How to Open a Med Spa in New York

Looking to open your own Medical Spa practice in New York?

We can help you get started.

Who can own a medical spa or IV hydration business in New York?

New York prohibits the corporate practice of medicine (CPOM), meaning only licensed physicians and certain nurse practitioners with the correct education and training can own and operate a medical or professional nursing practice in New York.
Non-physicians and others who do not meet New York’s qualifications for owning a professional practice can participate in the day-to-day operations of a medical spa by owning a management services organization (MSO) to help manage the business and administrative side of the medical practice.

Think of a name for your business. Your name will be your identity in the aesthetic world, and you want it to be recognizable. You’ll want to create a logo as well, and make sure both your name and logo are trademarked. Here at Lengea, we can help you with federal trademarks and filing your legal paperwork with New York State

Crafting Your Vision

Create your business plan, and put your vision into writing. State clearly what you want to accomplish: this will help you determine the type of services you will offer, the facilities you need, the staff you will recruit and the overall brand identity you have. Make your plan specific and include details on how to obtain financing and how your business will generate profit.

1

Navigating Licensing Requirements

Create your business plan, and put your vision into writing. State clearly what you want to accomplish: this will help you determine the type of services you will offer, the facilities you need, the staff you will recruit and the overall brand identity you have. Make your plan specific and include details on how to obtain financing and how your business will generate profit.

2

Hire Qualified Medical Professionals

Find the medical professionals you need for the services you offer, if you’re not a medical professional yourself. Interview candidates and determine their experience in the aesthetic world, then make your hires. Ensure each staff member understands the spa’s vision and their role in carrying it out.

3

Choose Suitable Office Space

Find an office that meets the needs of your spa, and provides the space for the services you’ll offer. In NYC, most of the time you’re struggling to find enough space for your spa without taking out a second mortgage. Find out more about spa office space needs on this page.

4

Create Service Protocols

Develop your treatment menu, and work with your staff and your attorney to develop protocols for each service on the treatment menu. The decisions you make on what services you offer will determine the products needed to purchase for you business, and what legal requirements your business will need to meet.

5

Acquire Essential Equipment and Products

Purchase the equipment and products necessary for your spa and the services you’ll provide. The needs of each spa vary greatly, and it all depends on what you plan on doing. Wondering what equipment a medical spa should buy? Take a peek here.

6

Launch and Promote Your Spa

Start networking, advertise your spa, and get ready for opening! Consider holding a grand opening event that coincides with a community event, where you can have a booth, pass out fliers, and offer promotions.

7

Leverage Social Media Marketing

Get yourself out there on social media. Social media is an important marketing channel that helps you connect with your clients at a personal level. Using social media to engage with your customers has become a way of life for businesses, and most customers expect that as well. Continually post content that is unique and informative to new visitors, and this will attract new clients for you. For most medical spas in New York, the best social media sites are Instagram and Facebook.

8

Launch Online Booking System

Make sure your booking is live, and you’re officially open! Offering online booking for your Med Spa increases your reach, since customers will find it convenient and you’ll get more business. With a page on your website that lists the available time slots for every service, your customers can pick the one that suits them and book at any time. Then watch the customers come in!

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Do nurse practitioners have full practice authority in New York? Can a nurse practitioner be a medical director in New York?

Nurse Practitioners with 3,600 practice hours may obtain full practice authority in New York. Nurse Practitioners with full practice authority can serve as a practice director for a professional nurse practitioner practice.

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Can a physician assistant serve as a medical director in New York?

A physician assistant may not serve as a medical director in New York.

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What services are considered medical services in New York?

Neurotoxins, fillers, lasers other than laser hair removal, and IV hydration are some of the common medical spa services that are considered to be the practice of medicine and are required to be performed by medical professionals in a professional medical office.

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What services can be performed by an aesthetician in New York?

An aesthetician can perform appearance enhancement services to the face, neck, arms, legs or shoulders using compounds or procedures such as makeup, eyelashes, depilatories, tonics, lotions, waxes or sanding and tweezing. Some common aesthetician services are dermaplaning, non-medical facials, micro-dermabrasion, and superficial peels.

13

Who can perform laser hair removal in New York?

Laser hair removal is currently unregulated in New York, meaning anyone regardless of their license and background, can perform laser hair removal. However, the laser hair removal provider should be competent and have documented training before performing laser hair removal.

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Who can perform laser hair removal in New York?

This depends on what you are offering.

15

Is malpractice insurance required in New York?

New York does not mandate malpractice insurance coverage, but it is strongly recommended.

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What business entity is required for a medical practice in New York?

Professional services, including professional medical services, can be offered only by an individual licensed practitioner, professional partnership, professional corporation, professional limited liability partnership, or a professional limited liability company.

17

What’s the cost to open a medical spa in NY

When starting your medical spa, the cost is one of the most important factors in your decision to open. There are many things to consider when opening your practice, and opening your medical spa is costly. However, the returns from your investment can make the initial startup cost completely worth it.

Whether you’re franchising from an existing spa or starting from square one, there are basic costs every single opening office has to consider: construction and leasing costs. You’ll likely have improvements and enhancements you’ll want to make in the space you’re opening to account for the different services you want to provide in your medical spa. Although there may not be many regulations to comply with, you must also ensure that your staff and clients are comfortable and can access anything necessary for treatments or procedures.

New York is at the top of the “Expensive Real Estate” list, but the cost fluctuates greatly depending on where you’re located (Midtown Manhattan vs. Long Island) and how much space you want.

For a non-ground floor office space in Midtown NYC, you’re looking for a per-square-foot rent of $55-70. If you start with a 1000sf space, your yearly rent will be $55,000 to $70,000 or $4583 to $5833 a month, plus utilities and other expenses. The typical rent for a ground floor space would be 3 or 4 times this amount. A great alternative to paying such high rent fees is looking for a shared space or renting out a single room instead of an entire office. This is an excellent alternative if you are a solo practitioner or don’t plan to hire a large staff right as you start your medical spa.

Your next biggest expense will be staffing your spa. The clinic will need a medical director (which will most likely be you, if you’re reading this article). You’ll want somebody at the front desk and probably have a nurse or two. Your office will need someone to write down initial client information and answer the phone and handle appointment bookings while the medical staff interact with clients personally. You can usually expect to hire two or three full-time employees, and a couple of part-time employees as well. If you are renting a room in a shared space, you may have to handle all of the aspects yourself, or there may be a management company to oversee the administrative aspects, for a fee of course.

Another expense to consider is the equipment and supplies you’ll need to purchase. Depending on the services you want to offer in your spa, you can be looking at at $125,000 or more. This means everything to fill the spa, from treatment tables and chairs, to specialized machines like lasers or CoolSculpting, to Botox and other injectable products.

If you’re franchising your medical spa, there may be a cost included as well – but this cost is typically offset by the established brand recognition and support of the spa you are franchising from. As an example, here are one Medical Spa’s numbers for licensing.

Initial Licensing Fee: $70,000 (this is a fee to be paid to the franchisor or licensor) Investment Needed To Open Location: $50,000
Ongoing Fee: 7% of sales

While these numbers may sound a bit scary, the current anti-aging market is $250 billion, and projected to grow to over $350 billion by 2024. Botox has been the #1 non-surgical procedure since 2000 and is only increasing by the day. If the prices and cost of starting your medical spa are the only things holding you back, we suggest contacting us to learn more about why this can be beneficial.

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