User:CarolosCatherwood3846

Creating a Medical Spa As part of your Existing Medical Practice

The physicians conundrum: Everywhere, physicians are contemplating or involved in expanding in the "[ about medsmd]" market. Seduced through the media buzz surrounding this hot new phenomenon, many doctors see the medical spa as a method boosting their income and eliminating the growing grind and countless headaches of the daily practice. They read about growth statistics, see dazzling new equipment at industry events, watch competitors showing up, and fear that they will be falling behind the times. With pen available they're willing to sign lease agreements, loan documents, and a lot of checks as a way to catch onlookers of savvy entrepreneurs who know the location where the real action is. And also the truth is, they're right. Medical spas include the natural evolution of cosmetic medicine, and those that don't join the revolution will watch in the sidelines as their fate is established.

Medical spas are the forerunner of a revolution. From Galen so far, the principal approach to care may be over the hands and individual expertise in a physician. But that's changing. The default technique of care is starting to become technology based. In every market and time, technology is developed that replace somebody's knowledge and skill.

Lasers, IPLs, rf, infrared, personal Paternity testing, Pointe Lift�, Liposolve�, Clear?, PDT, telomere clipping, anti-aging drugs along with a smorgasbord of other technologies in development promise to switch medicine just like that computers, jet engines, and GPS have changed aviation. Technology now enables an installer (under medical supervision) to perform effective medical treatments and places problems in an oversight roll as an alternative to to be the primary practitioner. Sooner, physicians can have more in common with an astronauts than the Wright Brothers.

But changing technology poses very deep damage to physicians. Technology allows easy replication and scalability, forces an unimaginably steep new learning curve on overworked doctors, and eliminates most of the barriers and protections that physicians have trusted in the past. And only acquiring worse.

Think about this. A combination of markets that Surface competes was huge (40-50 billion a year and growing), highly fragmented (individual practitioner model), new (technology based), and clear of any meaningful national players (yet). Already you will find very deep pockets investigating solutions to exploit this emerging marketplace. The Wal-Marts and Home Depots of this new medical marketplace are now being built.

But there's opportunity as well. Technology opens new doors for physicians that can manage this new paradigm. That's why a ready supply of smart and motivated physicians sick and tired with the daily grind of insurance patients are moving into the marketplace and successfully competing. The first time, physicians beyond your current specialties of cosmetic plastic surgery (cutting and stitching) and dermatology (diseases of the skin) have the possibility to earn the wages of these "big money" specialties. This new market will finally produce a fresh specialty whose focus will be "non-surgical cosmetic medical technologies". You will see the fragmentation today. Many dermatologists now label themselves as "cosmetic" to showcase themselves as being a subspecialty.

Hurry up and wait. You can't get enough reliable information quick enough. However this is often a start up business and demands a massive investment of your time to really make the right choices. Sales reps will stream to your clinic armed with charts and graphs which go up and the right, advertisers will drop phrases like "top of mind awareness", you may have a creeping suspicion how the marketplace is escaping you. Go slow. There's a host of land mines in your community there are a couple of which will be advising you to definitely jump upon them.

So, how would you develop a medical spa within your existing practice? Surface has three locations, four physicians, master aestheticians, technicians, patient coordinators, managers and office staff. Every treatment at Surface is controlled by a set of proprietary protocols. Like a business, we've got advised a large number of individual physicians, managers, and investors about opening and operating medical spas. Be advised this is not easy, but here are a few suggestions.

Physician heal thyself: This is the business. Consultants make their funds by telling others how to run companies that they cannot run themselves. Keep in mind that, if your medical spa consultant was worth hiring, they'd be running their own medical spa. Consultants will advise you you need to have massage, retail must be 30% or perhaps your revenue, and "you might want to consider hydrotherapy". Wrong. The morning that retail is 30% of our product sales I'll eat my left foot. Our retail is around 3%. Whether or not this ever grows to 5% we'll decrease. If this is going to be your business, help make your own decisions.

Find a person smarter than you: The key step is a useful one management. Without that, people can, and also have, lost everything. Without having good management skills, hire an attorney from outside medicine who will.

Franchises: "Turn key solutions". That's how every little thing is marketed to physicians. Buy fraxel treatments, hire this personnel, run these ad slicks, and everything will fall into place. Sorry. This doesn't happen work doing this. Many of these franchises can be bought like a sort of "we've already resolved the kinks" form of deal. It is a lie. Franchises focus on the treatments that everybody else are able to replicate easily. It's more an instance of, " Inside the kingdom from the blind, the one-eyed man is king". It is not necessary a franchise.

All technology is not good quality: Despite what company reps will show you, choosing the right technology would mean big differences after the season. Efficacy, cost per treatment, initial costs, usage, plus a big list of other considerations should go into technology decisions. Many physicians jump first and after that get $80,000 towel dryers that they still need to make payments on on a monthly basis. Used medical items are easily accessible from your constant stream of bankruptcies and failed medical practices. Choose your technology carefully.

See the marketplace: Medical spas really are a luxury business. And then for most physicians referring being an unwelcome surprise their new patients will be more demanding. Long waits, aloof personnel, poor communication, and ambivalent staff, are typical in the past. You're touting yourself as being a luxury service, behave like one. Hire top-notch people that are service-oriented, friendly and courteous. Protocols can be taught easier than attitude.

Rein in your ego: That is business. It isn't really personal. If you are you need to charge double the amount as your competitors because you "deserve it" or you're board certified, become accustomed to empty appointment book. One among the pet peeves may be the condescending attitude of many physicians.

Avoid the use of "advanced" or "laser" in your name: The number of "advanced" laser clinics is staggering. Do not do it. It's inane, overused, and bland. I just stood a physician ask me if changing his name from Advanced Laser Centers to Advanced Laser Group would get him more business.

Network with successful medical spas: Successful business owners are just to happy to help newcomers for the industry. We now have constant dialogue with physicians and investors that are investigating industry and also have advised clinics on four continents. Successful medical spas is going to be pleased to build bridges with smart businesses.

Don't look for spas to fix your problems: Physicians hear "spa" and immediately think that spa areas contain the answers they're seeking. Wrong. The average net margins for spa areas are about 8%-10%. The normal physicians is 60%. This is the different market.

Don't base your earnings on commission: Commissions appear to be a great solution. You'll save overhead and motivate your staff growing the company. Wrong. Commissions are used in spas to keep overhead low, but guess what happens. Personnel working for commission aren't helping you. Commissions cause overly aggressive staff which don't do just about anything on your reputation.

Don't gild the Lily: You may have heard you need to "build out" your clinic at the expense of $80-$120 per sq. ft .. Nope. You don't need to begin with treatment tables which may have your clinics name embossed with them. Spend your entire money when you open and you also simply cannot stand where you'll require it... getting butts in the seats.

Stay lean: Physicians practice medicine depending on science. There's no need to offer massage and you have no idea of anything about this anyway. Stick to the basics.