PRACTITIONER PROFILE
Bureau of Statistics to find out about your local area demographics saves you so much time . Every few years the new Census data is updated . This gives us a snapshot of ages , gender , income , rents / mortgage repayments , medical conditions , trends , and many other matters relevant to running a successful business . Importantly , it gives us lots of information on trends . For example , you can research the likely number of people who will be diagnosed with diabetes over the next 20 years , or how many people use complementary therapies , and what modalities they use .
Another market research tool that is particularly easy to use is Profile Id . You simply select your locality and a great amount of information becomes available to you . So , if you are looking to open a clinic in a new area or expand your business hours , it would be a good idea to see if your target clients exist there and whether the hours you are proposing will suit them . For example , if you want to expand your client base to include more elderly people , there is no point setting up a new clinic in an area where there are predominantly young families . If you are looking to target more corporate clients , there isn ’ t much point closing your clinic at 4 pm , when they are still at work .
There are many other sites you can use , but you must spend the time to ensure you understand whether the move or expansion will work and be profitable .
If you are looking at expanding your products and services rather than your location , you need to check this as well . There is no point spending money on buying products to sell if clients don ’ t want to buy them . You can do this by talking to people about your idea and seeking their feedback on your product or service . This could be through direct contact , surveys , focus groups or social media polls .
It is always a good idea to research your clients too . You can do this by emails , online surveys , and online or in-person interviews . By doing this you can find out what they want , what are they willing to pay , the perceived value they place on your services and what products and services they might wish to try . By finding out how they think and behave , you can more precisely direct your marketing activities , essential to expanding your business .
If you have been in business for a while , you will probably already have a lot of this information at hand . Look at your point of sales and sales records . Look at any customer loyalty or reward programs you have in place . Review website and social media traffic and clicks and likes . What are people asking you about ?
Finally , research your competitors . This can be done by looking at their advertisements , and checking out their websites and their social media . What sort of things are they posting ? What are their reviews like ? Check out their product offerings and prices .
While you might feel a bit uncomfortable doing this , it is important to see what your potential clients will also see while they are researching whether to make a booking with you or with your competitor . It is also important to look at what they do well and what they don ’ t do so well . Make sure you excel at the areas in which you think you can outdo them . Create a point of difference with their areas of strength .
At the end of this process you should have a good idea of who your competitors are , what they offer and how they communicate with their customers . This should give you a better idea as to whether expanding or changing your business is a good strategy .
Spend time on your research as it is essential to save you from making a costly mistake . Don ’ t sign any new lease , buy a new range of products or take on new staff without doing conscientious research first .
ATMS Practitioner Profile Claudia Joseph
Which modalities do you practise ? I practise remedial massage and aromatherapy .
How long have you been in practice ? I have been in practice for 12 years .
What have been the major influences on your career ? The major influence on my career has been my belief in natural health therapies and its many beneficial effects .
What do you like about being a natural medicine practitioner ? I like the wholistic results evident from client feedback . .
What advice would you give to a new practitioner starting out ? I ’ d advise new practitioners to build up a support network of peers and mentors .
What are your future ambitions ? I hope to continue assisting clients with natural health care and expand my knowledge base within the industry .
What are your reflections on the present state of the natural medicine profession and its future direction ? Presently natural medicine professions continue in popularity , allowing in time , a wider demographic to become familiar with natural medicine . This can only enhance their usage in the healthcare industry .
JATMS | Autumn 2022 | 35