Running a thriving practice isn’t just for those with four walls and a waiting room. Materia+ can help all natural healthcare providers grow with ease—including the ones who pack up their toolkit and hit the road.

Unlike other providers, mobile providers face a unique twist within their business: and that is commuting. Travel time and fees can make direct patient booking a little trickier to juggle. But don’t worry—we’ve got your back. That is why we’ve taken it upon ourselves to guide mobile providers through the ins and outs of making the platform work for them. This guide will show you how to not only run your mobile practice smoothly, but set it up to truly thrive.

Shaping Your Client Portal & Information

Your client portal is often the very first impression patients get of your practice, so it’s crucial to make sure it communicates exactly how you operate. Transparency builds trust, and trust builds bookings.

For mobile providers, this means being upfront about the essentials. When someone visits your profile or portal, they should immediately understand:

• That you offer mobile services
• The prices and rates associated with those services

Luckily, Materia+ gives you plenty of tools to make this clear. You can upload a Pricing Sheet to your resource materials, broadcast a message highlighting that you provide mobile services, all of which can direct patients to review your appointment type and price before they book.

Remember: communication is key. The more clearly you set expectations, the smoother the booking process will be—for both you and your patients.

Build in Buffer Time to Keep Your Schedule Running Smoothly

As a mobile provider, your calendar isn’t just about appointments—it’s about the time it takes to get to those appointments. That’s why adding buffer time between bookings is essential. Not only does it account for commuting, but it also gives you breathing room for any unexpected, timesensitive hiccups that may pop up during your day.

Setting this up is simple: go to Dashboard > Settings > Advanced Booking > Buffer Time and select a buffer time that works with your vision of a productive daily schedule.

Once selected, this buffer time is automatically applied before and after each appointment across your services. For example, if you set a 30‑minute buffer, the system will block off half an hour after every session, ensuring you’re not rushing from one client to the next.

Pro tip: Take a realistic look at your average travel times. If it usually takes you 20–30 minutes to get from one appointment to another, set your buffer to at least 30 minutes, or even 45 minutes to factor in bad road conditions. This way, your schedule reflects the reality of being mobile, and you’ll avoid running late.

Defining & Pricing Your Services as a Mobile Provider

Defining and setting the right price for your services is just as important as managing how patients book with you. Mobile providers offer a unique level of convenience and comfort—that’s right, you're bringing care directly to a patient’s home—and that added value should be reflected in your pricing. Patients often recognize the benefit of avoiding travel, waiting rooms, and the stress that comes with coordinating appointments outside their home, so it’s reasonable to factor this into your rates.

Consider the following when defining your services:

• Include the word Mobile in the service title - e.g. “Swedish Massage (Mobile)”
• Include the fact that you are going to be traveling to the patient’s home.

Consider the following when pricing your mobile services

• Home-Visit Premium. Home visits provide comfort and convenience that traditional clinic visits cannot. Incorporating a premium for this added service is standard practice.
• Travel Time and Costs. Factor in the time spent commuting between patients, as well as fuel or transportation expenses. Transparent pricing helps patients understand why mobile care may cost more.
• Service Complexity. More specialized or time-intensive services should be priced higher than routine visits. Aligning price with effort ensures sustainability.
• Market Rates. Research what other mobile providers in your area charge. Staying competitive while reflecting your unique value helps attract patients without undervaluing your work.
• Bundled Services. Consider offering packages (e.g., multiple visits at a discounted rate) to encourage ongoing care and simplify pricing for patients.
• Clear Communication. Display your pricing clearly. Patients appreciate transparency and are more likely to book when they know what to expect. You can include a pricing sheet as one of the resource materials on your profile/portal.

You Got This

Running a mobile practice comes with unique challenges, but with the right setup, those challenges can become opportunities. By clearly shaping your client portal, building in the appropriate buffer times that work around your schedule, choosing the right booking model, and pricing your services to reflect your value as a mobile provider, you can create a practice that’s both efficient and patient‑friendly.

Materia+ is here to support mobile providers every step of the way, so you can focus on delivering care and growing your practice, and not juggling logistics.