By Taylor Siemens, NP-C

As we continue to hear the rumblings of a recession and are faced with a turbulent economy, evaluating the services in your medical spa practice can be a strategic decision to streamline your business. Use this opportunity to focus on your strengths and enhance profitability. The goal is to create a clear and concise menu of services that is easy for clients to understand while protecting your business from unnecessary expense and wasting resources. It is important to avoid emotional responses, and instead use data to make decisions for your business. Focus on providing the treatments that differentiate your practice and contribute the most to client satisfaction, outcomes and business success.

Before you begin to evaluate your services, establish clear criteria for cutting offerings. This may include factors such as low demand, low profitability, high operational costs, lack of differentiation or services that are not in line with your brand or target audience. Having objective criteria will help you make informed decisions and avoid an emotional or personal influence in your evaluations. Other factors you may consider are service popularity and client feedback. Conducting client reviews or surveys can be a helpful way to identify any recurring themes or areas where your services may be falling short. This insight can help you prioritize which services to cut or modify. Input from your staff members, particularly those directly involved in providing the services, can offer valuable insights into the challenges, resource requirements and customer preferences associated with each service. Their perspectives can help inform your decisions. Be mindful to use your established evaluation criteria to mitigate emotions or biases from swaying your resolutions.

Once you have created your potential list of streamlined service offerings, group similar services together to create categories. For example, you might have categories such as facial treatments, body treatments, injectables, laser treatments and wellness services. This helps to organize and simplify your offerings. Within each category, review the services and identify any that are similar or overlapping. Consider consolidating or removing services that are redundant or less popular. Aim for a concise menu that highlights your most effective and sought-after treatments.

Once the proposed list is set, look at your pricing and consider revising the pricing structure and packages. Create packages that combine complimentary services to simplify the decision-making process for patients and encourage them to try multiple treatments. Yes, this aids the business, but it also enhances the results for your clients. Make sure to clearly outline the services included in each package and any cost savings for your client.

Once you have a plan in place for your changes, it's crucial to communicate this change to your clients. Notify them in advance through various channels such as your website, social media platforms, email newsletters or in-person conversations. Provide explanations for the changes and offer alternative options or recommendations. After making the cuts, closely monitor the impact on your business. Assess customer response, revenue and profitability to determine if the changes have been successful. Be prepared to make further adjustments if necessary.

Remember, cutting services is a strategic decision, and it's important to strike a balance between meeting client needs and focusing on your core strengths. Regularly review and reassess your service offerings to adapt to market demands and ensure long-term business success.

Taylor Siemens, NP-C, has been in the medical aesthetics space for six years, working with some of the best plastic surgeons in Dallas. She is currently the clinical director of Vitalyc Medspa. Siemens is recognized for her work with laser resurfacing procedures and is passionate about cosmetic injectables and other anti-aging modalities. She practices under the philosophy that “the best injectable is the least detectable,” and she empowers her clients to age on their own terms.

Learn more about how to run an efficient aesthetic practice when you attend an AmSpa Medical Spa Boot Camp. Next up is Boston, which takes place this weekend, July 14 – 17. Click here for more information about this and future Boot Camps.