How to Start a Medi-Spa

After more than a year of pandemic related lockdowns and social distancing, mass vaccinations are allowing businesses to provide their pre-pandemic services. The wellbeing and wellness industry is witnessing an influx of increased patronage as people around the world want to look better, feel better, and pamper themselves. In particular, medical spas are providing a wide range of services to meet the growing demands of their clients.

According to market analysis, the Global Medical Spa Market size was valued at AED 50.76 billion (USD 13.82 billion) in 2019 and is predicted to reach AED 173.14 billion (USD 47.14 billion) by 2030, with an expected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.8% from 2020-2030. Now is the time to enter into this lucrative market.

First and foremost, you might be wondering what exactly a Medi-Spa is and what services they offer. Medi-Spas, combine specific medical treatments that are usually performed in a doctor’s office with the experience of a day spa. Medical spas typically focus their service offerings on anti-aging treatments, such as Botox, microneedling, facial peels, laser hair removal, etc. Depending on where you plan on opening a medical spa, some jurisdictions require that a medical spa be owned by a qualified physician.

Before you can open a medical spa, you need to know who can open a medi-spa. It needs a licensed medical professional owning and operating the business. This can be the primary business owner, or a co-owner, depending on your specific needs. Depending on the services your spa will provide, this medical professional can range from a medical doctor (MD) to a registered nurse (RN) or a licensed medical sonographer (MS).

Like with any other spa, when you determine you want to start a medi-spa, you need to develop a business plan. A clear business plan helps you determine your business objectives, and will serve as an outline on how to achieve these objectives. This starts with understanding your market. For example, how large is the medi-spa industry in your area? How many other medi-spas will you be competing against for business? Who is your target demographic? What services will you provide? Understanding your market will help you to effectively create a solid business plan.

Determine What Services You Will Provide

A medi-spa and traditional spa differ in many ways, including the service they provide. While the treatments offered are somewhat similar, there are additional services to cinder when opening a medi-spa. 

Since medi-spas are a mixture of medical clinics and traditional spas, the services they offer are a combination of treatments. While medical spas can offer common spa treatments, such as facials and massages, they also offer a wide range of outpatient procedures.

• Body Sculpting
• Botox
• Laser Treatments
• Dermal FIllers
• Injections
• Photorejuvenation
• And More

Determine What Equipment You Will Need

For each treatment your medi-spa requires you will need specific equipment and devices to administer treatments and service offerings. Not only will these devices make it easier for your employees to effectively administer your services, but they also ensure you will safely administer your medical services. 

Common medi-spa equipment to provide the best treatments include:

• Spa massage and facial tables
• Facial steamers and combos
• Carts and Trolleys
• Hot towel cabinets and sterilizers
• Beauty technician stools
• Microdermabrasion machines
• Magnifying lamps
• Intense pulse light and laser
• Electrocardiogram
• Digital imaging
• Ultraviolet sterile cab 
• And more

LIke with any other business, you are only as good as your staff. With a medi-spa, you will be performing medical procedures and you need to ensure your staff is reputable, experienced, and capable of properly and safely administering your service offerings. Whether it’s administrative staff or medical support staff, your employees will work directly with your clients and it’s essential they provide not only exceptional medical and spa services, but also exceptional customer service. Your staff will help to attract new clients and build the reputation of your salon. You want to make sure they are representing your brand in the best way possible.

Depending on the type of services your medi-spa will provide and spa location, the local and federal laws and regulations will vary. For example, a medical spa that strictly provides botox and dermal fillers will require different licenses from a medi-spa that also offers body sculpting and laser services.

Depending on where you are located you may be required to obtain common licenses and permits to operate your medi-spa, including:

• Medical spa license
• Specific service offering licenses
• Building permits
• Sanitation
• DHA (Dubai Health Authority) requirements

Work With a Professional

Opening a medi-spa is an exciting time in your life and career. However, it can feel overwhelming managing all of the moving parts. At RMC (Royal Metis Consultancy), we help professionals and entrepreneurs to develop their business. From concept creation, market analysis, and design to branding, marketing, and recruitment, we leverage our experience to help you successfully launch your business. 

Contact a member of our team to learn how we can help you on your path to opening your medi-spa.

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