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Starting your own private practice

Discussion in 'Practice Management' started by Blue123, Feb 8, 2010.

  1. Blue123

    Blue123 Active Member


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    Hi All!

    As mentioned via my arena introduction i am now at the very beginning of the road for starting a private practice; at present it is only what is in my head...long way to go!

    Anyway i feel i have come to a dead end at my current practice, carrying out 90% nail cutting and at a highly expensive rate and feel i could offer a much more efficient, succesful and reputable service on my own.

    My initial thoughts were to go mobile and focus on residential homes etc etc using simple equipment but this would be merely doing what i do now and has high risk does it not?

    Anyway i would really appreciate advice on where to start, do i hire a room or rent a commercial property to renovate? What equipment do you experienced private workers class as essential? Where do i get supplies from reliably? Clinical waste disposal etc etc? Autoclave regs?...............As you can see i have lots of questions so if you feel you can help i would gratefully listen

    Are there guides to this type of thing?

    How has everyone else found the leap of starting with 0 patients and do you grow best via word of mouth??

    How important is location??

    Haha, the questions continue...
    Hope you can help me and also others in this situation
    Blue123
     
  2. Re: Starting you own private practice

    To get better advice maybe good to know what country and area your in.
     
  3. Blue123

    Blue123 Active Member

    Re: Starting you own private practice

    Haha, sorry! UK in warwickshire area
     
  4. cornmerchant

    cornmerchant Well-Known Member

    Re: Starting you own private practice

    Hi Blue123

    I am sure you will have a massive response to your posting and indeed the experience of many will help you to weigh up the options.
    For me personally, I have a split practise of 2 GP surgery locations and some doms, my choice because that is what suits my demographics. I would advocate GP surgeries because the rent is cheap-they are non profit making and as such charge me £5 and £7.50 per hour repsectively. They also take care of clinical waste. Most of all, they are good locations -you have a ready made client base and when the GPs get to know you, a regular referral pathway.
    I have never wated a shop front location as I came into podiatry as a late starter, and the overheads can be astronomic for a sole trader( excuse the pun).

    Cornmerchant
     
  5. Adam Thomas

    Adam Thomas Member

    Re: Starting you own private practice

    Hi Blue 123

    If you are a member of the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists I would recommend looking at the Private Practice area of the website, it has loads of information pluss you can download a copy of the Private Practice Handbook. There is also a Warwickshire Branch who would I am sure be very happy to help at a loacl level.

    Adam - Communications for the Society.
     
  6. Admin2

    Admin2 Administrator Staff Member

  7. yvonneg

    yvonneg Member

    Hi Blue,

    I started my own practice just over 18 months ago. Word of mouth is by far the best business but it takes such a long time. I ended up doing a lealfet drop offering a discount on first visit. I paid a local compamy to distribute. I have been pleasantly surprised by the response. I should have done this when I first started! I rent a room in a beauty clinic which works well for me and my patients.
     
  8. W J Liggins

    W J Liggins Well-Known Member

    I completely agree with Cornmerchant. Large GP practices have an awful lot to offer, blood and other tests, drugs, no worries about storage of same, receptionist and nursing back up etc.

    If you are a member of the Institute then telephone Southport; since the majority of members are in pp, there is a wealth of information available to you.

    Bill Liggins
     
  9. chocolatey

    chocolatey Welcome New Poster

    Hi!

    I started my private practice about 18 months ago too, but was told by the Society of Chiropodists that I was not allowed to leaflet drop. I am not sure if this was correct as their website appears to say only cold calling and house visits are inappropriate for advertising!

    Does anybody have any information in this area? I would like to do a leaflet drop but I am concerned that I cannot get a straight answer from the society and I don't want to do the wrong thing!!!

    Many thanks
     
  10. George Brandy

    George Brandy Active Member

    Hi Chocolatey

    I doubt that there is anything SCP can do if you did carry out cold calling and housecalls.

    If you carry out a leaflet drop just make sure everything contained in the leaflet is legal, honest and truthful. It is more likely a fellow colleague will report you to the HPC if there is anything dubious in your advertising.

    If SCP has advised you that you cannot leaflet drop this is probably against competition law.

    GB
     
  11. Catfoot

    Catfoot Well-Known Member

    Hello Chocolatey,
    I moved regions and started a dom practice from scratch about 10 years ago.

    I would not advise a leaflet drop as the return is only about 1-2%, and most are binned unread, so the effort is largely wasted. This 'leaflet the planet route' is also the modus operandi used by FHPs, double-glazing companies and pizza parlours, so I would aim a bit more upmarket.

    I would suggest you advertise via the local media and Yellow Pages/Yell.com as I found these both professional and effective.

    If you make sure you have your business cards in every GP's surgery and chemist in the area, work will soon follow.

    Good luck!
     
  12. dv1131

    dv1131 Member

    Hi,,, I would first start at a Nursing home or assisted living facilities and begin to meet local doctors that may have extra treatment rooms,, one room with a good
    assistant you could see over 20 patients a day, from there increase you amount of rooms in office and when your using 3 rooms at 30 pts a day its time to rent your own space. This is a one to two year process, but in the meantime you already have all your equipment for each of the three rooms. You should start seeing great results after your third year and remember the nursing and assisted living homes pay your bills and expenses and have the least overhead cost. You never want to get rid of those accounts, you can always hire an associate and do the same for them. 3healthyfeet.com
    3healthyfeet.com
     
  13. vt1311

    vt1311 Member

    I am also hoping to start my own private practice after graduating this summer. I will be renting a room in a beauty salon (where i have worked for the past 6years already). I have been offered a % or rent per week/month/day basis. What is clessed as a resonable percentage or rental price? I will be provided with reception, all bills, music. Any replies would be really helpful thanks!
     
  14. Graham

    Graham RIP

    I work out of two physiotherapy clinics and a multiple physician clinic. I pay 23% of gross. Your other overheads are going to be high especially if you provide a large number of foot orthoses. Less if you do mainly foot care.
     
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