from physician income
• Cost out the owner’s shifts and any locum cover
• Compare staff and rent with your own plans
• Flag income that will not repeat