Hopefully it's ok to ask here...

[Iamnew2]

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Hi all!
I am a non-derm. I started a small cosmetic business, which has thus far failed miserably. Initially I had maybe 30-40 customers a month, now next to nothing. Nothing major has occurred. Reviews are good most people seem to be happy with the service. Can someone provide me with some suggestions? I invested in a body sculpting device which was somewhat pricey. Any suggestions?
thanks!

 

[Skindoc83]

its impossible to trouble shoot your specific situation without in depth information. But with that said, cosmetics is hard and that is why medispas fail ALL THE TIME. The overhead is high and there is a limited pool of patients willing to pay said costs. I also assume that you come from a field that does not have cosmetic training ie derm, ENT, plastics? The better question to ask is why would your cosmetic practice thrive? Are you the only game in town? Do you have a large referral basis? I am not trying to sound harsh but based on what little information I have I don’t see a reason why you would succeed.

 

[Iamnew2]

its impossible to trouble shoot your specific situation without in depth information. But with that said, cosmetics is hard and that is why medispas fail ALL THE TIME. The overhead is high and there is a limited pool of patients willing to pay said costs. I also assume that you come from a field that does not have cosmetic training ie derm, ENT, plastics? The better question to ask is why would your cosmetic practice thrive? Are you the only game in town? Do you have a large referral basis? I am not trying to sound harsh but based on what little information I have I don’t see a reason why you would succeed.

Plenty of people succeed - how does a random person who sets up an office succeed? Just asking not being snarky. I've done training in cosmetics.

 

[Dral]

How much social media presence do you have? That's only a part, but without a solid reputation from being around for a long time, that's one of the ways to get the word out and get people into the office.

As skindoc pointed out, what is your referral base? There are family med, internal med, and even derms/ents/plastics practitioners who are asked about cosmetics by patients, but for whatever reason, that physician does not perform said procedure. Have you talked to those providers in your area and let them know what you do and that they can refer to you? You're going to need to convince patients you're just as good or better than a board certified derm/ENT/Plastics provider. You of course have to put your money where your mouth is...after a few patients complain back to the referring provider that they didn't like what they got from you, that provider will stop referring.

Have you run any types of specials to get people in? For instance: "$80 consult visit, but if you get a procedure, the $80 will be deducted from the cost of the procedure". You let your referral base providers know that is your policy for new patients. Hopefully that will help get a few people in the door that will keep coming back.

It helps to have a solid line or two of cosmeceuticals and someone on staff who knows how to sell them. I rotated with a private practice derm one of my last months of residency. I was with the cosmetologist nurse a few days. I remember a patient who came in to get some mild facial rejuvenation procedure. Nurse then asks her if she needs more of any of the products she usually uses. Nurse opens up the product cabinet and within a minute or two *bam* $500 worth of product in her bag.