A private practice business plan is a strategic planning document that sets out a wide variety of important details about your practice. It develops and describes goals and objectives and sets out how the practice intends to meet those goals. It is a road map that touches on virtually all aspects of your practice from a business perspective, from products and services to organizational structure.
A business plan is a critical document for your private practice, and the thought and planning that goes into this document can impact your practice for years to come. Here, we address some specific content that you may want to add to your private practice business plan.
Zero-In on Your Private Practice
Private practice allows you to hone in on a specific target, niche audience, and goals. You can pinpoint the exact type of client that you want to serve and what you want to do. By setting specific goals regarding your audience and business development, you can tailor your marketing strategy and services.
You should also take a step back and define your vision, values, and mission. For instance, do you want to only provide specific types of services? Do you only want to service certain types of patients? What do you want to provide that will set your practice apart from others?
Part of developing that strategy also involves examining competition to determine what they are doing well or areas where you can step in to provide better services. You can also analyze market trends to determine where your practice fits within the “big picture” of private practice in your geographic and practice area.
Set Clear Goals and Objectives for Your Private Practice
A business plan is a great place to set out specific goals for your practice. As you develop these goals, remember that they should be SMART goals:
Specific: Outline what should be accomplished, who is responsible for the goals, and the individual steps needed to achieve the goal.
Measurable: Quantifiable goals that have real numbers associated with them. These can be the number of patients, revenue goals, or any other quantifiable goal.
Achievable: Goals should be realistic. For instance, getting every single person in a community into your practice likely is not feasible or even desirable, so it would not be a good goal.
Relevant: Good goals must be relevant to your practice. Why are you creating this goal? How will this goal further your overall practice?
Time-Bound: Goals with a timeframe associated with them are more likely to be accomplished. Deadlines keep things moving.
Financial goals are easier to quantify compared to other types of goals, but it can be difficult to develop these goals on your own. Reach out to an accountant for help in this area.
Don’t Skip Over Financial Planning
Financial planning is critical for any business. Failing to plan appropriately for expenses and revenue can cause cash flow problems and lead to disastrous consequences for the business as a whole. As part of the financial planning process, you may want to review:
- Estimate start-up costs
- Forecast ongoing expenses
- Revenue modeling for specific patients or services
- Potential pricing strategies
- Cash flow forecasting
- General budgeting
Because these areas are all critical, you may want to consult with an expert who deals with these issues for other private practice firms. An accountant can be a good resource to assist with this process.
Legal and Regulatory Considerations
As part of your initial business plan, you may also want to consider which type of business structure you will use for your private practice. While some practices choose to remain a sole proprietorship, there are certainly some benefits to incorporating the practice or developing a limited liability company.
You also need to make plans to address tax regulations and accounting standards for your practice. These issues can be complex, and it can be beneficial to have an accountant assist with each of these items.
Create a Detailed Operational Plan
An operational plan includes very specific information about day-to-day operations. It addresses questions relating to personnel and role delegation.
In addition, it deals with how your practice will measure performance. It forces you to consider which quantifiable measures will reflect success for your company. These are called “key performance indicators” or KPIs.
Examples of medical private practice KPIs might include:
- Total number of patients seen over a period of time
- Total number of repeat patients
- New patient appointments
- Return patient appointments
- Patient satisfaction ratings
- Revenue growth over a specific time period
You can develop whatever KPIs you think would be relevant to your practice. Taking the time to develop these now can help you focus the practice overall to increase the likelihood of success for years to come.
Don’t Create Your Private Practice Business Plan Alone
Starting a private practice is an exciting time and creating a private practice business plan should be a part of getting started. It forces you to consider things like target patients, overall goals, and how you will measure success.
An accountant can be a helpful resource as you work through this process. In fact, engaging an experienced accountant can be vital to sustainable success. If you are starting a private practice, reach out to Sorenson & Company, CPA, to assist with planning and ongoing financial needs.