Traits of a Successful Medical Spa: What Business Owners Need to Know
If you’re thinking of opening your own medical spa, there are a few things that you should know before you begin this business venture. Medical spas (often referred to as med spas) offer various cosmetic procedures that go beyond surface-level treatments but are not as invasive as plastic surgery. This is a unique type of business, so unique tactics are required to ensure that this type of business is successful. As the owner of a medical spa, here’s what you need to focus on for success.
Treat Your Business as a Medical Spa
Although a med spa is a combination of a medical center and a day spa, it can’t be treated as one or the other— it must be treated as a medical spa. Your practice can’t be treated as a plastic surgeon’s office because your cosmetic services are non-surgical— unless you provide some surgical procedures, but most med spas don’t. Your practice also can’t be treated as a day spa because you provide more than just surface-level beauty treatments.
Medical spas also can’t be treated as a doctor’s office, although many are overseen by a practicing physician. It’s likely that you don’t accept insurance (as many med spa procedures are purely for cosmetic reasons), so operating as a doctor’s office would be impossible. Your target market must know that while you’re similar to a day spa and doctor’s office, you’re a medical spa that offers specific services.
Stick to a Specific Niche
The most successful med spas stick to a specific area of specialization— and they make sure they’re experts at it. In general, med spas offer many different types of services, such as
- Botox, fillers, and other injections
- Laser hair removal
- Microdermabrasion
- Non-surgical fat reduction (CoolSculpting)
- Tattoo removal
While it may seem that you’ll be more marketable by offering all of these services, it can end up costing you more money in the long run. You have to find experts that can offer these services, and you’ll have to provide all of the equipment required to perform them. When you specialize in one area, such as injections, you can market yourself as an expert in this area since it will be your main focus.
Invest in Your People, Processes, and Equipment
Sticking to a specific niche allows you to better invest in your people. No matter what type of services you offer, your staff should include physicians/nurse practitioners, physician assistants, registered nurses, and licensed aestheticians. Your staff should always be qualified to perform the services you’re offering.
In addition to being qualified (and licensed), your staff should also know how to convert prospective clients into frequent clients. Because med spa services aren’t considered actual medical procedures, they’re not necessary. Your staff should know how to convert an interest into a sale.
Finally, you should invest in your equipment. You’re providing cosmetic medical services to clients, so you’ll want to make sure that your equipment allows you to do your best work and that it won’t harm your clients. In addition to this, you’ll also need to invest in medical spa software to help you with marketing solutions, keep track of your clients, and many more tasks.
Follow Traditional Business Techniques
The last thing that successful medical spas practice is the simplest, yet most important: follow traditional business techniques. These include things like creating budgets and monitoring day-to-day operations. It’s also important for businesses to take risks, or else there will never be any growth.
Another necessary part of running a business is to track sales and marketing metrics. This helps you determine what’s working and what isn’t— and investing in med spa software can help make this much easier to do.
The final basic business rule to follow is to be compliant with the rules and regulations as setting up by your city, state, or wherever you’re practicing. All businesses have to follow certain rules, especially if they’re providing services to clients. A healthcare attorney can help you make sure you’re complying with all rules and regulations.
If opening a medical spa is something you’re wanting (and are qualified) to do, then follow these tips to be successful. Just keep in mind that it can take a while to see success from any type of new business, especially if you’re just starting. Perfect your craft; invest in your people, processes, and equipment; and be consistent in your practice and customer service, and you’ll become a successful medical spa in due time.
