Though there is a mentality of “build it and they will come” when setting up a healthcare practice, be it a GP, physio, psychologist, or other allied health business – the fact is you may be competing against family doctors and allied health workers that have become part and parcel of a local community. Gaining the trust of people can take time – and it’s harder if patients are wary of your practice in the first place. So here are some tips to grow your healthcare practice without waiting for your competition to be booked out!

Get the right financing and structure

First, you need to sit down with an accountant to figure out your legal business structure. Are you a sole trader? A partnership? A trust? This can factor into how you get finance and grow your business over time. Health and dental businesses usually have easier times securing finance, but that doesn’t mean you should be conservative with your capital requirement estimates. Ensure you have enough to purchase necessary equipment, consumables, and working capital to get your business going until it can sustain itself.

Be technology savvy

The days of limiting ourselves to a certain area are long gone. Investing in telehealth means you not only serve your local community but patients all over Australia. Using care management software can enhance productivity and improve patient outcomes, as well as facilitate bookings. Automated software can help prevent errors in managing certificates of insurance and AHPRA registrations, potentially saving your practice from costly mistakes.

Having the right business insurance policies

It is important for every health business to have insurance policies that cover public liability, professional indemnity (malpractice), and compulsory worker’s compensation insurance. When growing your allied practice and offering additional services like NDIS-approved services, it’s crucial to prioritise risk management. Protecting your business assets with business insurance can mitigate any property damage, theft, fire damage, and/or blackouts, which can cause spoilage of medicines. You should protect your business with cyber liability insurance in the unfortunate event of a hack or accidental leaks of patient information.

When considering your options for business insurance, it’s important to carefully compare and select the coverage that best suits your needs. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to upgrade your current policy, finding the right combination of coverage is crucial to protect your practice from any unforeseen circumstances. It may be helpful to consult a business insurance broker who can provide advice on policies that balance costs versus benefits.

Become an indispensable community hub

As a medical practice, promoting a healthy community should be your priority. Consider hosting free seminars or Q&A evenings to explain therapies and health strategies. Providing interpreters for recent migrants or the CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) community can greatly improve their access to health services. This initiative can position your clinic as a valuable resource for assistance. Building a strong bond with the wider community is crucial. Being an allied health professional who is seen as an ally rather than a necessity can have significant benefits. You might even become the go-to professional for multiple generations within a single family! It all benefits your outreach.

Invest in marketing

In this day and age, if you aren’t online, you aren’t seen. It’s important to have a logo, a website that explains your services and allows for referrals and appointments, and social media accounts. Establishing a credible online presence can be achieved by focusing on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) through writing blogs and producing other content like videos. Another option is to use Pay Per Click advertising to drive traffic to your website. You might consider reaching out to a digital marketing agency to assist – you probably will have too many things to juggle before long!

Admin – the crucial element

Every GP or allied health clinic runs on its admin. A bottleneck in confirming appointments, ordering consumables, reporting to health funds – it can put your practice on the back foot all too quickly. When financing your practice, consider admin staff an necessary performing asset. Don’t make do with part-time or outsourced admin; health care admin is crucial to your success as a practice but as a business with a bottom line to protect.