June 15, 2022
Opening up any kind of business is the easy part, the real challenge is scaling it up into a profitable enterprise. You will find medical clinics of all sizes. Some are barely meeting their monthly expenses while others have expanded into a network of clinics all over the country. Being a great doctor and being a doctor with an entrepreneurial mind are two very different things.
You can implement several things if you are looking to scale your operations. However, as a service provider, the way your customer perceives you when they walk into the clinic plays a huge role. The better you can deliver your service, the better the impression you will have on your customers. In any kind of service business, you are not just charging for the actual service you render but you are charging for the experience you provide. Here are a few things you can do to improve that experience for your customer and generate more revenue.
Location
If you wanted to launch an IT company, you would go to Silicon Valley and if you wanted to buy the best chocolate, you would go to Switzerland. The same rule applies to countries and even different parts of a city. Within your town or city, there are parts that are well-known for certain things. If your business is located in a low-priced suburb area, you might be a great doctor but people are not going to expect a world-class treatment from a clinic in such an area.
Similarly, it is going to be quite challenging to convince people who go to the best clinics in town, to come to visit you in such a locality and get better service than what they are currently used to. The location of your business has a major influence on the way customers perceive you and to a large degree also influences the kind of service quality they will receive. You might have a great medical service but in a bad locality, your clients will have problems with parking, their vehicle can be at a higher risk of vandalism and theft, and you won't have as good an office as you could have in a better part of the city. The first step to getting better clients will be to change your address and get into an area that will earn you a higher-paying clientele.
Staff
A successful business is the result of a team effort. Everyone needs to play their part to make sure the different processes are done as they need to be done, to give the client the best experience possible. In the case of a medical clinic, there are different individuals that the client will interact with before they enter your office. Investing in training and educating your team about how to best handle a client will help improve the customer experience.
At the same time, you also need to invest in yourself to learn how to better handle client relations. Being an expert in your field is one thing but knowing how to properly handle professional relationships is another. Invest in everyone in your organization from the top to the bottom to make sure everyone knows how to handle a client in the best possible way.
Outsource
Every business has different processes and tasks that need to be carried out to keep the business running. These are supporting activities that help facilitate the main transaction. As a doctor, the main service is consulting with clients and addressing their problems but it takes a lot more to operate a successful business than just being able to solve a client's problem. You have to manage HR, accounting, marketing, management, and other activities.
One of the most time-consuming processes for clinics is billing. Since there are insurance companies and other care providers involved, billing requires a lot of data, it takes a good amount of time and there is a high risk of errors. Within the billing operation, you can outsource the DME billing job and keep cash billing and credit card billing in-house. This way you don't have to waste precious time communicating with insurance companies and managing information. Moreover, with a specialist taking care of this job, you have lower chances of errors and can get the same amount of work done in less time.
Infrastructure
Just like the location of your clinic, the infrastructure of the office is also very important. Everything from the lighting to the flooring to the kind of seating you have says a lot about the quality of service you provide. If you don't have the budget to invest in new sofas and fittings, you should at least give everything a deep clean and make it presentable. Cleanliness plays a huge role in how the space looks and how safe it is for clients. Ideally, you should have a weekly cleaning routine of all the sofas and desks and make sure everything is working efficiently. Having good lighting, clean floors, properly painted walls and a good overall interior will help improve the client experience in your clinic.
Technology
With the help of advanced technology, you cannot only make your business look good but l make management much easier. Simple things like facial recognition entry devices, smart locks, automated payrolls, centralized HR communication platforms, and many other technologies, are far more affordable today. You can easily purchase and use these for several years to come. They will make business management a lot easier, quicker, and more efficient while also making a good impression on your clients.
How you choose to upgrade your clinic depends on the specific specialty that you cater to and the clients you address. For instance, if you are a pediatrician, you could have a small play area for the children while they wait. If you provide some kind of cosmetic surgery which takes a while, it would be nice to have an in-house café where attendants can entertain themselves while they wait for the patient. It is all about understanding the needs of the clients and addressing them as efficiently as possible. . Always be on the lookout for new things you can add to your clinic to consistently provide your clients with the best service possible.