It’s officially spring soon and with the number of flowers blooming, we’re pretty sure that it’s already here. Spring cleaning is a tradition that spans numerous cultures and religions, truly standing the test of time. Better yet, this cleansing approach to this time of year can be applied to almost anything.
Spring cleaning is often applied to the home. Yes, it’s true, it’s time to clear out the ‘stuff drawer’, vacuum under the sofa and mop behind the loo. But in this article, we’re going to talk about something bigger; spring cleaning your healthcare practice.
Goals, Plans and Organisation
It’s been a weird year and much will have changed for everyone running their own practices, be them acupuncturists, physiotherapists or other healthcare workers. Despite the outlook for the country and globe looking significantly better, things have moved on and it’s time to look at your business with fresh eyes.
Here are some things to think about as you move on through 2021.
#1 Literally Spring Clean Your Office
Tired paintwork, out of date posters, uncomfortable chairs, dusty boxes under the desk…if your clinic is looking a bit worse for wear, perhaps it’s time for a spring clean. This means throwing out the detritus that tends to build up in offices, deep cleaning and sprucing up.
Private practices have a lot of competition in many places, and that means that patients and clients need to be reassured that they’ve made the right choice in your clinic. A fresh lick of paint and a welcoming, well-organised space can make all the difference.
#2 Check Your Outgoings
Have you let any contracts auto-renew? Have you run your clinic utilities through comparison websites recently? Are you getting a competitive phone price? Are your web hosts cranking up the fees with no explanation?
Many private healthcare practices are small operations and you don’t have a dedicated team member to go through all the admin each year, making sure you’re still getting the best deals. But you could save hundreds or more, just by calling up your various providers and negotiating. This is particularly true if you have renewing contracts. Remember, if you’re buying new services, hardware or IT infrastructure, get three quotes and compare to ensure you’re not paying over the odds.
This applies to equipment and supplies. Here at Acuprime, we offer trade accounts for professionals and only supply the highest quality products. No matter where you get your supplies from, make sure you’re getting the right products and the right prices.
#3 Expansion Plans
The demand for office space has dropped significantly, due to the pandemic and many businesses aren’t intending on bringing back their full complement of staff to work from a rented space. This means that the price of commercial property may well have fallen in your area, making this a potentially good time to consider moving.
If your clinic has long been too small or in an unsuitable building, now might be the time to start looking for a better space.
#4 Future Goals
Spring cleaning is also about shaking off the dust from your business plan and setting goals for the year. What would you like to have achieved by this time next year? Do you need to delegate some tasks? Employ another member of staff? Revamp your website? Sort out your marketing? Offer a new service? Undertaking more specialist training?
By setting out goals, you have an end point and you can more easily work out how to get there. After all, you can’t plot a route to your destination if you don’t know where your destination is!
#5 Put Your Best Foot Forward
When you run your own practice, you quickly get bogged down with innumerable tasks and suddenly months, if not years have flown by. Spring is a great time to take a good look at what your business looks like from the outside and make it more inviting and consistent.
Has your logo changed? Do you have brand colours? Is the tone of voice the same across all of your marketing, website and social media channels? You can outsource this task but however you deal with it, these simple touches can inspire trust and win you more clients.
Spring Forward with Spring Cleaning
Nobody knows what the future holds and these days, it seems more changeable than ever. But spring cleaning your business gives you a chance to take stock of your practise and better see areas of strength and weakness.
No matter what shade of paint you end up using on your walls, we’re here to make sure you have the clinic supplies you need, when you need them. Check out our product range or get in touch with us to open a trade account.
