By Bizna Brand Analyst
My mother is a retired nurse who has ran a successful and profitable nurse for a couple of years. It ois my pleasure to share some of her knowledge to you. These tips are also important at this time since doctors are on strike.
By now, you no doubt know that health is wealth, which is why as humans we would always want to be in good health. Those who for one reason or the other have found themselves bed ridden, so wish that they could get back to their feet to pursue their dreams, hopes and aspirations.
Looking at the medical profession, you may want to agree with me that enrolling to study as a medical doctor for instance and then later on emerging successful at the end of the years of study may not be an easy task. This is because of the several amount of money that is needed to study these courses and the fact that doctors aren’t even paid as well as they would love to.
Consequently, after one may have emerged successfully and have worked to garner some hands-on knowledge, the next thing that just may crop up on the minds of these individuals may be to own a health clinic. Owning a health clinic sure does require some good amount of money; however that is not to say that the returns on investment aren’t a rewarding one.
As a matter of fact, there is ample opportunity to make profit when one starts a health clinic. So, if you are in the medical professional, and are looking to start a business like this, then you may want to take the following tips seriously. Here go the tips.
1. Market Survey is Key
Even though that you may or may not have background knowledge of what setting up a health clinic is all about, it would still be very vital that you do a market survey. What does this survey entail you may ask? It simply means that all vital information has to be researched upon. Like how much it costs to start a health clinic, the registration processes, licensing, how many employees to start with and what have you. Do ensure that all these are tackled so that you would be starting armed with loads of information.
2. Determine the Type of Clinic to Start
You have got to determine from the outset the type of clinic you want to run. Would it be a general clinic, or would there be consultants on ground to man core areas. Consultants like; pediatricians, orthopedists, surgeons, dentists, amongst others. This step is very vital because once you are able to determine the area of specialty then you can then channel a lot of focus to see that things work as planned.
3. Get Trained
The training that you need may not only be in the area of medicine. You also need to go and get some business training. This is important so that you are able to grasp some foundational knowledge on how a business is run. Accounting and what have you. You also need to be a trained doctor to run a health clinic. You may consider enrolling for a course in medicine if you are really bent on starting a health clinic. If you do not have background knowledge in medicine or do not have the luxury of time to go back to school, then you may look at hiring a doctor to help you man core areas while you see to other aspects of the business.
4. Draw up a Business Plan
A business plan is one of the very important things that you must work at putting in place. Why is this important, you may ask? This is important because all the information on how you want your business to be must be contained in this template. If you do not understand how things work here, then you may consider getting a template from the internet. Otherwise, you are required to hire the services of a professional business plan writer. More often than not these people are consultants who help people proffer solutions on how to run their businesses right.
5. Register Your Business
Do note that it is very important that you register your business at the appropriate quarters in your country. This is because most clinics that start without first properly documenting its business may like risk to be clamped down on. Therefore before you do the needful things first and please do ensure that you provide them with the appropriate document that is required of you.
6. Get a License
After you might have done the registration, your next port of call would be to work at being issued a license. Part of the requirements that you should provide include; getting a befitting facility for your clinic. Also some health officials from the responsible body would come to inspect to be sure that indeed you deserve to start a clinic.
7. Get Partners
This might be especially important if you do not have a medical background. You would therefore need people who already are on this path to help boost things. On the other hands, even if you are in the medical line, you may think to get partners regarding funding, amongst others.
8. Get a Facility
Now is a good time to rent a facility. If on the other hand you have got the funds to out rightly buy up a property, then that would be a great step to take. If you are looking to rent be sure to tell your potential landlord for what purpose you need a facility and how you want it to look like. Remember you would require patients’ wards, administrative offices, injection rooms and others.
9. Hire Employees
There is no room for trial and error; as such you would need to employ workers who have experience. This is imperative because you need those with hands- on experiences to help boost your business. When you conduct interviews, do ensure that you get other professionals on the board as interviewees so that they can also help in the screening exercise. You would need nurses, doctors, office administrators and all what not.
10. Start Operation
Once you begin operation, then you can begin to advertise your business. You can print flyers and procure to give to people around the neighborhood. Or you can begin to tell corporate organizations about your new business and how they could send their employees there under health insurance scheme.
Starting a health clinic is an amazing business to explore, however you have to strive in all that you so that the quality of services you give is top notch. When your clients get really satisfied then you can be sure of more profit.