Start and Grow a Profitable Botox®, Aesthetic Medicine or Medical Weight Management Practice​

Starting A Profitable Medical Weight Management Practice​​

Adding a medical weight loss program to your practice can be daunting. Use our tried & tested field guide to help you launch successfully! In this guide, you will learn:
  • Tips and strategies for marketing
  • Regulations you need to consider
  • Certifications and training
  • Resources for pharmacies, suppliers and equipment
  • What’s needed for a profitable program
  • … and more!
female physician with male patient on medical scale.

Starting A Profitable Medical Weight Management Practice

Resources to help you launch a successful medical weigh loss program more quickly & easily!

Your Guide to Starting a Profitable Medical Weight Loss Clinic

Explore this easy-to-follow guide from bottom-line factors to trends affecting the industry...

It’s no secret that obesity is on the rise, and everywhere you look, people are looking for new and effective ways to lose those pounds.

Fad diets saturate the internet, weight loss books line the shelves of the local libraries and book stores, and nutritional supplements offer supposed fast and “easy” solutions to your woes.

Providing advice and coaching people on how to lose weight has now become a multi-billion-dollar industry. You can capitalize on this lucractive industry by starting your own medical weight loss program.

There are weight loss clinic/program franchises out there and available for purchase, as well as strategies on how to go the small business route instead of purchasing a franchise.

However, before you choose which business option is right for you, there are some key factors that you should consider.

First of all, you will need to decide whether an independent weight loss clinic or a franchise option is the right fit for you.

If you are currently practicing medicine in some capacity, more often than not, an independent weight loss clinic is the right option for you.

Anyone already practicing medicine in some capacity will likely find more success extending their practice with an independent option for their patients. 

The franchise option is often the choice for those who are not medical doctors, but instead maybe professionals, nurses or other healthcare professionals.

Whether you choose to add medically supervised weight loss to your existing practice, or the purchase of a weight loss franchise, there are pros and cons involved in each. 

Overall, with both options, you need to be familiar with selling your idea and or/ regime to potential customers and give customer satisfaction in order to see a return on your investment.

Learn to Start a Profitable Aesthetics Practice in Just 4-Days!

October 18-21
December 6-9
January 17-20

in sunny Scottsdale, AZ

Make More. Work Less.

Start your transitioning to aesthetic medicine and learn everything you need to grow a profitable aesthetics practice in just 4-days! 

Dates: December 6-9
January 17-20
March 28-31
June 6-9

Scottsdale, AZ

Only $4,195*
(Reg. $7,500. Save $3,605!)
Earn 33.5 CMEs

*Members preferred price for 4-day accelerated program. Save $3,605! Membership is only $295/yr and can be added during registration.

Your Practice Startup Guide Starts Here

Patient & Practice Materials

Every successful medical weight loss practice includes a customized weight loss package for your patients.

Detailed patient guidebooks can help guide your patients along their weight loss journey and make it easier for them to understand your program. 

You will also save yourself a lot of time answering questions with the right patient guidebooks!

The IAPAM has created Clean Start Weight Loss® patient books for you, so you can include them in your medical weight loss program. 

Members, access your discounted pricing in the IAPAM Member Portal.

Not a member? Use this online ordering form.  

Or consider becoming a member and save 30-50% on every order! If you order 20 or more patient guidebooks or kits, your membership pays for itself! 

Join today

Clean Start Weight Loss Ketogenic Intermittent Fasting Program

Clean Start "Quick Start" Package

Cut down the time it takes to get your new ketogenic/intermittent fasting medical weight management practice up and running with the Clean Start “Quick Start” Practice Startup Package!

The following package includes everything you need to get started quickly: 

  • 25 English Clean Start Weight Loss® Ketogenic/Intermittent Fasting Patient Books (value $400)
  • Online Clean Start Weight Loss® Ketogenic/Intermittent Fasting Patient Course – 1-Year Subscription – (value $995)

  • Practice Training Program -Online Clean Start Weight Loss® Ketogenic/Intermittent Fasting course and drug therapy for your entire team (1-year, value $995/ea)

  • Practice Implementation Program Course – Includes: phone scripts, procedures for: consultations, 1st patient visit, weekly follow-up consultations. (1-year, value $1,495)

  • Unlimited Practice Support – for 90-days (value $995)

Weight Loss Brands, Compounding & Supplements

Strive Pharmacy

Contact:
Tamara
Phone: 480-626-4366
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.strivepharmacy.com

Weight Loss Supplements

Vitamin & Supplements Providers

Thorne Supplements
Contact: Morgan Seidel
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 
843-408-6857

Supplement Providers

Pure Encapsulations
www.pureencapsulations.com

Klaire Labs (they also private label)
www.klaire.com

Metagenics
www.metagenics.com

Multiple Brands Supplement Services:

Emerson Ecologics

www.emersonecologics.com

FullScript
www.fullscript.com

Medical Weight Loss Practice Equipment

Body Composition Analyzer (BIA) Scale

InBody
Bradley Davie
(562) 414-8763
[email protected]
www.Inbody.com

Body Contouring & Sculpting

Physiq by Cartessa Aesthetics
Tom Merolla
(303) 868-0250
[email protected]
www.cartessaaesthetics.com

Digital Marketing Resources

Patient Marketing

PatientPop
Matt Kervin, Director of Strategic Partnerships
(323) 370-0071
[email protected]
www.iapam.com/patientpop

Website Design, PPC & SEO Management

Authentic Marketing Solutions
John David Jessome
(877) 490-7772
[email protected]
www.iapam.com/AMSagency

Email Marketing Service

Medical Weight Loss Practice Management Resources

Practice EMR Software

PatientNow

Audrey Neff
(407) 793-9254
[email protected]
www.patientnow.com

Medical Malpractice Insurance

Professional Program Insurance Brokerage

Joanna Deignan
(415) 475-4300
[email protected]
www.ppibcorp.com

Practice & Equipment Financing

Bankers Healthcare Group

Scott Brennan, 315-256-9748
[email protected]

Are Weight Loss Clinics Profitable?

The short answer is… Yes! There are many profitable medical weight loss clinics operating around the country.

Like any business, a medical weight loss clinic can absolutely be profitable – so long as you have set yourself up with a winning formula and a medical weight loss program that really works.

You’ll need a good business model, marketing plan and patient retention strategy as well as a system for tracking your revenue and expenses to make sure you’re profitable.

With the right package to offer your patients, you could see anywhere from
$100,000-$900,000/year (10-80 patients/month).

Pros of Extending Onto Your Current Practice

  • No relocation to a franchise-operating facility
  • Already existing relationships with your patients that would facilitate the new treatments
  • No franchise start-up fees
  • Freedom to run your business as you see fit, as opposed to following strict franchise parameters

Cons of Extending Onto Your Current Practice

  • Marketing support not as comprehensive as with a franchise (Social Media posting is very important in a practice but it is very time-consuming therefore you will want to invest in a Social Media service to post to your platforms.
  • Outsourcing your Social Media Marketing will help with your practice engagement and is a great ROI.)
  • Branding not as comprehensive or integrated as with a franchise
  • Weaker support system

Pros of Purchasing a Franchise

  • Franchises offer support systems and teams that are available to support you and your business on a daily basis
  • Franchises offer comprehensive training and operations guidelines
  • Full advertising and marketing support
  • Brand recognition

Cons of Purchasing a Franchise

  • Can be costly with start-up fees and there can be royalty fees payable to the franchisee
  • You’ll have less decision making freedom, as most franchises have to operate under certain parameters of the overall business
  • Possibility of poor franchise choice, meaning ultimate failure of the business
  • Be aware of failure! New franchises have a high failure rate, just like new businesses. Many weight loss franchises have gone out of business, including Thinique, which left 100’s of franchise owners with nothing!

Overall, it is important to observe all factors in order to carefully determine which type of business is the best match for you and your skills. 

Once you have decided which option is the right fit, you can get started and begin helping your patients make their weight loss dreams a reality!

Whether you decided to go independently by adding weight loss to an existing practice, starting a stand-alone medically supervised weight loss clinic, or to purchase a franchise, you’re probably wondering what’s next.

This is why we created the Clean Start Weight Loss® program

It has a turnkey system and all of the resources so you can easily implement it into your current practice. And it doesn’t have any franchise fees

One thing that is critical, is to ensure you have a solid program to offer your patients. 

The IAPAM’s Clean Start Weight Loss program has treated over 80,000 patients with a safe, reliable weight loss program. 

The creator of the program, IAPAM Executive-Director Jeff Russell, says “for the most part physicians don’t need a franchise model, all they need is an easy to follow medically supervised weight loss program to offer their patients. 

Which is the reason we created the Clean Start Weight Loss program, with physicians and healthcare prescribers in mind!”

How to Market the Weight Loss Program

Many of you are likely already in the health care profession, maybe as a physician, PA, NP, RN or as a fitness and nutrition specialist.  

Either way, you are now in the business of selling a product and/or service to a customer, and in order to be successful, you need to provide the best quality and experience to your patients as possible so that they continue to come back to your practice!

It is important to first identify how you will advertise your new weight loss program so you can get those prospective patients in the door. 

This may be new for physicians and healthcare providers, but market research is key. 

If you are a franchisee, these parameters are likely already laid out for you. In either case, consider the following marketing materials:

If you are a current physician (or healthcare provider) that is extending onto your practice:

  • Signage or posters throughout your office/neighborhood to advertise your new services
  • Mail and email to current customers
  • Verbal discussion with current patients
  • An online marketing plan
If you are a franchisee:
  • All marketing materials are usually provided to you through the franchise start-up fees
  • Existing franchise brand recognition should help you reach prospective clients

It can be overwhelming making all of these marketing decisions!  The IAPAM has a program that gets rid of the guesswork and brings you targeted patients from people who are searching for your services on Google.

Next, it is important to examine what weight loss programs you will offer to your patients, and how that will set you apart from the competition. 

It is important to be able to determine the proper diet program for your clientele to ensure customer satisfaction and a return on your investment. 

You want to only offer a program that has successfully treated 1,000’s of patients. Some ideas of what to offer may include:

  • Several differing weight loss programs, such as low carb, medically supervised hormone injections, low fat, etc.
  • A medical evaluation to give you the ability to steer your patients into the appropriate weight loss program. Such evaluations may include a comprehensive medical screening, evaluating the client’s medical history, a blood chemistry analysis, and body fat analysis, to determine the proper diet program
  • One on one support with a medical or healthcare professional during the duration of the program
  • Behavioral guidance to help the client make the lifestyle changes necessary to adhere to the program
  • A maintenance plan for after the client has reached their weight loss goal
  • Food and dietary supplement products, such as nutrition bars, meal replacement shakes, vitamin and mineral supplements, and even thermogenic supplements

All of these criteria, as well as a solid understanding of your clientele, and a realistic business plan should set you up for success in this profitable industry. 

Once your systems are in place, it’s up to you to create the most successful business possible! Whether you are supported through a franchise or independently going at it on your own, people are always looking to be healthier and thinner, so you can’t lose!

Why You Should Train with the IAPAM

You have limited time and training dollars and should choose a program that is going to give you the most value and return for your investment. 

IAPAM offers an Aesthetic Medicine Symposium which includes botox training, aesthetic medicine training and a weight loss program.

Check out these medical weight loss reviews, botox reviews and aesthetic training reviews from our symposiums.

Medical Weight Loss Reviews

“Very thorough review of weight loss program  and how this might be integrated into a clinical practice.  Was well worth it!” ~ W. Hudson, MD

[The topic of most importance to me was] choosing appropriate clients for Clean Start Weight Loss.  Liked the program and presentations.” ~ A. Kohli, MD

The IAPAM’s Clean Start Weight Loss Training showed me how it was “safe to start a diet program” in my practice. ~ T. Nguyen, DO

“The Clean Start Weight Loss Training [was of most interest to me] because it is easy to start or add to a practice. It was excellent and very informative.”  B. Ramirez, MD

“Jeff is a fantastic speaker!  He gives a lot of very useful information in a very entertaining way.  He is very open and easily approachable.  He has made sitting in a conference….much more enjoyable.  Coming to this program was money well invested.” ~  V. Perez-McArthur, DO

“The [IAPAM Clean Start Weight Loss] program is not hard to do safely, or to implement….and it is a 5 star value for money and time.  The IAPAM answered ALL my questions.”

“That diet works.  To date, my only exposure was to homeopathic ….. “selling” this approach.  I had a very negative view of this approach.  Not so anymore.” ~ Dr. J. Magauran, MD

 

About the IAPAM

Since 2006, we have helped more than 10,000 licensed medical providers earn more and work less with our training programs.

We are the only Aesthetic Medicine training program available that has three board certified cosmetic dermatologists on their teaching faculty (and we actually list them on our website!).

 Ensuring you learn from true experts of the skin.

We cover 4 aesthetic medicine practice areas: cosmetic injectables, laser/light, skin care (cosmeceuticals & chemical peels), along with the required business skills. 

Without knowledge of all 4 areas, you will not make any significant money in the aesthetic medicine industry.

We provide both enduring and on-going practice support. 

It is very important that you have continuing support in order to be successful.

Medical Weight Management Ebook Cover

Launch Your Profitable Medical Weight Management Program

Learn how you can add a profitable medical weight management program to your practice with this free resource!