Let’s face it…. you can’t do it all. Running a busy acupuncture clinic takes many helpers if you want to do it right. In this post I want to share my experience and opinion of what is useful and the pros and cons of hiring it out or finding other creative solutions for these services.
Receptionist: This person is very helpful and also one of your biggest costs. The decision on when and if to hire a receptionist is a tough one and it depends upon several factors like: what jobs they will do, how much time they will work, how qualified they are etc. There will be another post about reception specifically so watch for that. Receptionists add up as do payroll taxes, workers comp etc. Remote reception can be a great way to save on costs and put on a professional front while having your incoming calls handled. Read more about remote receptionists.
Insurance Biller: If you take insurance you will have to decide if you want to bill your own claims or hire a billing service. If you decide this is something you want to do in-house, then your receptionist must help you with this and be very skilled and organized and will need to be paid more. In my clinic I use an insurance biller. I pay her 7% of claims paid and she sends off the claims and also tracks the reimbursements. I have found her to be invaluable and to save me so much headache. And I don’t lose money because she makes sure my claims get paid. There are companies that help acupuncturists specifically like Holistic Billing.
Bookkeeper: In my opinion this is a “must-have”, and will help save you so many headaches. If you can find a good one who can work for around $25 per hour and come in for just about an hour or two per week, then it will be money well worth spending.
CPA: Unless you have tax background, the CPA is a must. They help you set up your organization and figure out your payroll and estimated taxes so that at the end of the year you are prepared for what you need to pay to good ole Uncle Sam.
Cleaner: This is a job that is easy to do. But it’s also one of those jobs that can keep you at the clinic longer when you might really be wishing you were exercising or home cooking dinner. Find a client that might be willing to trade you for this service . That can work well with someone who can’t afford your services or has maxed out their benefits for the year. Or consider doing a light cleaning weekly yourself and having a professional come in every other week.
Laundry person or service: If you use sheets in your clinic you will be dealing with laundry. I personally have found that the laundry services are expensive and I do much better with either trading for laundry or taking it home at times. It’s not a hard chore and can be done at home. If you are lucky enough to have a washer/dryer in your clinic then you can have your staff help with this while they are on the clock.
Website developer/graphic designer: I am pretty savvy with computers and have spent many an hour updating and working on my own websites… but I often feel that having a great website developer is so crucial to have on my team. My advice is to find someone you really love working with that helps you with your initial website and promotional items. Then use them when you need to make changes on things. But learn some basic things about word press and mail chimp so that you can make the small changes and write the newsletters on your own. There are many free tutorials on Youtube for learning the basics.
Marketing Group or local advertising group: This one is big and can really add up. I have traded for advertising and loved this. And I have also spent the money to run the ads and articles in the locals guide of my community. Whichever way you do it, marketing is important and shouldn’t be overlooked. There are many courses, coaching, and resources out there on marketing and I encourage you to spend some energy in this area.
Tenants and renters: I have a large clinic with 6 treatment rooms and I have several practitioners that rent space from me. I spend a lot of time managing these people and I am happy to have the help with the rent. But it’s not always an easy road with renters and it will require your attention, time and energy.
There are many combinations to this equation. It’s important to take a look at each of the above categories and think what you need and in what order so that your clinic grows the way you want and need it to. Play around with a budget adding and subtracting some of these categories to get a big picture idea of what your costs may be. This will help you pin point your priorities.
