Recently, I presented two classes at IECSC in Las Vegas. One was “Good Numbers = Good Decisions”, and the second was “When Worlds Collide: The Future Fusion of Preventive Healthcare, Medical Spa, Wellness, & Lifestyle Services”. When I was sending the slides to the class attendees, I realized that the two classes offered some common messages. The underlying message in both was that our world, our businesses, and ourselves are completely and totally different because of Covid-19. We need to make changes to our business model, and there are steps we need to take to move forward and prepare our business for the future.
Today’s Market. Demand for affordable health, wellness, and spa services is being driven by older adults managing active aging, and Gen X, Gen Y, and Millennials pursuing a wellness lifestyle.
Target (younger) demographics are choosing Urgent Care over Primary Care. Spending on men’s and women’s beauty, fitness, wellness, supplements, and online classes have increased across all age groups. Covid has driven online sales and virtual services to new heights.
Preventive health care, whole body wellness, and holistic healthcare are growing faster than allopathic care. We’re seeing more tele-medicine, consultative services, and virtual services. Touchless, remote, virtual, and socially distanced services are the wave we find ourselves on. Social distancing has forced us to consider the use and function of reception areas, relaxation areas, changing rooms, saunas, steam rooms, group fitness areas, and wellness areas. Separation barriers no longer surprise us. Neither do rigorous sanitation of hard surfaces, chairs, treatment areas, door handles, and anything anyone touches. We’ve had to re-think our ventilation, HVAC, and air purification systems.
Where We’re Heading. Primary Care and Urgent Care should be the home for preventive care and lifestyle services. Day Spa, Medical Spa, Wellness, and Lifestyle Services should re-market themselves and be included. Classic spa services such as massage and skincare could be re- envisioned and a part of preventive and rehabilitative health.
Integrative Medical Clinics and practices which are more preventative health oriented and evidence based are becoming more prevalent. These clinics are MD, ARNP, ND, and Chiropractic driven. Dentistry and oral health as a key component in wellness is expanding.
A Vision of Integrative Clinics. Consumers want and require transparency and results. We, as providers and consumers can change our perspectives on well-being and healthcare. Once we know we are operating efficiently and profitably, our business can grow by integration of the services of spas, med-spas, medical practices, and preventative health care professionals. We have only just begun this integration of services.
We must make changes to our facilities and operations. More importantly, we have an opportunity to examine our biases, attitudes, and approach to how our services are provided within a more cooperative and collaborative model. This collaborative and integrative model is more effective for managing an individual’s wellness needs.
What does an Integrative Healthcare Clinic Offer? This clinic provides preventive healthcare and some of the best age management, lifestyle services and traditional spa therapies. This model allows for additional practitioners, providers, therapies, and services to be added to address regional or demographic needs. We are currently seeing integrative clinics being established virtually and physically in markets around the country.
We must position ourselves to become essential businesses. An essential business is one that is closely aligned with medical and therapeutic practices. I think that it is more realistic to think not “if” but “when” there will be future pandemics. The Delta Variant is throwing us into a new and different situation that is going to require business choices.
We must base our future business planning on what science is telling us. As we look forward, we must keep our eyes open relative to the rate of vaccinations and new cases, breakthrough infections, and the efficacy of the vaccines. It is not easy, but this our new normal and it is the world we find ourselves in today.
As always, we’re here to help and answer questions. Contact us today for a free-initial business consultation.