If you love looking after people, then starting a healthcare agency could be your calling.

The home healthcare industry is one of the fastest-growing in the country. With millions of elderly people already in care and a large chunk of the population being baby boomers, the need for home healthcare isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. It’s a great time to get in on a growing industry, full of professionals ranging from at-home nurses to therapists and everything in between.

In this post, we’re going to give you a brief guide on how to start your own successful healthcare agency. There’s no such thing as an “easy” business, but we’ll do our best to set you up for success in this noble and important field as simply as possible.

Defining Your Healthcare Agency

A home healthcare business can mean many different things, so you’ll need to decide what type of services you want to provide. Are you providing medical care for your clients or are you giving them day-to-day assistance?

Medical care would include things like nursing services and health monitoring using medical devices and techniques, while caregiving would include things like meal preparation and house cleaning. Both are valuable and lucrative businesses, so you’ll just need to decide which one is for you.

The other thing to look at is whether you want to start a completely new business or franchise an existing one. There are many perks to owning a seniorcare franchise, but starting a new business from scratch, although riskier, gives you more freedom.

Creating a Plan

Once you’re decided on the type of healthcare agency you want to start, it’s time to form a business plan. You can quickly find business plan templates online, but basically, these are outlines for how to move forward in the first years of running your business. Every business in every sector should start with a business plan.

It’ll outline things like marketing, management and organization, finances (especially startup finances), and operational plans. Use it as a guide as you start, but allow yourself to be flexible as you meet new challenges and opportunities.

State Licenses and Certification

You’ll have to meet your state’s licensing requirements in order to run your business and receive Medicare and Medicaid. You’ll probably have to fill out an application and satisfy any other state requirements to obtain a license.

While you’re at it, you’ll need to incorporate your business, get a tax ID, and register for a national provider identification (NPI). These things all vary by state but are similar across the board.

Hiring Staff and Finding Clients

Once you’re all set up with your business, you can start purchasing medical equipment and hiring staff members. Finding qualified healthcare workers can be tricky, but it’s important to find people that embody your company’s philosophy, so don’t hesitate to perform background checks to ensure you’re getting the best staff possible.

After hiring your first couple of employees, it’ll be time to start finding clients. You should first build a great website and fill out all of your online profiles (Google My Business, social media, etc.). The more presence you have online, the easier it’ll be for people to find your company. It’s never a bad idea to involve a digital marketing specialist, especially in the beginning, to help get you on your feet with those first few clients.

Start Helping People Today

Now that you know how to start a home healthcare agency, you start doing what you love to do, which is helping people in need. Use these tips to get started and make a difference in your community.

If you found this post helpful, come back again for more great business tips.