Company Summary
Alter Clinic is a multidisciplinary clinic to manage Pain by its range of services offered, which is quite different from those traditional service providers. The clinic has some major purposes to achieve currently, specifically for those people suffering from chronic pains. Through a wide services offered, the clinic will serve people by experts in their fields and very cooperative team. The targeted audiences of Alter Clinic are critically the patients suffering from Chronic Pain, Arthritis, Referred Pain and any other similar complaints, etc. The purpose of Alter Clinic is to offer prevention offering classes along with treatment classes to professionals and common people. The aim of Alter Clinic is to serve people on the basis of demographic information (that has been identified in this assignment through statistical data), and without any involvement of pharmacological intervention, prescribe alternative methods of treatment.
1.1 Company Ownership
Alter clinic is a joint venture, owned by three people ready to share risks, as well as expertise of management, from their areas of proficiency; however, a team of consultants will be hired to provide services to patients coming into the clinic.
1.2 Location(s) and facilities
Initially, the services will be provided to local UK residents only, with some discount offers and free consultations. Later on, seeing the demand and estimating the actual need for pain management in other areas, the expansion plan will be made.
1.3 Products and Services
Alter Clinic is a service provider to local residents, so its service description is given below:
1.3.1 Services
The pain management clinics usually provide medication treatment to their patients along with other occupational treatments. At Alter Clinic the major aim is that, instead of relying on pharmacologic interventions, other alternative treatments should be given.
1.3.2 Service Description
Following services will be the most highlighted part of Alter Clinic:
- Physiotherapy services to patients
- Masseuse services
- Occupational therapy
- Yoga, with its pain management techniques
- Psychological support
- Personal trainers to patients
- Free counselling to patients
1.4 Future Services
The future demands of market will be addressed by Alter Clinic by following plans:
- After successful execution of services to local UK residents, the future extension plan by increasing its access across UK will be the focal point.
- In future, some other additional services will be provided, seeing the overall profits of the clinic, which may include the services like Self-Management Techniques, Advanced Procedures to reduce pain by excluding any Pharmacological Interventions, treatments of chronic injuries leading to intense pain (like Sport Injury Treatment) and many other such services which are not currently the part of Alter Clinic.
- Inauguration of research and development department of Alter Clinic is also another future plan.
Market Analysis Summary
A business plan is incomplete with extensive market analysis. For Alter Clinic, market analysis is very critical to find out market segmentation, target market strategies, exiting market trends and competitors.
2.1 Target Market Segment Strategy
Alter Clinic can be placed in Health and Fitness segment of marketplace. This can be the first target market segmentation. One of the main reasons is that, pain management as a service category, comes under health management issue.
2.2 Market Trends
According to PR Newswire (2012) in UK, over 8.5 million people are the victims of chronic pain, which according to Lambert (2010) was nearly 8 million in the year 2010. The overall population of people suffering from chronic illness make up 10% of the total population and still, 95% General Practitioners believe that substantial chances for improvement in treatment methods are present today in treatment of Chronic Pain. 87% practitioners regard opioids as a very effective means of reducing pain, but appropriate for only appropriate patients (PR Newswire, 2012). Another statistical analysis showed that due to Chronic Pain, individuals, their work and relationship suffer bitterly. The data also suggests that the healthcare professionals and experts still need more support and training in managing the chronic pains. As 71% of the people suffering from chronic pain showed that their jobs are severely influenced due to their pain issue (Arthritis, 2011). Demographically, chronic pain affects males and females equally; however, the noticeable age group as a victim are those from 20 years to above (Rafteryet al, 2012).
2.3 Service Business Analysis
In UK, the need for pain management clinics has increased as according to statistics, at least a person in a third of each household has been associated with some kind of pain at any one time. Same survey has highlighted that the number is increasing (The National Archives, 2012). It has been surveyed that chronic pain leads to very severe and life threatening diseases, with 90% to Arthritis, back pain, legs and hands pain (Chief Medical Officer, 2008). In chronic pain illnesses, back pain is one of the most commonly complained diseases (Smith et al, 1999; Brelvk&Collett, 2006). Surveys illustrated that 1.6 million adults in UK are suffering from chronic back pain annually (PR Newswire, 2012). Likewise, majority of others are suffering from knee pain, disabling them to continue their life in a normal way (Donaldson & Burns, 2009). Despite these serious and severe impacts, health priority has not been given to chronic pain today (PR Newswire, 2012).
2.4 Competition
Currently, there are some potential competitors in marketplace like British Pain Society, London Pain Consultants, UK HealthCare, Anaesthesia Birmingham, Royal Pain Management Units in Berkshire and many others. But surveys have showed that health priority has not been given to chronic pain today (PR Newswire, 2012) and still the requirement for more pain management clinics is crucially there in UK.
Strategy and Implementation Summary
After the analysis of market valuation and market trends, it is necessary to develop strategy for Alter Clinic. Particularly, the Clinic has following two specific demands to fulfil:
1. Provision of exceedingly and urgently demanded services to people, in a way that their financial burdens are reduced and they receive healthy treatment in affordable prices.
2. Operating with standards that comply with IASP (International Association for the Study of Pain) instructions and guidelines.
3.1 Marketing and Communication Strategy
Advertisement: Since, Chronic Pain, Arthritis and Referred Pain patients are the targeted audience of Alter Clinics, therefore professionals and common people are the first chosen for advertisement due to the fact that statistics have shown that people suffering from Chronic Pain are majorly those having a busy schedule at work. For this purpose, following means will be used:
Website and internet marketing: this is the most significant and highly preferable mean for marketing initially. By extensive internet marketing, Alter Clinic will be able to cater audience attention. Social networks are yet other effective options for marketing. Millions of people have been using social networks today, specifically from teenage to middle age people, who are the target age group for Alter Clinic.
Direct Marketing: Flyers and brochures distribution in household and workplace, since professionals and common people are the targeted audience.
Exhibition and conference: Health related exhibitions, workshops and conferences, where Alter Clinic team will deliver presentations and advertise the clinic services.
3.2 Promotional and Sales Strategy
Following Sales Strategies will be cost effective to execute at Alter Clinic initially:
- Directly: history of patients with Chronic Pain will be taken from dispensaries and hospitals, and these patients will be directly contacted for taking Alter Clinic’s services. Certain benefits and discounted offers will also be given.
- Website: Distribution of free eBooks, through Alter Clinic’s webpage will be done. A separate Discussion Forum section will be segmented for this purpose, to give health tips by experts, thus by reducing gaps between clients and Alter Clinic’s team. This website will be equally beneficial to people who have not been able to visit the clinic directly and require some solution for their issues.
Both of these strategies have numerous benefits, greater than the costs they bear. One of the big advantages is for those people suffering from Chronic Pain for a longer period of time. Quite likely, the pain is a result of any back or knee injury, or may be an on-going medical problem like arthritis; this will suffer everyday life activities. Patients like these will be asked for a direct session and those who cannot manage their routine to discuss issues, would be provided an online mean to share their case history.
3.3 Business Competitive Edge
It has already been verified that the Alter Clinic will be a mean to deliver alternative treatment against Chronic Pain like message, physical and psychological therapy, yoga and counselling for pain relief. Alter Clinic has some competitive advantages over other competitors, which can prove to be very critical points for distinguishing it from others:
- Patients would not need to take any referral or prescriptions from doctors in order to start their chiropractic treatment at Alter Clinic, and specially the patients coming with complaints of joint pain, headache, and knees, hands and legs pain. Most of the queries will be discussed by the Alter Clinic’s expert team over phone calls and the alternative treatment care will be immediately started after patients’ visit.
- Alter Clinic is the most advantageous place for those people with very tough routine, who suffer from certain Chronic Pains, but cannot find time to get treatments. Specific consultations, along with flexible schedules will be developed for them.
- Pharmacologic intervention has many side effects as well. Therefore, only the alternative means of treatments will be provided.
- Personal trainers free counselling and brochures will be given.
3.3.1 Benefits to clients
Alter Clinic will provide enormous benefits to those visiting the clinic:
- Proper time and care to every person coming, where they will be fully focused to reduce their health issues, acute and chronic pains, which otherwise block their focus on work
- Alter Clinic will be a place for increased efficiency and affectivity. For instance, pharmacological intervention, in terms of excess drugs intake in order to reduce pain has been seen a common practice among patients, which brings several side effects. For these people, who are strictly forbidden to take drugs, Alter Clinic has solution to their distresses. Alter Clinic has the statement of ‘Your Life is the outcome of Your Choices’, so patients will be encouraged to take healthy means of living for healthy life.
- Each team member of Alter Clinic will be a reflection of its image. Therefore, critical attention to all patients will be given by expert and friendly team along with free counselling.
- Due to providing free services, like free counselling and free literature on pain management tips, patients can be benefitted from all inclusive benefits in single package. Therefore, Alter Clinic will be an affordable choice; serving people reduce their financial hardships and increasing capacity each day. Another target of Alter Clinic will be to help people remove their negative feelings like depression, misery and futility by increasing quality of life.
- Loyal customers will be awarded with many other benefits and offers on each service they take.
- Due to providing free services, like free counselling and free literature on pain management tips, patients can be benefitted from all inclusive benefits in single package. Therefore, Alter Clinic will be an affordable choice; serving people reduce their financial hardships and increasing capacity each day. Another target of Alter Clinic will be to help people remove their negative feelings like depression, misery and futility by increasing quality of life.
Management Summary
A brief description of Alter Clinic management team, organisational structure and personnel plan is given below:
4.1 Management Team
Management team will be consisted of following:
Founders: those who will be the top managing leaders, developing strategic plans and executing these plans
Professional teams: experienced team to assist in marketing and operations.
Financial Planning
5.1 Start-up Summary
Estimation of start-up costs are extremely important prior to initiating a business, as underestimating these costs may lead to an unplanned business, suffering haphazard difficulties. For start-up expenses of Alter Clinics, planning for start-up expenses and assets will be the focal point initially.
5.2 Revenue Sources
Initially, the local residents of UK will be served by the Alter Clinic. Later on, in some major cities and regions of UK will be focused for service. With the passage of time, Alter Clinic will spread its wings across UK, (the future plan is to extend it to US, once successful execution in UK is carried out), as according to statistics, United States is among those zones where 80 million people are suffering from Chronic Pain, 30 million with lower back pain, and leaving people of year 45 or above disable with an overall cost of $70 billion per year (US News Health, 2009).
References
Arthritis Care (2011) United Kingdom still in pain – politicians urged to tackle the UK’s inadequate care of chronic pain, [Online] Available from: http://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/NewsRoom/Statementsandpressreleases/wkWD [Accessed: 2 December, 2012]
Breivik H, Collett B, Cohen, R. Gallacher, D. (2006). Survey of chronic pain in Europe: prevalence, impact on daily life, and treatment. Eur J Pain, 10(4):287-333
Chief Medical Officer (2008) ‘Breaking through the Barrier’, Annual Report, March 2009
Donaldson L, Burns H, (2009). Survey of undergraduate pain curricula for healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom, British Pain Society
Lambert, V. (2010), Eight million people live with chronic pain. But with a combination of drugs, surgery, physio and psychological treatment, it can be beaten [Online] Available from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1276833/Eight-million-people-live-chronic-pain-But-combination-drugs-surgery-physio-psychological-treatment-beaten.html [Accessed: 3 December, 2012]
PR Newswire (2012) New Treatment for Effective Management of Chronic Pain, [Online] Available from: http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/new-treatment-for-effective-management-of-chronic-pain-153827905.html [Accessed: 2 December, 2012]
Raftery, M. N. Ryan, P. Normand C, Murphy A. W., McGuire, B. E. (2012). The economic cost of chronic noncancer pain in Ireland: results from the PRIME study. J Pain, 13(2):139-45.
Smith B, H. Hopton, J. L. and Chambers, W. L (1999). Chronic Pain in Primary Care. Family Practice 16 (5) 475-482
The National Archives (2012), 150 years of the Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer: On the state of public health 2008, [Online] Available from: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/www.dh.gov.uk/en/MediaCentre/Media/DH_096271 [Accessed: 4 December, 2012]
US News Health (2009) Finding Effective Treatment for Your Chronic Pain, [Online] Available from: http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/pain/articles/2009/02/10/finding-effective-treatment-for-your-chronic-pain [Accessed: 3 December, 2012]
