Next up in camexpo’s Q&A series is Helen Bullen, osteopath and founder of award winning multi-healthcare clinic Fine Fettle. Ahead of her Business Clinic at the show, Helen shares her top tips to running a successful complementary health clinic.
Over the last 13 years, Helen has gained experience teaching osteopaths, sports therapists and sports masseurs. Since opening in 2010, Fine Fettle has won multiple awards, including camexpo’s UK Clinic of the Year in 2014.
Who or what has been the biggest influence on your career?
The person that has been the biggest influence in my career is an easy question to answer. Although there are many people that have influenced my career the person that stands out most is my colleague and friend Melanie Coutinho. Melanie is an Osteopath who I met when she was Principal of the Surrey Institute of Osteopathic Medicine (SIOM).
I started my teaching at SIOM after been asked back by Melanie in 2003 who consistently encouraged me to achieve high. She believed in my ability more than I did at the time and recognised my potential, and I can’t thank her enough for that. Melanie is still the person I look to for support in anything I do. Her words are often “don’t be stupid, of course you can do it” and her voice rings in my mind, in whatever I do.
What do you love most about your work?
In truth I love it all! I love working for myself and the variety I have in my work; from running a large multi-healthcare practice, teaching, working for GOsC and of course treating my patients. Variety is the spice of life, as they say!
I am very proud of my clinic and the team I have built there. Without my fantastic team of therapists and reception staff, my work life would be very different. I am under no illusions that my clinic has succeeded, not just because of the hard work I put in, but also due to their hard work and dedication. Not many people can say they love going to work, and I can honestly say I do.
What are the biggest challenges in running a multi-discipline clinic?
I think initially the biggest challenges which come after the efforts of setting up a clinic is the control of cash flow and plain hard work. No one prepares you for all the little extra costs of setting up your own business, and in the early years cash flow can mean make or break for your business. When I started Fine Fettle, I worked over 60+ hours per week taking very little salary for myself. Planning prior to starting out is key to this and something that I emphasise to therapists starting out on their own.
Marketing can be tricky when you start out and often as therapists we are not taught marketing on our courses, rather we are left to work it out when we graduate. I made many mistakes and often expensive ones, but I soon learned what worked and what didn’t, and surprisingly the best marketing is often free or very low cost. It was a steep and expensive learning curve for me.
Your clinic has won multiple awards, including camexpo’s Clinic of the Year 2014, what are your top three tips for success?
1. Exemplary customer care at all times. Good is not enough, you have to strive to make the whole experience of someone visiting your clinic the best they have ever had. The best marketing is a client’s word of mouth.
2. Create an excellent team of highly qualifed therapists and reception staff and treat them well.
3. Take time to work “on” your business as well as working “in” your business as a therapist. You will need to take time out to do marketing, manage staff, and ensure high quality of everything you do.
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