Mindset: Starting Your Own Aesthetics Business

Dr Kalpna Pindolia has a broad field of experience when it comes to aesthetic medicine. In addition to being our director of education, she is also a mentor, a practising cosmetic doctor at STORY Marylebone and has previously set up and run her own aesthetics business. She is also a qualified life coach.

As a mine of fantastic practical, inspirational and motivational insights, we asked her to share some of her wisdom with us.

Here, Dr Kal gives you her top 10 pieces of advice for getting your mindset right when starting your own aesthetics business.

Starting your own aesthetics business by Dr Kalpna Pindolia

Six years down the line after starting my career in aesthetic medicine, I’d say the business side has been my steepest learning curve.

Setting up an aesthetics business was, for me, really exciting but also scary because it’s not something I was familiar with.

“How do I start after investing in my course?” is often a source of concern for many new injectors beginning their journey in aesthetics. Having your own business can be one way to do so. I’ve seen many graduates succeed with thriving businesses over time. It’s a great way to release your inner entrepreneur and have control over how you practice!

Here are my top tips for starting your own aesthetics practice with a special focus on getting your mindset right

1 Work with the resources you have

Try not to focus on perfection when you first start – work with the resources you have. Perfectionism can sometimes prevent us from progressing, so just go for it!

2 Develop a business plan and focus on small goals

Develop a business plan, even if it’s really short. That way you can revisit your vision every so often to ensure you’re progressing. Often you’ll be put off by big goals, so really focus on those small goals that you can achieve every day. That way, when you look back you’ll see you’ve made real progress.

3 Understand the cost of each treatment

Try to get a good understanding of how much each treatment you offer costs to deliver. Harley Academy students have access to a treatment price calculator spreadsheet which can be used to assess this.

4 Avoid offering discounts on treatments

Try not to discount treatments. Friends and family should be supporting you by paying full price for any treatments they receive. Also, you may find they then expect on-going discounts… This applies to anyone you may discount treatments for.

5 Prioritise what you can and can’t do

Prioritise what you can and can’t do. This might be things like delegating elements of the business, such as accounting, to an outside specialist; it could be investing in a cleaner so you can free up that time to focus on other things.

6 Use empathy throughout your practice

Apart from using empathy in your clinical consultations, it’s also important to use it in your marketing. Make a human connection. For example, sharing a picture of a device doesn’t tell people what it does or how it could work for them.

7 Be authentic and make patients feel valued

Be authentic. Be you. It’s not about selling treatments, it’s about what’s appropriate for the person who comes to you. Give them the benefit of your honest, expert advice. Always approach interactions from this point of view, rather than from a sales angle. Also, instead of focusing on short term transactions, remember to pay attention to long-term client retention. Make patients feel valued so they become longstanding customers for your aesthetics business.

8 Believe in yourself and don’t compare yourself to others

It’s not so much about believing in yourself as a medical professional delivering treatments, which is important. It’s about really, truly believing that you’re the best person to deliver them through basic self-confidence. Also, don’t compare yourself to others you often see either in real life or on Instagram, talking about their successes. A lot of things go on in the background that you don’t see or hear about so don’t worry about this. Focus on yourself.

9 Expanding your comfort zone

Try to push your comfort zone sometimes. Like many people, I don’t like filming videos but the more I do, the more comfortable they get. Keep videos short and then you can progress. This can be applied to any task.

10 Remember fear is normal!

Finally, remember that fear is normal when you’re starting something new. It’s a new business and there are risks involved in terms of investment. Network, talk to people and you’ll get there.

Success in aesthetic medicine is entirely achievable. It is certainly hard work, but by conquering the challenges, using your broad skill set and taking hold of the opportunity, you can build the work/life balance you want to achieve whilst moving forward with your medical career.