Market Research and Budgeting for a New Physical Site

Before you commit to a lease, confirm there’s real local demand and build a budget for the delta — not a whole new business plan.

Step 1: Check local demand. Call other local ABA providers and ask their current waitlist length. National averages run 6-12 months for an autism evaluation plus 3-9 months to start ABA, but this varies block to block — a direct call is your real signal. Map local referral sources (pediatricians, schools, early intervention programs) even if you already have telehealth relationships in the area.

• Reach out to Alpaca Health for if you want any assistance with a pulse check on local demand

Step 2: Segment your existing telehealth client list. Some current families in the target area may want in-person or hybrid care — this is a warm pipeline a from-zero clinic wouldn’t have.

Step 3: Build a budget addendum, not a new business plan. Cover the incremental build-out cost, staffing, and the cash-flow gap during payer-location enrollment. An addendum is enough for most lenders if your practice already has a financial track record.

• Reach out to Alpaca Health for any assistance with financial modeling

Step 4: Decide if you actually need outside financing. An established, revenue-generating practice can often cover a modest build-out from cash flow. If you do want a loan, an SBA loan against an operating business is generally an easier conversation than a from-zero startup plan — SBA 7(a) for flexible build-out/working-capital use, SBA 504 for real estate.

Step 5: If the new site is in a different state, foreign-qualify your entity. See “Operating in Multiple States: Foreign Qualification & State Payroll Tax.”

WARNING: Don’t assume your telehealth-era financials automatically qualify you for build-out financing — lenders will still want a specific plan for the new site.