5 Fundamental Skills for Running a Successful Clinic

Interested in starting up your own clinic, but aren’t too sure what skills or talents are required to run a successful private practice? Not to worry, this week we provide an outline of 5 fundamental skills required for running a well operated and success-geared clinic!

First things first, if you’re contemplating owning your own clinic you must understand that you are signing up to run your own business. Regardless of your specialist clinical field, there are key skills required to running business that they won't teach you in your allied health masters degree. We show you how you can use what you already know to consistently build on your new business venture skills.

1. Be a planner

It is imperative that before starting any kind of business - a clinic in particular - to put a significant amount of thought and consideration into how you want to operate your company. 

No plan is ever perfect and as a business owner you may often find the need to adapt accordingly if your plan doesn’t serve its purpose. The important thing however, is that you make one! 

A vast amount of time and resources are typically needed in the planning process. The most important thing to remember is to make your business plan relevant and reflective of you, your aspirations, and the business framework you intend to have for your clinic.

2. Know your market

After doing the research and beginning to execute your plan, comes probably one of the key determinants of seeing your plan come to fruition - how you market it! 

This involves building your image and making your mark in the clinical industry.  Knowing where your niche lies, and informing the public and potential clients of your services of what you have to offer them, sets you aside from the rest. 

How you market your business, from the name you give your clinic to the methods of advertisement you utilise, will largely impact the way your clinic is received by potential clients and associates alike and sets the tone for the type business you run.

3. Be organised

The most important skill any business owner let alone a clinician could have, is organisation! 

As a business owner you have to be able to get stuff done efficiently, effectively, and on time, as well as  be able to assist others to do so. 

Organisational skills will benefit not only your personal schedules and lifestyle but the progression of your business in the long run, and become vital when keeping up with billing, record keeping and other administrative tasks.

4.  Understand the  Self-employment Fine Print

One thing new business owners often fail to consider (aside from the cost of directly running a practice) is the fine print additional costs they must adhere to, especially self-employment taxes. 

Many self-employed clinicians are caught by surprise upon learning of the self-employment taxes they’re required to pay when establishing a private practice, which don’t automatically get withdrawn as is usually experienced.

For this reason, any discerning new business owner must read up on all the fine print associated with self-employment.

Also understand that while you make your own hours and tasks, you have to wear many hats and answer to many responsibilities, often simultaneously! You will be busy and will have to come to expect the weight of responsibility and quick decision making should become second nature.

5.   Be passionate

Devoting your time and your money to running a successful clinic cannot happen without having a passion for your business.

Your business is ‘your baby’ and it’s imperative that, regardless of what happens and how successful you may be, you must have continual belief in what you are doing and maintain that drive to strive for the best. If you don’t believe in the services your clinic has to offer, no one else will.