How to Start an Acupuncture Clinic

Start an acupuncture clinic by following these 10 steps:

1. Plan your Acupuncture Clinic
2. Form your Acupuncture Clinic into a Legal Entity
3. Register your Acupuncture Clinic for Taxes
4. Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
5. Set up Accounting for your Acupuncture Clinic
6. Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Acupuncture Clinic
7. Get Acupuncture Clinic Insurance
8. Define your Acupuncture Clinic Brand
9. Create your Acupuncture Clinic Website
10. Set up your Business Phone System

There is more to starting a business than just registering it with the state. We have put together this simple guide to starting your acupuncture clinic. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

• What are the startup and ongoing costs?
• Who is your target market?
• How much can you charge customers?
• What will you name your business?

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

What are the costs involved in opening an acupuncture clinic?

If you are willing to start your business small, then you can open this business for a relatively low cost. For instance, you can purchase a portable massage table, needles, biohazard boxes, and other such equipment that you will need for under $500. You can purchase file folders, a dresser, sheets, chairs, and a CD player for under $300. Similarly, it is possible to rent a small room at a wellness center or other relevant location for under $500 a month, and this can serve as your office. For advertising, you can create a website and print out both brochures and business cards for under $150. Even with the necessity of paying extra for a down payment on your rented room and getting the appropriate license, you can start a small acupuncture clinic for under $2,000.

What are the ongoing expenses for an acupuncture clinic?

For a small clinic, the ongoing expenses are relatively small. Your ongoing rent for a small space should be $500 or less, and it should cost $100 or less to replenish your office and medical supplies each month. The exact cost of utilities can vary, but when leasing a small office space, it may be $100 or less each month.

Who is the target market?

On a completely practical level, the best clients are those who pay promptly and are receptive to your diagnosis and instructions. Generally speaking, these will be middle- or upper-class clients who are ready and willing to embrace alternative medicine, and who can afford to pay out of pocket, as most insurance companies don't cover acupuncture yet.

How does an acupuncture clinic make money?

An acupuncture clinic makes money by charging clients a particular amount for each visit. The amount may be different based on the nature of the visit, such as charging a higher amount for an initial diagnosis or different amounts for more complex treatments.

How much can you charge customers?

The exact amount you charge may vary based on services offered and region. Generally, however, you should charge between $75 and $100 for the initial diagnosis and then charge between $50 to $75 for clients’ subsequent visits.

How much profit can an acupuncture clinic make?

According to Bureau of Labor and Statistics research, the median salary for an acupuncturist is just north of $73,000. Ultimately, of course, how much profit you make is directly related to how much you charge clients per visit and how many visits you get each year, so it is possible for a clinic to eventually net a six-figure salary.

How can you make your business more profitable?

One method of making your business more profitable is, as mentioned earlier, to encourage multiple visits per patient via a Patient Treatment Protocol. Another is to create an aggressive social media presence early on: this increases community engagement and lets you advertise special offers, deals, and even competitions that will get more customers through the door. Consider offering referral bonuses to patients who refer their family, friends, and colleagues. Finally, schedule permitting, consider speaking at local colleges, libraries, and other community centers about the value of acupuncture.

What will you name your business?

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Acupuncture Clinic Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:

• Your state's business records
• Federal and state trademark records
• Social media platforms
• Web domain availability.

It's very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

The most common business structure types are the sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), and corporation.

Establishing a legal business entity such as an LLC or corporation protects you from being held personally liable if your acupuncture clinic is sued.

You can form an LLC yourself and pay only the minimal state LLC costs or hire one of the Best LLC Services for a small, additional fee.

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It's really easy and free!

Learn how to get an EIN in our What is an EIN guide or find your existing EIN using our EIN lookup guide.

Small Business Taxes

Depending on which business structure you choose, you might have different options for how your business will be taxed. For example, some LLCs could benefit from being taxed as an S corporation (S corp).

You can learn more about small business taxes in these guides:

• LLC Taxes
• Sole Proprietorship vs LLC
• LLC vs Corporation
• LLC vs S Corp
• How to Start an S Corp
• S Corp vs C Corp

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.

Additionally, learning how to build business credit can help you get credit cards and other financing in your business's name (instead of yours), better interest rates, higher lines of credit, and more.

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

• Separates your personal assets from your company's assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
• Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Open net 30 accounts

Net 30 accounts are used to establish and build business credit as well as increase business cash flow. With a net 30 account, businesses buy goods and repay the full balance within a 30-day term.

NetMany net 30 credit vendors report to the major business credit bureaus (Dun & Bradstreet, Experian Business, and Equifax Business Credit). This is how businesses build business credit so they can qualify for credit cards and other lines of credit.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

• Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business' expenses all in one place.
• Build your company's credit history, which can be useful to raise money later on.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

Nearly all states in the U.S. require practicing acupuncturists be licensed before starting a private practice. To obtain a license, one must first receive a Masters degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, and also pass an NCCAOM exam.

In addition, certain local licensing or regulatory requirements may apply. For more information about local licenses and permits:

• Check with your town, city or county clerk’s office
• Get assistance from one of the local associations listed in US Small Business Associations directory of local business resources.

Service Agreement

Acupuncture businesses should consider requiring clients to sign a services agreement before starting a new project. This agreement should clarify client expectations and minimize risk of legal disputes by setting out payment terms and conditions, service level expectations, and intellectual property ownership. Here is an example of one such services agreement.

Recommended: Rocket Lawyer makes it easy to create a professional service agreement for your clinic when you sign up for their premium membership. For $39.95 per month, members receive access to hundreds of legal agreements and on call attorneys to get complimentary legal advice.

Informed Consent Agreement

It is recommended to provide clients with informed consent agreements to decrease legal liability and encourage transparency. More information on informed consent agreements can be found here.

Recommended: Rocket Lawyer makes it easy to create a professional release of liability/informed consent form for your acupuncture business when you sign up for their premium membership. For $39.95 per month, members receive access to hundreds of legal agreements and on call attorneys to get complimentary legal advice.

Health Insurance Eligibility

As an acupuncturist, you will probably come across patients seeking to receive coverage for your services using their health plans. If this is the case, it is essential to make sure patients’ health insurance covers acupuncture and oriental medicinal treatment. If it is indeed covered by insurance, you must fill out a health insurance claim form to receive payment.

• Sample insurance claim form
• More information on the reimbursement process

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Learn more about General Liability Insurance.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers' Compensation Coverage.

STEP 8: Define your brand

Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.

If you aren't feeling confident about designing your small business logo, then check out our Design Guides for Beginners, we'll give you helpful tips and advice for creating the best unique logo for your business.

If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator. Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.

How to promote & market an acupuncture clinic

Some of the recommended promotional methods for your business have already been mentioned, including setting up your own website and printing out brochures and business cards that you can distribute within your community. Social media is an important part of marketing yourself and your business, and there is no real cost (other than your time) to do so, making social media a great option. If you have the budget, consider more “traditional” advertisements such as radio, print, and even television ads.

How to keep customers coming back

The best way to retain customers is to set up a treatment plan protocol for each one of them. As the name implies, this plan will guide the patient from whatever their current state is to their desired state of wellness. It also means that you will see the client several times instead of once, helping with retention and possible word-of-mouth advertising. And, of course, always be on the lookout for new ways to market yourself, especially online, as this lets you stand out from rival professionals without any additional investment.

STEP 9: Create your business website

After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.

While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.

Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:

• All legitimate businesses have websites - full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
• Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
• Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.

Using our website building guides, the process will be simple and painless and shouldn’t take you any longer than 2-3 hours to complete.

Other popular website builders are: WordPress, WIX, Weebly, Squarespace, and Shopify.

STEP 10: Set up your business phone system

Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.

There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2023 to find the best phone service for your small business.

Start a Acupuncture Clinic in your State

Is this Business Right For You?

This job requires specialized training in the form of an acupuncture-related degree from any Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. This formal education helps to provide you with the theories and best practices associated with acupuncture. In addition to being uniquely suited for those who have studied in this field, this job is perfect for those who like to make the world better one person at a time by helping people achieve happiness, productivity, and peace that they may have lost.

What happens during a typical day at an acupuncture clinic?

There are many daily activities associated with an acupuncture clinic. These activities include making appointments with patients, diagnosing patients, explaining that diagnosis to patients, and treating those patients via needles and/or other tools. You must also maintain and organize your patients’ records while overseeing all of your employees.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful acupuncture clinic?

As mentioned earlier, actually practicing in acupuncture means you have completed a specialized program of formal education. This education will provide most of the initial skills that you need to do the job itself. Beyond that, experience in acupuncture or other medical fields, as well as a minor in something like business, may help you on the financial side of things.

What is the growth potential for an acupuncture clinic?

The growth potential for acupuncture clinics is very strong. Research conducted by LearnHealthcare.net revealed that this field will grow by as much as 32 percent by the year 2022. Additionally, more Americans have some form of health insurance than ever before, and a growing number of insurance companies will help pay for acupuncture.