Are you a medical spa owner looking to optimize your business?

Valued at US $5.6 billion in 2023, the U.S. medical spa market is expected to grow 15.20% from 2024 to 2033. Undoubtedly, the medical spa industry is a profitable space, but the key to success is having a solid business plan in place, one that will help you steer and grow your medical spa business in the right direction.  

This may sound like a lot of work. However, creating a medical spa business plan is not as hard as you may think. Read on to learn why a business plan is important, which key elements to include in your medical spa business plan, and how you can create the perfect plan for your medical spa business.

Why do you need a business plan for a medical spa?

The main reason for a medical spa to have a business plan is to drive profitability, and to course-correct if your business isn’t headed in the right direction.  

The medical spa business plan is your North Star. It gives you direction, guidance, stability, and purpose. It also helps you through each phase, as you start and manage your medical spa business. Your business plan can guide you on how to structure, and grow your business. It can give you a clear picture of how your business will function so you can plan to achieve your milestones strategically.

With a solid business plan, you also increase your chances of getting funding or joining hands with like-minded business partners. When investors see a well-researched plan in place, they can be more confident of getting a return on their investment. The plan allows them to gauge your capability to operate your medical spa business successfully and professionally.  

Check out this FREE business plan template and unlock growth for your medical spa business.

How to write a business plan for a medical spa

Here are the key elements of a medical spa business plan and what should be included in each section.

1. Industry analysis

Begin with an overview of the medical spa industry. Extensive research is a way to educate yourself, so you gain a better understanding of the medical spa industry, adding conviction and a sense of your expertise.

Provide facts and figures for key details such as industry size, market size for your medical spa, and a growth forecast over the next 5-10 years. Also include data on industry trends, factors affecting the industry, key competitors, and suppliers.  

Industry analyses for the med spa business plan are best done using any of these models:

  1. Competitive forces model (Porter’s 5 forces) – One of the most popular for industry analysis, this model covers five forces for an accurate impression of the industry and makes analysis easier. 

    The five forces are: rivalry among existing competitors, threat of new entrants, bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers, and threat of substitute products or services.
  1. Broad factors analysis (PEST analysis) – PEST (Political, Economic, Social, Technological) analysis is a useful framework for analyzing the external environment of a firm.
  1. SWOT analysis – SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) is another popular method of industry analysis, to gauge the impact of these factors on a business.
  1. The McKinsey 7-S framework – This model analyzes organizational effectiveness, ensuring all components, such as strategy, structure, shared values, and skills are aligned.  

2. Company analysis

In this segment, provide details on the kind of medical spa you plan to operate. For instance, is it more of a traditional spa, with some services requiring medical supervision? Or do all services provided by your medical spa business require medical personnel to supervise and perform them?

In addition, provide a background of your business. Add information such as when and why you started the medical spa business, significant milestones achieved, and the legal structure of your business.

3. Customer analysis

Elaborate on your customer profile, either existing or target. Outline the desired customer segments, their demographics, and psychographic profiles.  

Demographics must include parameters such as age groups, gender, geographic locations, and income levels of the customers you serve or seek to serve.  

Psychographic profiling explains the needs and wants of your target customers. The more detailed the information, the better you understand your target customers.

The quality of your market research will determine how accurately you profile your target customers.  

Market research calls for various methods such as:

  1. Face-to-face interviews – One-to-one Q&A sessions are most useful when collecting a large amount of information from a small sample of subjects, or while speaking to an expert.
  1. Focus group discussions – This method gathers data from a small group of people who are often subject matter experts. 
  1. Survey research – Conducted online using survey tools, this type of research offers a convenient and cost-effective solution for larger populations.

Nowadays, a lot of this research can also be done online, making the process more convenient and efficient. Use a judicious combination of these research methods to get the best results.  

4. Competitive analysis

Include information on your direct and indirect competition, focusing more on the former. Direct competitors are other medical spas in your chosen segment. Indirect competition includes traditional spas or home treatments.

Provide more details on your direct competitors, which are typically other medical spas in your catchment area. Document their services, the customers they serve, their pricing, and their strengths and weaknesses, as perceived by their customers.

This section should also detail your competitive advantage, whether it’s the range of services, quality of products, the special techniques you use, your competitive pricing, or exceptional customer service.

Some of the best competitor analysis frameworks are:

  1. Porter’s five forces – Using the model (explained above, under industry analysis), this time in the context of competitive analysis.  
  1. SWOT analysis – Analyzing the strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats of each of your competitors.
  1. Perceptual mapping – Using a price-benefit positioning map to see, how your product compares with competitors in a market. 
  1. Strategic group analysis -– Evaluating the performance of other companies with characteristics similar to yours, to help you identify lucrative business opportunities. Learn how to draft a strategic group map.
  1. Marketing mix/7 Ps model – In addition to the 4 Ps of product, place, price, and promotion, this model considers the following three Ps: people, process, and physical evidence.

5. Marketing plan

This segment details the 4Ps of the marketing plan for your medical spa business. Use this section to provide detailed information on your product offering, pricing plans, location information, and how those specific locations impact your business, most importantly, your promotions. The promotion plans for your medical spa business can detail how you intend to drive customers to your business, whether through traditional marketing, digital promotions, or a mix of both.  

Apart from the models and frameworks mentioned in previous sections, here are some of the more popular models to help frame your medical spa business marketing plan:

  1. STP marketing model – STP stands for segmentation, targeting, and positioning of customers, to make appropriate marketing plans. This model can help a medical spa business identify ways to compete more effectively.  
  1. AIDA – This model features the four stages of buying: Awareness, Interest, Desire, Action.
  1. Ansoff matrix – Use the 2x2 grid with four strategies to grow your business and analyze potential risks.
  1. Product life cycle – Examine the four stages (introduction, growth, maturity, and decline) to develop new products, refine existing ones, and recognize when it’s time to discontinue a product.
  1. The McKinsey 7-S framework – Strategy, structure, systems, styles, staff, skills, and shared values impact business success because they drive an organization’s ability to stay agile through change.

6. Operational plan

This section provides details on specific, daily, short-term tasks and processes required to meet business goals. In other words, it covers what you will do on a day-to-day basis to run your medical spa business. It should also talk about the long-term goals you plan to achieve.

7. Management team

The med spa business plan should showcase the strength of your management team and inspire confidence in them with the help of a business proposal showcasing your strengths. This team will underpin the successful running of your med spa business, so make good use of this section of the plan to highlight their backgrounds, key skills, and experience as vital to business growth.

If your medical spa has an advisory board that mentors your business and gives strategic guidance, include those details as well. This will help strengthen the profile of your management team.

8. Financial plan

Arguably, the financial plan is the most important section of the med spa business plan, as most everything boils down to hard numbers when gauging business viability. Your financial plan statements should include five-year projections of your income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements. Use extensive research to root such assumptions in reality, a worthwhile effort to create a convincing business plan.

9. Appendix

All financial statements and supporting documents live in this section, to make the med spa business plan realistic and more compelling.

10. Executive summary

This section is typically written last, even if your medical spa business plan will open with the executive summary. It gives readers a bird’s-eye view your med spa business plan. It should quickly engage the reader, providing a brief overview of each section, while piquing their interest for details.

Conclusion

Putting together a detailed, well-researched business plan for your medical spa business is the backbone of success. Such a plan can help you become an expert in launching and growing your medical spa business.  

As you create your business plan, give thought to the software platform you’ll use to manage your medical spa. The award-winning Zenoti platform offers HIPAA-compliant, modern medical spa management software, serving as a vital technology partner for fast-growing medspa brands like VIO Med Spa and Removery.

With its cutting-edge EMR software, Zenoti helps your medical spa business communicate with clients quickly and efficiently, streamlines POS payment processing, and provides a superior customer experience.

Download the free medical spa business cost calculator from Zenoti for a comprehensive analysis of expenses, real-world projections, and other customizable features to hit the ground running and achieve sustainable growth.

Explore the benefits of Zenoti software for growing medical spa businesses.

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Joydip Ghosh
Sr. Director, Digital Marketing
Joydip specializes in helping brands craft compelling messaging that resonates with their audience, always prioritizing customer interests. He leverages strategic insight to enhance brand communication effectively.
Joydip Ghosh
Sr. Director, Digital Marketing
Joydip specializes in helping brands craft compelling messaging that resonates with their audience, always prioritizing customer interests. He leverages strategic insight to enhance brand communication effectively.

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