The Lean Podiatry Clinic Startup

How Much Does It Cost to Start a Podiatry Clinic?

Starting a private Podiatry practice or deciding to open your own clinic can be a daunting thought.

There are thousands of reasons as to why you may be apprehensive to make the leap to open your own clinic. Generally the most prominent thought is around the cost but this doesn’t have to be the case!

Go ahead, get your calculator out, read these tips, and find out how little opening your own clinic can really cost!

 LuxeMED Podiatry Instruments

 

Do your research

Location, location, location is the most important thing when you’re starting out.

If you find an area with a high demand for Podiatry, the initial building of your client base will be sharply reduced. This building phase of opening a clinic is one of the biggest challenges to be faced, and you should make every effort to minimise the time it takes to fill your daily diary.

In your research, you may stumble across a pre-existing Podiatry practice for sale. This may be a great way to avoid the challenges of building up a Podiatry client base – but you have to weigh up the pros and cons of buying an established clinic.

 

Start slowly

It’s hard to launch headfirst into a new business without testing the waters first. Luckily for you, the Podiatry community is relatively accepting of splitting up your working week between various employers. Have you thought that YOU could be one of your ‘employers’?

Starting off by working out of a room in an established medical centre is a great way to go if you can find a room that ticks all of the boxes. As discussed already, location is vital; however it isn’t the only thing that is important. The room will need to be able to be leased or rented for one day per week, fortnight or month initially which is one of the bigger hurdles in finding a room, although, if you can negotiate these terms, you’re well on your way!

Starting out in an existing medical centre also allows you to work in close proximity with other allied health professionals who may be viable referral sources, and also support for you with difficult cases you’re presented with.

 

Partner Up

Finding a like-minded business partner who is also a Podiatrist can help to alleviate some of the financial risk and time commitments involved.

Sharing the research and the risk, the good times and the bad can be a lifesaver! It gives you flexibility to lean on each other when you have commitments outside of work or feel out of your depth during work.

 

“Teamwork makes the dream work!”

 

Shop around

If you’re lucky enough to find more than one area suitable for you to open a clinic in, it gives you the ability to be a little bit ‘choosy’ – a great position to be in! You can find the clinic that will foster your growth, minimise the time to build your client base and allow you every chance of success.

Buying your Podiatry equipment and Podiatry instruments is another time that it’s important to shop around when you’re starting out – it has the potential to save you thousands of dollars.

A second hand sterilising unit is relatively easy to find on Podiatry forums and within the Podiatry communities you’re involved in. Ensure that the steriliser has been serviced, calibrated and it is in good working order prior to any private purchases. Alternatively you can source sterilisers from an accredited refurbished unit reseller.

A similar story can be told for Podiatry drills – minus the calibration! Make sure they have been regularly serviced over their lifetime and ensure they’re in good working order.

Podiatry instruments can be an expensive necessity but it’s possible to shop around and save some money without compromising on quality. LuxeMED can help you there! See our range of Podiatry clippers, Podiatry burs and every other Podiatry instrument category you will need.


Do Your Podiatry Clinic Marketing

Initially your days may be slow and under-booked but if you use this time productively and market your business to other referral sources in the area, you may be surprised at how quickly you can build up a client base.

Speak to the doctors and other allied health professionals in the facility to let them know what services you can provide and how you can help their patients achieve better outcomes. This is something you can easily do in the tea room or when you have a free booking.

Early on, you may have subsequent free bookings at your disposal. Take advantage and get on the road to visit other clinics and speak to their doctors and allied health team. Taking a morning tea for a clinic can be a great ice breaker and a sure fire way to make a good first impression!

Following the face to face marketing strategies, delve into developing an online or print marketing campaign. In the first instance, you should focus on developing awareness of your brand and your service. Simply making the local target population aware of the service you can provide will be convenient enough to convince some clients to come your way. When they do, go the extra mile for them. The best form of advertising is good old fashioned word of mouth!

 

Don’t Expect Miracles

Starting your clinic will be a labour of love. There will be many wins and losses along the way but if you remember why you started and where you want to be in the future, you’ll take it all in your stride.

Developing a successful clinic isn’t an impossible feat but it will take time and devotion which will weed out those who aren’t fully invested in opening a clinic for the right reasons.

If your heart is in the right place, your clients will pick up on that and the rest will sort itself out.

Good luck!