10 Tips For Starting Your Own Aesthetics Business
Starting a business is scary, exciting, daunting, unnerving and thrilling. Starting a business when you’ve been used to working for an established beast like the NHS is even more intimidating. Here’s some advice to help you on your way.
Top Tips For Medics Starting An Aesthetics Business
Training
Obviously top of the list is making sure you’ve completed the right training. You’ll never feel satisfied you’ve done all the training you can, training never stops!
It will be no surprise to you that Botox and lip fillers remain the most popular non-surgical aesthetic treatments in the UK and the treatments there is most demand for. Consider focussing on one or both of these and going deep with them so that you feel super confident in your skills. These treatments are always going to be your bread and butter, the reliable treatments that patients return again and again for. See what other practitioners have to say about training here
It’s perfectly doable to launch your clinic offering only these treatments - use it to your advantage and position yourself as a specialist in them! It’s a great way to establish an initial patient base. As you grow, you can begin to add new treatments to your menu. But don’t rush out and spend £15k on that swanky new laser device just yet!
2. Admin
There are some things that you just have to do when starting your own business. Faffy, fiddly and boring jobs, some of which are legal requirements, others that will stand you in good stead for the future.
Register yourself as self-employed so that the tax man knows. Or consider setting up as limited company. Research the pros and cons of each but do ensure this is all in place before your start trading. Head here to find out more.
Get some good insurance sorted out, there are specialists for what you do, the largest is Hamilton Fraser
Consider engaging with an accountant, it’s one of those services that is often worth paying for rather than struggling yourself to file tax returns and wrestling with balance sheets. There are accountants that specialise in medical aesthetics.
3. Go On Work Experience
Shadow and practice with an established aesthetics business colleague. You may not appreciate how different it feels to manage patients in a commercial setting and you’ll gain valuable insight from spending a day or two in a proper clinical setting, practising your skills, interacting with patients, observing the consent process and learning how an aesthetic clinic runs.
4. Network
Establish a network of other aesthetics practitioners who you can seek advice from and turn to in difficult times. Your first complication (and there will always be complications!) will probably feel rather destabilising and cause you to question your instincts. Find people who you can seek a second opinion from and who can help you when complications arise. Consider a membership to a support service for complications such as the CMAC where you can turn to a team of experts if you need to.
5. Dot the Is and cross the Ts
Perhaps the most significant and crucial element of your business will be ensuring you have a comprehensive and reliable database of your patients’ records. You are mandated by your statutory body to provide informed consent and keep adequate evidence of the treatments you provided and any associated notes. It’s vital you protect yourself both legally and morally. There have been circumstances where medical pros have been suspended for failure to provide informed consent, relying on pen and paper and an absence of documentation. You need to invest well to protect you and your patients.
6. Don’t Make It Hard For Your Patients
The world is now wedded to technology, virtual communication and being able to do everything from their mobile devices.
Patients like efficiency and they desire speed and convenience. Make online booking available. Today’s consumers don’t want to phone you or a reception desk to make an appointment and they (nor you) do not want to waste time exchanging endless emails or text messages to fix a time and date. Online booking and being able to see your diary at a glance and booking themselves in with a couple of clicks is now expected. If you don’t offer it you risk losing new patients to people who do, simply because it’s easier for them!
7. Set Your Boundaries
Being new to business and setting up a clinic doesn’t mean you have to be a pushover. Yes, you’ll feel grateful for patients and you’ll want to do everything you can to keep them and encourage their friends and family. But don’t let this become a gateway to discounts, bargain offers and flaky patients who let you down. Make your no-show fees known from the start, don’t just give a patient money off because they are there and don’t let unreliable patients waste your time. Make your policies clear and communicate them with confidence!
8. Get on social media
Set up a business profile on Instagram and Facebook. Start posting photos, videos, reels and stories documenting what you’re doing. Tell people who you are, what you’re offering and show them what you do! Give them a behind the scenes look at you setting up, tell them what you love and share patient stories. Start following people in your area (local small businesses is a good place to start) and engage with them (comment on their posts, like them, share them). You’ll soon attract new followers and begin to establish your place in your little community! Read more here about social media.
9. Be you!
You’re in a human business. People buy people, not products. Being professional doesn’t mean being quiet, corporate and cold. Let your personality shine through your clinic space, what you wear, the music you play, the content you share. Don’t be afraid to show patients your personality. You want to find your tribe and the best way to achieve this is to be true to yourself.
10. Get on GlowdayPRO
Well come on, we left it for the last one at least! There really is no other patient management system like it. No other software has been built specifically for all medics in aesthetics and no other system also finds you new patients. By simply using something you actually need anyway, you also benefit from a powerful marketing tool.
We really do it all. Medical questionnaires, consent forms, digital facial mark-up, online booking, payments, a safe and secure hub for patient records and it’s all beautifully linked to your Glowday profile where we collect and publish your reviews and showcase your work, for new patients to find and book you.