Top 6 mistakes to avoid when approaching mobile clinic vehicle start-ups!
The never-ending demand for mobile medical services has made more and more medical professionals consider starting mobile medical clinics. However, most of them are unaware of how to establish a successful mobile practice without any failure.
So, to acknowledge how you can avoid making the common mistakes while establishing your mobile medical practice, make a note of the following points:
Mistakes People Make in mobile clinic vehicle start-ups
1. Underestimating licencing and enrollment procedures
Many mobile clinic vehicle startups make the mistake of not taking into account the licencing and enrollment procedures. It’s necessary that you do your research related to the above before starting your mobile clinic.
For licencing as a medical professional, you need to adhere to local and state regulations to ensure that your mobile healthcare clinic is in complete compliance with them. If not, you could risk your medical or medical or dental licence as well.
Start preparing in advance for the enrollment procedures because it can take months for a new mobile clinic vehicle to become enrolled in Medicare and insurance. If you start late, you may lose revenue as well as opportunities to treat patients, as this process does not happen overnight.
In many cases, the process can feel overwhelming. To help you with the same, you can always turn to the state and country’s government officials for consultation and assurance about the understanding of the licencing requirements, laws, and practises well. It will help you save a lot of money and hard work.
2. Choosing the Wrong Vehicle
Choosing the right mobile medical vehicle to accommodate everything you need is a must to efficiently run your business. Considering the present and future goals of your business, you need to find a vehicle that will last a while with proper maintenance and can help you expand your services.
It must have the space to accommodate your machinery as well as extra space if you choose to grow in the future. There are options like semi-tractor trailer trucks, vans, or motor coaches for you to select from to practise Medicare. Keeping in mind the space for logistics, machinery, and treatment of patients, get the most out of your budget.
3. Underestimating the entire cost of the vehicle
While starting their own practice, many medical professionals fail to estimate the overall cost of mobile medical clinics. There are several factors that need to be taken into account while calculating the budget required. Some of them are listed below.
- Insurance, regulatory and licencing fees
- Internet, software, phone bills, and other operating expenses
- Vehicle cost
- Medical equipment costs
- Labour and gas costs
- Marketing, advertising and public relations costs
- Vehicle and medical equipment maintenance, depreciation, and repair costs
Many businesses fail due to the unexpected cost and heavy cash flow of the above listed factors. It is recommended to have a conservative and realistic 3 to 5 year revenue and cost estimate, as well as a line of credit for the first three months of business.
Even if estimating the initial revenue looks difficult, do plan conservatively so that you can bring in enough money to keep your practise running for the future.
4. Hiring the Wrong People
Even if you get everything right on the vehicle and hire the wrong people to work in it, your business will fail. It’s important to hire the right people who are efficient, trustworthy, and excellent at their jobs.
You may think that the effects of hiring the wrong people on your team aren’t just financial. However, they will affect productivity and put more strain on the entire team.
5. Unnecessary expenses
Avoid the thought of expecting the best in everything. Instead, look for what fulfils your requirements on the table at an economical cost. Ensure that your mobile clinic vehicle start-up is more directed towards its goal of providing access to on-demand healthcare.
Understand that you need to invest in your team who can make the best of what’s on the table. Don’t spend unnecessarily or else you will fail way before you start operating your mobile clinic startup because of empty pockets.
6. Considering new clinic as your only choice
Refurbished mobile clinic is one of the best ways to spend your start-up budget wisely.
There are many sellers available in the market that offer refurbished mobile medical clinics at great prices. You can modify it to match your business requirements. You can save a lot by either getting away with the best vehicle or leasing and renting one.
The takeaway
It’s impossible to list down all the red flags you can come across while starting your mobile medical clinic. As a word to the wise, here are some more points to keep in mind. Read on.
- Do not overstaff. Be intimately involved with your mobile medical clinic.
- Being cash-only can be a fatal error. Do allow your patients to use their insurance when they pay you.
- Write down your business plan.
- Look beyond your hometown to serve communities for rapid growth and success for your start-up.
- Work with a partner who is invested in your mission, patients, and mobile health clinic.
With all that said above, it’s time to fuse life into your big plans and dreams. Don’t overthink it and start right away. We can help you design, customize, and build a mobile clinic vehicle as per your suitability or you can select from our wide range of set-up and ready to use mobile clinic vehicles on sale/rent. In case you need any assistance, we are just a phone call away from you.