By Alex R. Thiersch, JD, CEO of the American Med Spa Association (AmSpa)

Opening any business involves numerous complications that are difficult to predict and prepare for, but opening a medical spa is significantly more complicated than creating most other types of businesses. After all, a medical spa requires high-level business acumen, a thorough understanding of local medical rules and regulations, and dedicated, properly trained employees in order to succeed.

That's a tall order when you're just starting out, but help is available. If you find yourself overwhelmed by the obstacles in your way, you may want to attend one of AmSpa's Medical Aesthetic Boot Camps. Early-bird registration for the Chicago Boot Camp—which takes place at the Chicago Marriott Southwest at Burr Ridge on May 4 – 5—ends at 11:59 p.m. EST on April 4, so if you're near the Windy City and want to learn more about how to make your medical spa a success from day one, you can do so at a discounted rate until then.

Develop a Business Plan

Creating a detailed business plan is a vital step for any prospective business, and a medical aesthetics practice needs to address an unusual number of issues. Where will the business be located? How will it be designed? What will set it apart from its competition? How will you go about recruiting talented employees? What will you do to attract patients? What types of patients do you wish to attract? All these questions and many more will need to be addressed at the earliest stages of your business' development.

Learn About Compliance

New medical spa owners might not know much about the rules and regulations they'll be expected to follow when they enter the medical aesthetic industry, but it is important that they learn as quickly as possible. The "medical" part of the equation makes operating a medical spa much more complex than it would be if it was simply offering aesthetic services such as facials and manicures. The practice's ownership structure must be developed in accordance with state laws, and that's just the start—all medical treatments must be performed with proper supervision, and all marketing must be conducted with special attention paid to patient privacy and other factors. Regulations vary from state to state, so there is no one way to approach this, but it is extremely important that you develop an understanding of what is expected of a compliant practice.

Plan for the Future

The medical aesthetic industry is constantly changing, and understanding the metrics that provide the best insight into medical spa success can help keep you ahead of the curve. It is also important to learn how to efficiently operate and maintain the value of your practice. Your practice is about to become your life, so you need to know what you can do to make it as healthy as possible for as long as possible. And while you probably won't want to think too much about your exit strategy while you're opening your practice, it's probably worth having that conversation with your partners, financial consultants and attorneys, as well.

These topics and many more are addressed at AmSpa's Medical Aesthetics Boot Camps. If you are preparing to open a practice, it's certainly worth your while to attend one near you. Early-bird pricing for the Chicago Boot Camp can be secured until 11:59 p.m. on April 4, so if you want to attend, click here to register. If you can't attend the Chicago Boot Camp, keep in mind that subsequent 2019 Boot Camp events are scheduled for Atlanta, Seattle, Dallas, New York and Orlando; early-bird pricing is available for all of these events right now, so sign up today.