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What will your visit volume look like in the first two years? Watch this DocuTAP DataBrief to find out.

If you’re starting an urgent care clinic, the metrics suggest that your business plan should include financial resources to sustain your clinic for the first two years.

To ensure you have the financial resources, include ample room in your budget for operating your business during the startup ramp.

Once you’re open, keep your eyes on what you’re spending and follow these tips from our startup experts.

  1. Don’t overstaff. When patient counts are low, stay lean and use cross-training to minimize staff hours.
  2. Understand seasonal trends and how they affect patient volume.
  3. Be sure you have key payers in your network before opening. Without Blue Cross Blue Shield or United Health Care on board, your cash flow could be significantly affected.
  4. Put real effort into marketing and promotion. Poor marketing efforts, lack of pre-opening marketing, and lack of social media exposure will affect how many patients walk through your doors.
  5. Keep an eye on key billing metrics and processing. Poor revenue cycle management extends the length of time it takes to collect revenue, and can reduce the amount you are able to collect.
  6. Be sure billing staff is thoroughly trained to properly submit documentation and follow-up on rejected and denied claims.
  7. Don’t overspend on inventory and pile up unnecessary expenses while volume is low.

DocuTAP research reported in the Urgent Care Quarterly indicates that for urgent cares that opened over a three-year period from 2013-2015, the number of visits per day increased steadily from less than ten visits per day at opening to approximately 30 visits per day at the two-year mark—when business levels off and becomes more consistent.