5 Things You Don’t Actually Need To Start Seeing Clients

Last time, we looked at the 10 things you need before you start seeing clients. But there are also a few things that people might think of as ‘essential’ that are actually not strictly necessary. These five things might be nice to have, but you can see paying clients without them.

A physical location

In years gone by, naturopaths, nutritionists and herbalists had to find a clinic location. It might have been a multi-modality clinic room, a solo clinic, or even a home clinic. But you needed a bricks and mortar spot to set up.

Nowadays, technology has advanced to the point where you don’t need to turn up physically. You can use Skype or Zoom to see your clients. This not only reduces your overheads (which is a big thing for new pracs), but it also allows you to see people across the globe.

If you do want online consults as part of your clinic, make sure your insurance covers you for them.

A website

Yes, a website is helpful. It’s often a vital piece of long-term marketing strategies. But do you actually need one set up before you see your first handful of clients? Not really.

Many of your first paying clients are likely to be friends of friends – word of mouth is still important in this day and age. So getting yourself set up with a Facebook page is more important, and affordable, compared to setting up a website.

When you are ready to get your website sorted, check out my website packages here.

A dispensary

Dispensaries can be a huge drain on your finances when you start out. First you have to buy the products, and you have to sell them to make your money back. But then you can also lose that money if you never prescribe the product and it expires.

Instead, look at using online dispensary options with the suppliers available in your state. Vital.ly has a massive range of prac-only products and can deliver straight to your client’s doorstep.

An eftpos machine

Who needs a clunky eftpos machine plugged in at the wall? Not you! There are plenty of options for accepting payments online before a client comes to see you. You can integrate payment options such as Stripe and Paypal with your booking system and/or accounting software. The bonus is that upfront payments = less last-minute cancellations!

If you do want a physical card reader that is affordable and reliable, get yourself a Square Reader. You can grab it for around $20 (or $60 for one that accepts paywave) from most places, including post offices and Officeworks. All you need to get started with payments is a smartphone and their free app.

Do remember that these payment options will generally take a fee out of each transaction. So if you need to cover that gap, look at bumping your fees up by $5 to compensate for the fees.

A paid accounting software

Yes, it is vital to keep a track of your business income and expenses. But that doesn’t mean you need to shell out for a book-keeper or fancy accounting software from the beginning.

If you’re handy with spreadsheets, you can create your own to track your finances. But if you’re looking for an accounting software that doesn’t cost hundreds of dollars, Wave is a decent free option. You can use it to send invoices, accept credit card payments along with Stripe, and create any reports needed for your business finances.

If you need help setting up the tech essentials for your new practice, I’m here to help. Book yourself in a session here, and I can walk you through any tech woes that are holding you back.