How to Start an Acupuncture Clinic

Part 1 - How to start an Acupuncture Clinic business - Background

An acupuncture clinic advises patients on numerous matters, including alternative medicine and general health maintenance. Typical visits with patients last between half an hour and one hour and allow you to monitor the health and progress of a patient. Along the way, acupuncturists use their skills to help treat patients’ ailments.

Our guide is in 3 parts:

• Part 1 - How to start an Acupuncture Clinic business - Background
• Part 2 - Our planner tool to see if this idea is the right fit for you
• Part 3 - Action plan to get started

What are the costs involved in opening an acupuncture clinic?

If you are willing to start your business small, then you can open this business for a relatively low cost. For instance, you can purchase a portable massage table, needles, biohazard boxes, and other such equipment that you will need for under $500. You can purchase file folders, a dresser, sheets, chairs, and a CD player for under $300. Similarly, it is possible to rent a small room at a wellness center or other relevant location for under $500 a month, and this can serve as your office. For advertising, you can create a website and print out both brochures and business cards for under $150. Even with the necessity of paying extra for a down payment on your rented room and getting the appropriate license, you can start a small acupuncture clinic for under $2,000.

What are the ongoing expenses for an acupuncture clinic?

For a small clinic, the ongoing expenses are relatively small. Your ongoing rent for a small space should be $500 or less, and it should cost $100 or less to replenish your office and medical supplies each month. The exact cost of utilities can vary, but when leasing a small office space, it may be $100 or less each month.

Who is the target market?

On a completely practical level, the best clients are those who pay promptly and are receptive to your diagnosis and instructions. Generally speaking, these will be middle- or upper-class clients who are ready and willing to embrace alternative medicine, and who can afford to pay out of pocket, as most insurance companies don’t cover acupuncture yet.

How does an acupuncture clinic make money?

An acupuncture clinic makes money by charging clients a particular amount for each visit. The amount may be different based on the nature of the visit, such as charging a higher amount for an initial diagnosis or different amounts for more complex treatments.

How much can you charge customers?

The exact amount you charge may vary based on services offered and region. Generally, however, you should charge between $75 and $100 for the initial diagnosis and then charge between $50 to $75 for clients’ subsequent visits.

How much profit can an acupuncture clinic make?

According to Bureau of Labor and Statistics research, the median salary for an acupuncturist is just north of $73,000. Ultimately, of course, how much profit you make is directly related to how much you charge clients per visit and how many visits you get each year, so it is possible for a clinic to eventually net a six-figure salary.

How can you make your business more profitable?

One method of making your business more profitable is, as mentioned earlier, to encourage multiple visits per patient via a Patient Treatment Protocol. Another is to create an aggressive social media presence early on: this increases community engagement and lets you advertise special offers, deals, and even competitions that will get more customers through the door. Consider offering referral bonuses to patients who refer their family, friends, and colleagues. Finally, schedule permitting, consider speaking at local colleges, libraries, and other community centers about the value of acupuncture.

Day-to-Day and Growth

What happens during a typical day at an acupuncture clinic?

There are many daily activities associated with an acupuncture clinic. These activities include making appointments with patients, diagnosing patients, explaining that diagnosis to patients, and treating those patients via needles and/or other tools. You must also maintain and organize your patients’ records while overseeing all of your employees.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful acupuncture clinic?

As mentioned earlier, actually practicing in acupuncture means you have completed a specialized program of formal education. This education will provide most of the initial skills that you need to do the job itself. Beyond that, experience in acupuncture or other medical fields, as well as a minor in something like business, may help you on the financial side of things.

What is the growth potential for an acupuncture clinic?

The growth potential for acupuncture clinics is very strong. Research conducted by LearnHealthcare.net revealed that this field will grow by as much as 32 percent by the year 2022. Additionally, more Americans have some form of health insurance than ever before, and a growing number of insurance companies will help pay for acupuncture.

What are some insider tips for jump starting an acupuncture clinic?

To jumpstart your business, be sure to start small. You have the rest of your career to upgrade to the biggest offices and fanciest Earthlite tables. However, starting modestly allows you to easily hit the ground running after graduation, and you can do so while building up your experience and network of contacts needed to help take your business to the next level. When starting small, utilize as many modern conveniences as you need (such as online scheduling apps, accounting software, and so on) in order to successfully conduct a successful one-person business.

How and when to build a team

As mentioned above, it’s recommended that you start your clinic small, which means that you will personally be handling almost everything. However, as business picks up, you may consider, at minimum, hiring a secretary or other employees to help you manage your business and clients. If you get to a point where you have more clients than you (and your relatively small clinic) can handle, you might consider expanding to a larger location and hiring more acupuncturists.

Part 2 - Is an Acupuncture Clinic business the right fit for you?

Part 3 - Action plan to launch your Acupuncture Clinic business in 90 days