Once you become a doctor, you gravitate towards helping and treating society and what better way than to build a multispeciality centre that can cater to all genres of people. Almost every doctor dreams and aspires to set up their own private clinic/ multispeciality centre at one point in their career. Having one’s clinic gives you a sense of ownership and belonging, but the main hiccup is not the dream but the execution, and the major question is “How to Start?”- Our experts at Kosmoderma Academy of Aesthetic Medicine (KAAM) have listed a few tips that will provide you with a helping hand to establish the multispeciality centre that you are dreaming of!
- Have a Plan
Before embarking on this long journey, you should know that a business plan is the first step for any business to establish. You should prepare an extensive, clear and thorough business plan that should be flexible and fluid to incorporate changes that can occur due to unexpected events. A business plan will guide you on your requirements, strengths and shortcomings, which will aid you in working towards them. Your business plan should entail these main areas:
- The clientele that you are seeking
- Location of the centre
- Specialities that you are targeting
- Equipment details and the cost
- Staff and their remuneration
- Procurement cost
- Capital investment and monthly expenses
- Vendors management and cost
- Marketing cost
- Miscellaneous events and costs
You should be meticulous in your planning, incorporating all the items as a solid and concrete business plan, instils the financier’s confidence and trust in you. Always plan extensively down to the T because “Failing to plan is planning to fail!”
- Get The Financing
After your business plan is ready, you need to climb the next step, which involves raising money to start your new establishment. There are many models by which entrepreneurs raise money:
- Bootstrapping- In this model, you do not take loans but use your savings to set up your centre.
- Loans from Family and Friends – In this model, you borrow money from your family or friends.
- Financing from the bank- Banks can provide customised loan options to doctors to help you set up your establishment.
- P2P Loans- Many peer-to-peer lending platforms can aid you in raising funds for your establishment. The only drawback is the high rate of interest.
- Loan from Venture Capitalists firms (VC)- Nowadays, raising funds has become easy from VC firms who take a percentage of the profit and provide the desired funds on a well-thought plan.
- Choose a Location
Your multispeciality centre should be located depending on your target audience. For eg: If you want to target the higher strata of society (niche targeting), then your establishment should be in the city’s top localities. First and foremost, location should be selected based on your target audience’s age, gender, income, type of problem in that city, etc. While choosing a location, make sure that is can be easily accessible to the patients, should have ample parking space, should be away from loud noises (not on the main road), cleanliness of the nearby areas ( dumping ground should not be present) and should be affordable. Once the location is confirmed, start putting up a design plan.
- Get The Required Permits
Procuring the appropriate permit is an essential and tedious task, as legal issues can arise if government permits are not in place before starting the establishment. Some of the permits that are required are:
- Water and electricity
- Land and construction
- Sewage disposal
- Permission to handle Biomedical Waste
- Shop and establishment license
- No objection certificate from the Fire safety department and pollution control board.
- Tax certificates
Once these permits are in place, you can start your establishment
- Procure The Required Equipment
Your multispeciality clinic will not run without equipment and machines. You should do a detailed check on all vendors before ordering the equipment and always ensure to buy branded equipment from a well-known distributor or a company. Do not try to save costs on the medical and surgical equipment as if they turn faulty, then it would impact the reputation of your centre. You will need to plan your purchase well for the optimal treatment for your patients. You must procure computers and IT solutions (CCTV, Hospital Management Systems, etc.) for the administrative department. You should also look at leasing options for the equipment.
- Hire Good Staff
A good multispeciality centre runs on good staff hence, the success of your centre wild depends on who you hire, You should hire the best, and top doctors for your centre as their name will bring the footfall. The nursing services should be excellent, as proper nursing before and after the surgery is vital to the centre’s reputation. While hiring, some doctors and nurses will be reluctant to join a new organisation, so you would need to discuss the vision and the road map you have thought for their growth. It is important that when you hire people, they should align with your vision and mission, as they will be instrumental in making your centre successful. Always train them in advance so they are in full swing when the multispeciality centre opens for business.
- Market Your Multispeciality Centre
Everything is done, and all staff have been hired- DOes it complete it all? No. You need to tell your target audience that you are present in the market! Marketing is essential to convey your potential to the public. You should advertise offline as well as in the digital space to promote your clinic. You can have medical camps at societies, corporates, etc., informing them about your services and why you are the best in the city. This will bring a good clientele to your centre. You can even participate in and sponsor walkathons, events, and games to promote your centre.
Getting your establishment is not easy, but once it is accomplished, you would be proud to see what you have achieved. Some of the tips that can be useful while setting up your centre are:
- Onboard the best and top doctors for your centre.
- Hire well-trained nurses.
- Hire in-house bio-medical engineers, plumbers, electricians, etc., to maintain the equipment and the assets like gas pipelines, etc.
- Procure the right medical and surgical equipment.
- Set up an efficient IT department with CCTV installations, Hospital management system (HMS), computers, etc.
- Get your Ambulances and paramedics.
- Plan a design for the interiors of the hospitals (patient and attendant rooms, operation theatres, emergency wards, consultation rooms, cafeteria, etc.)