Are you a doctor and wanting to have a successful Clinic/Private Practice? (Part 2)

The following are four simple steps that can lead you to start. The general requirements to start up a successful clinic or private practice is similar to other business entreprises. The following simple steps may help you realize your dreams and make them come true.

1. Step One: Conceptual Phase

At this phase you have to use imagination, create, filter and manage ideas and visualize them in concrete form and words which will help you communicate them so others may see it, understand it, believe it, and perhaps even think about joining and supporting you.

Do the following steps in this phase:

• Commit yourself. Mention it in your heart. Write it down on a place which is clearly visible. Share your dream to someone you know would love to see you succeed.
• Take a stand. Having an intention is not enough! You need to do something now! However small it is, take action! For example, write down all the reasons why you want this to happen. Why do you want to do it? How will you do it? What results do you want to have?
• Conceptualise your dream and make it more specific. Write down a narrative on what kind of clinic or private practice you dream of having. Then gradually expand this narrative into a business plan for your dream clinic or private practice.
• Start investing in whatever resources you have. The most important, but often neglected, resource you need is time. How are you going to manage your time particularly time you need to spend in having internal dialogues to better understand youself? What are your strengths and weaknesses related to your personality, education, professional experience, hobbies, and including your family. When you are done with that, expand your time to make planned targets and other priorities needed.
• Know the financial resources you have. You can begin by calculating how much you need to spend every month. Are you able to make any savings? Can you spend efficiently by cutting out unnecessary costs and focus on what you really need?
• Find someone you trust. Someone who is available when you want to discuss your plans.
• Listen to your friend’s thoughts in a positive way. If their opinion may discourage you, do not get angry or give up. Just list down their thoughts and suggestions, then spare some time to think about it. Whatever comments you receive, it will always be valuable in sharpening your way of thinking more critically, and this will shape your ideas into better form.
• Whenever you are engaged in a dialogue with someone else or even with yourself, spare some time to go back to your business plan. Make revisions as needed.
• Seek as much information as possible to learn about the business concept you are interested in. Or find something similar and study it.
• Seek advice from friends who have expertise or experience in business, or those that have special skills you think may be related to your own business plam. If you have not found them yet, learn from reading reference materials, videos, or attend a relevant course.
• After extensive reading, spare some time to return to your original business plan. Look at it again and make necessary revisions.
• Besides writing down your reasons, goals, targets, and how to reach them, it is also important that you make cost estimates for a certain short-term period, or let’s say for the next 2-5 years.
• Besides making cost estimates, you should also calculate how much income you will be able to receive.
• After you complete your business plan, find a partner whom you believe is trustworthy and has the capacity to manage. Ask him or her to join. Whenever you are involved in a partnership, make it clear what their roles and responsibilities are, including what rights they have for a short-term period and in the long run, then develop an agreement.

2. Step Two: Resource Phase

In this phase you should be able to recognize what resources you have and should be able to carefully calculate what resources you need to make your conceptual ideas work as implemented actions, particularly in the beginning stage for the first two years.

• The most important resource in each effort to make your dream come true is yourself. This includes your passion, personal qualities, expertise, professional experience, and time you want to invest in this venture, from the early stages to its implementation in the field.
• Form a trustworth and reliable team. Your family can also be an important asset, besides yourself. Your family may even become team members you can depend on, because they care about you and want to see you succeed. So do not hestate to involve your family members in your plan. Do not place your family behind, because it is with them that you may possibly expand your private practice.
• Besides yourself, it will be very helpful to have partners you can rely on with relevant expertise to make this your private practice work. Make a list of colleagues with expertise you need. Try to find them among your family members, former classmate and colleagues, and through your professional network.
• Estimate all the costs needed for the initial years before you reach break event point (BEP). The BEP is the situation when all operational costs are covered by the income earned through your business. It would even be better if you can also make estimates of your return of investment (ROI); this means that your initial capital has now been wholly covered. You can make simple calculations first, and gradually make detailed estimates with expertise help.
• With a sound concept and resources that are clearly mapped and measurable, it will be easier for you to offer your concept to investors. Besides that, by following the above steps, you may even be able to start out a new business entreprise without external funding resources as you had probably thought about in the beginning.

3. Step Three: Initializing and Maintaining Phase

We no longer talk about things on paper in this first step. In this phase you should be able to translate all your written plans into a well-planned and measurable action plan.

In this phase, it is important to make a timeline. You need to develop deadlines and try hard to meet them.

• Whenever you meet obstacles in this phase, do not panic! Think clearly, discuss your problems with someone, and do not easily give up to find the best solution.
• Do not be afraid to dicuss your problems, because by discussing them you will be able to analyze them and find solutions. Do not let your problems accumulate.
• In this phase it is also important to conduct sound monitoring and evaluation on the ongoing process and each outcome you receive.
• There are five elements in managainga successful clinic that needs to be monitored clearly. A successful independent clinic is one that can provide health care services for the public, has a wide social impact, can provide economic benefits for all parties involved, and is able to make investments for the organization to grow.
• The five key elements consider important to maintain at Angsamerah are:
  1. Maintaining standardized medical quality
  2. Provide client-oriented and customer-friendly services
  3. Existing dedicated, motivated and solid team
  4. Efficient and effective management system
  5. Low cost and high impact marketing
• In this maintainance phase you need to train yourself to think more on how to make your enterprise better.

4. Step Four: Marketing Phase

In this phase you need to learn how to design and promote your branding and let the public know about it.

• Know your target market: who they are, where they are, and how to reach them.
• Try to reach your customers in a systematic and consistent manner. Use a variety of strategies, starting from the most simple ones which are cost-free.
• It is important to note that customer satisfaction is your best marketing tool.  It is therefore important to provide the best and most genuine services for your customers. This will slowly but surely attract more loyal customers. By providing satisfactory services, patients may willingfully share their positive experiences with their family and friends.
• Maintaining good quality is the best tool to market your services!

Those are the four simple steps which you can start using. We hope this article will inspire you to make your dream come true.

All the best for your next steps. Make your dream happen and do it now!

Your success is ours too.