Growing Your Baby

Get Paid
We at Hello Health don’t deal with insurance, and all of the payment you receive for using our web app is straight from your patients. Their credit card is on file with us, just like iTunes, so you don’t have to deal with billing.

Charge It
How you charge, and what you charge for, is up to you— all of the fee settings are within your profile and are automated by Hello Health. And do not be afraid to charge what you’re worth. Take these tips into account:

• Charge by the hour. We’re currently charging $200 an hour in Williamsburg, but this will vary by area.
• Charge hourly for emails from the get-go. Small barriers up front is best to prevent frivolous communications. Six minutes spent on an email? That will be 1/10th of an hour, thank you.
• No monthly fee for the first six months. Once you’re on more solid ground, after about 6 months, then start charging a fee (if you want). Depending on your clientele, $20 a month is probably the magic number.
• Your incidental fees are up to you. Just remember, keep things simple.

Supply Side
Yes, you’ll need supplies. Not everyone needs everything on this list, and some will need more. But here’s a good place to start:

• Laptop. It doesn’t have to be to any specifications— just Internet accessible. If you’re the “house call type,” you might want to think about an “Aircard” so you can get wireless Internet wherever you are. Of course, we recommend a Mac.
• Exam Table. We recommend, especially at the beginning, to get a plain old non-power table. If you don’t plan on having an office at all, you might look into a folding massage table.
• ‘Fridge for vaccines. Maintaining temperature is crucial to storing vaccines. Your fridge needs to have a thermometer that not only tells the temperature, but also tracks temperature over time.
• Two garbage cans: one for office waste, and one for bio-hazards.
• Sharps box.
• Medical and non-medical office supplies. That encompasses everything from printer paper to prescription pads, and cotton swabs to needles.
• Don’t believe the hype. There are many companies and consultants whose job is just to get to you buy stuff you don’t need. That goes for everything from insurance contracts to Band-aids.

Marketing
We have found, through experience, that word-of-mouth and a prominent office presence are what gets the word out best. If you would like to do a bit more, try these on for size:

• Community events. Think creatively and differently— after all, Hello Health is different. Throw a party. Do a blood drive. Give free flu shots. Sponsor a “Field Day.”
• Get in the media. Write an advice column in a local paper, or ideally, a blog. If you do a community event, write up a little press release and send it around.
• Take out a small ad in a media outlet that you presume your prospective patients read. Don’t go overboard, though, as word-of-mouth really is the biggest driving factor.