Getting Started

Space Case
If you’ve decided you want to work out of an office, here are a few recommendations for what to look for in a space, and how to set it up to feel like Hello Health.

• Either live near your office, or work near your home. This obviously saves time and cuts back on the stress of commuting.
• Go as centrally located and urban as you possibly can, in the most high-traffic area. We’ve learned that a great deal of our signed-up patients learn of Hello Health by just walking or driving past the office.
• Hello Health is meant to be a completely different experience for our patients. Think “retail boutique.” We’re clean, modern, open, and airy. Check out Highbrow Furniture for ideas of what a Hello Health practice looks like. It may be slightly more expensive up front, but it makes a world of difference for your patients.
• Keep it small. You actually only need one exam room (which can double for an office), a waiting area, and a handicapped accessible bathroom.

The Money, Honey
You don’t have to be a serious business person to start a Hello Health practice. But you do need a bit of savvy, which we can help with.

No matter what the business, whether coffee shop or medical practice, the simple equation is this: Gross Income – Expenses = Net Income.

The traditional approach has been to increase gross income by seeing more patients and working harder. However, by minimizing expenses (such as staff, equipment, and office space), you can spend more time with less patients and still take home more at the end of the day. Remember: at Hello Health the simplest route is best.

Working Smart: Business Model
The model that Hello Health recommends is a “low overhead practice.” This is one that delivers care at lower expense. In doing so, the revenue left over after your expenses will increase. That’s a good thing. Another benefit of this practice style is the ability to get off the productivity hamster wheel and see fewer patients per hour.

Check out these tips on how to build a “low overhead practice.”

• A little goes a long way. Smaller offices, supply reservoirs, and staff mean less expense to you.
• When in start-up mode: pare down, pare down, pare down. If casting is your thing, you don’t need a whole casting room. Just the equipment and materials.
• Don’t buy the toys. If you do not need an EKG machine, don’t buy it. However, and this is a big “however,” your patients should not suffer for frugality.
• You love your staff. We know. This is a touchy one. But see, your patients would really rather to talk to you than to explain to three or four separate people why they’re there. In addition, the more staff you keep on, the more patients you have to see, and the less time you get to spend with them.

Legal Eagle
Laws for medical practices differ from state to state, so you’ll definitely have to get in touch with a great lawyer and a great accountant.

Show Me Your Credentials
Do you have your state medical license? Your DEA license? You’re good to go.

Insurance
For malpractice insurance, rates vary by region, the services you offer, and how well the malpractice insurance company is doing with its stock portfolio. Shop around! Some small practices have successfully negotiated lower rates by demonstrating high quality documentation and care or only practicing half time or less.