Pricing Your Services
It is a tough dilemma, but what do you charge for your services in order to stay competitive yet make a profit?
Determine your overhead. Know what it costs you to operate your business--from turning on lights, to office supplies to personnel if you have. If you have a patient-based practice, how much money do you need to make per month to at least break even? From what you calculated, what is the going rate in your area and divide by this number in order to determine how many patients that you need to see per month. You may need to ask other dietitian practitioners or call local hospitals for this information.
But what about profit? Ok, so you know what you need to break even. How many patients do you need to see to put money in your pocket? Have you determined your yearly financial goal? With this number in mind, back your consultation rate into this number to get a new figure for how many patients that you need to see per month.
What if these numbers are not realistic?
Ultimately, you need to feel comfortable with what you are charging. In my very first year of private practice, I raised my fees four times! The raise came each time my comfort level increased. The fee finally leveled out and then a small increase was tacked on yearly.
Insurance or cash?
Always a sticky question. Do you want volume or a way to get your money up front? Can you have the best of both worlds? The answer is "yes." In a tough economy, your patients may want to access their insurance. As you develop a niche and are more confident that what you have to give has value, you will exude this and at some point may not need to depend solely on insurance. The ideal situation is to have the best of both worlds.
These are just a few tips for growing your successful business!
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Do you have a great idea for your business, but feel stuck?
Are you fearful about taking the first step?
...That the economy will hurt your business?... That your clients won't pay you, ask for a refund and how you ask for money in the first place?
Are you unsure of how to market your business effectively?
If you answered YES to any of these questions, you need our NEW Private Practice, Getting That Jump Start teleseminar series beginning in January!
 Connect with Beverly Price on Linkedin and join her Regisered Dietitian Business Owners Group! |
| About Beverly Price, RD, MA, E-RYT |
 Beverly Price is a Registered Dietitian, author, newspaper columnist and public speaker who made a name for herself with her unique approach to nutrition counseling. After 11 years in private practice, she sold Living Better Sensibly-- one of the largest private nutrition practices in the country- to a private nutrition consulting firm, and started Jump Start Consulting specializing in management and marketing strategies for dietitians and other health-care professionals, along with distance learning products for continuing professional education. Beverly currently operates a private practice, in Royal Oak, Michigan, where she specializes in eating disorder recovery and yoga therapy. |
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Sign up for:
Private Practice, Getting That Jump Start Teleseminar series TODAY!
Wednesdays, January 12th, 19th, 26th and February 2nd
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What a seminar! So valuable...No dietitian should go into private practice without it!
-Lauren Balkin Cohen, MS, RD, CDN, New York, NY
 Jump Start, Getting that Jump Start, Private Practice Getting that Jump Start and gettingthatjumpstart.com are all registered trademarks of Jump Start Consulting, LLC. All articles are copyrighted and property of Jump Start Consulting, LLC. |
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