Amy Plano - The Reimbursement Dietitian HomepageAmy Plano - The Reimbursement Dietitian

Reimbursement Coach for Dietitians

Setting Up Shop

Pimp Your Space

SO, you have finally secured your office space. Yay-Hooray! Now it is time to pimp that space.

Let’s tackle the basics. And I do mean basics. As you grow your practice there are a million little things you can add to your office. Things like dietary software, accounting software, a Bodygem as well as a fancy-dancy InBody scale. While these things are super cool. They are absolutely, positively NOT necessary. So let’s focus on what is.

 

  1. Desk
  2. Comfortable chairs for you and your patients
  3. Computer
  4. Small waste paper basket
  5. Printer/Copier
  6. Client Forms/Paperwork 
  7. Clipboard
  8. Office supplies – pens/pencils, paperclips, stapler, folders, toner/ink cartridges
  9. File cabinet that locks
  10. File cabinet
  11. If you have a waiting room – comfortable chairs, a small table, industry-appropriate magazines
  12. Business cell phone
  13. Fax machine or efax
  14. Business cards
  15. Food labels and sample food products
  16. Educational handouts
  17. Internet access
  18. Reliable scale
  19. Shredder

 

Phew – that probably seems like a whole lot of stuff that you need. But truthfully you likely already have most of this stuff. So don’t freak out.

 

Especially when you are first getting started my best suggestion would be to use what you have. For things like the furniture check places like Craigslist, and Ikea as well as garage sales. You would be surprised how many cool gems you can find in places like these.

The Reimbursement Dietitian Tip

As for your client forms DO NOT reinvent the wheel. Because girl I have already done all the work for you. Check out The Reimbursement Dietitian – Starter Pack. In this easy-to-access download, I hook you up with all the necessary forms, documents, and resources you NEED to get your practice up and running. From office policies to invoices and receipts, to sample rates sheets as well as resources for legal compliance, The Reimbursement Dietitian – Starter Pack delivers everything you need for your practice in one seamless download.

And remember you don’t have to be SO conventional. I am a girl that likes a lot of space! So rather than narrow my search down to just desks; I actually started looking at kitchen tables. I was dying for a white lacquer desk but could not find one. So instead I opted for a kitchen table that afforded a lot more space than a standard desk.

 

Here is the ‘desk’ that I have in my office.

 

While 99 % of my decor comes from the fabulous Homegoods there are certainly tons of things in my office that have been repurposed. So, don’t be afraid to doctor up what you currently have. I am the master of all things spray paint. In my offices, I have the gold/hot pink/black/mint color vibe going on. Rather than spend a fortune just bought a couple of cans of spray paint and went to town. Check out some of the pieces of my art 🙂 Even the shredder matches my theme.

 

Lastly, keep in mind that while you are pulling together your office you always want to keep in mind your personal brand as well as your niche. The majority of my patients are women. Therefore, as you see in all of my office pictures the vibe and feel is ultra feminine. I use girly colors, have gold lip wallpaper, hot pink couches, and have inspiration quotes abound. I want the women who come to my office to feel comfortable and at ease.

 

Therefore, no matter how big or small your budget just make sure your office is comfy and caters to your particular population. If you are dealing with bariatric patients make sure your chairs are appropriately sized. If you are working with kids make sure anything that might be distracting (or fragile) is outside of their reach. Working primarily with males? You might want to make sure your reading material in the waiting room is not dominated by Vogue and W magazines.

 

You get the gist.