Ultimate Guide for Renting a Medical Centre Room in Sydney

Thinking about starting up your own medical centre, but don’t want the cost and hassle? More and more health professionals have been looking for alternatives to the traditional medical centre model. Renting a medical centre room may be the solution you’ve been looking for.

Enjoy the independence and financial freedom of being your own boss, without the expensive costs of setting up your own practice. Renting a medical centre room in Sydney has never been easier. 

We know the process of setting up your own business can be a stressful one. That’s why we’ve put together our ultimate guide for renting a medical centre room in Sydney.  

Location
Where your premises are located is one of the most important factors when it comes to establishing your business. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you begin your property search.

• Known building: Will patients get lost easily? Have a practice run by putting the address into your map app of choice. It’s best to be aware of potential issues early on, so you can make a plan to combat them. 
• Accessibility: Ensure your location has accessibility options. Where can clients park their car if they choose to drive? What are the public transport options? Are there lifts or ramps for those with mobility concerns?
• Complimentary businesses: do your research. What other businesses are nearby? While too much competition isn’t a good thing, being close by to other health services can have its advantages. It can allow you to potentially build a referral network, and patients will appreciate the convenience of having a ‘health hub’ where they can go to have multiple needs met. 
• Appearance: looks are everything in this post COVID world, people typically prefer entering premises that are clean and well maintained. Patients should always feel safe when visiting for their appointments. The entry to the reception and the walkways to the room should be tidy and well lit to avoid potential hazards, and form a good impression.  
• Look outside Macquarie St: Macquarie St is old-school. Modern health professionals are customer centric and nothing beats the convenience of Geoge St for health practitioners and their patients. Don’t worry, your business doesn’t need to be on Macquarie St to succeed. Widen your search and you may be pleasantly surprised by what is available. 

Budget
Closely related to location is budget. When searching for a room to rent, ensure you have worked out a good business plan and know what you can afford. 

This may mean a bit of homework before you begin, and getting your financials in order. But in the long run, it’s worth it for the stress it will save you. Consider how you may be able to save costs, particularly as you start up and if there are areas where you can reallocate money. For example, many health professionals are opting to forgo the expense of a receptionist in favour of digital programming or handling aspects of the business personally.   

As you consider your budget, it is worth looking into the different rental arrangements around. Traditional leases tend toward a 3-5 years, which can mean you’re locked into making that property work well for your business, for a longer period of time. If COVID has taught us anything, it’s that situations beyond your control can mean a change in the workplace. With a short term lease you can have flexibility and affordability in one. 

For ultimate flexibility ensure you consider health specific co-working spaces. These typically come already equipped, and offer a range of lease packages. Everything from a few days a week, to longer-term exclusive use leases. Investigate what options are available in your area. Because of the already equipped nature of co-working spaces they are a fantastic option for the budget-conscious practitioner. 

Amenities
As you begin your property search its important to consider what amenities you need for your business to function well. Here are a few to consider essential:

• Storage: Lockable storage is important to ensure equipment is stored safely and neatly. This is especially important if you are renting a medical clinic room where you intend to have multiple health professionals using the space. 
• Sink and tap: For hygiene, having internal access to a sink is vital when considering any space for a medical centre room. 
• Power points: Consider what services will be running from this room. What equipment is needed? When inspecting, take note of how many and the position of powerpoints in the room. 
• Other amenities fees: Ask your landlord about amenities fees. Is the cost of electricity, water, maintenance etc. included in the advertised rent? Or are there additional costs you should be aware of. Knowing about these costs early on can allow you to make a better financial business plan. 

Room to grow
Finding the perfect room for your business is exciting! But it’s sometimes helpful to consider if the room is suitable and dynamic enough to change as your business does. In time, if you become busier you may decide to put on additional health professionals. Ideally, your room or lease should be able to adjust with your business. This saves time and stress when it comes time to switch things up. 

• Does the room have space for more than one practitioner? 
• Are there other rooms you can add onto your lease? 
• Can additional rooms be hired at the same rate?
• When does the lease expire? 
• What benefits apart from the room are offered?

Knowing the answers to these questions from day one helps you to equip your business well for the future. 

Setting up your room
So you’ve found your medical centre room? Nice work! Depending on what your lease includes, your room likely needs some setting up. Here are some great tips to ensure you have a room that serves your business well. 

• Layout: depending on the services offered in each room, layout can vary. But there are a few guiding principles to consider. Accessibility- are all walkways and doorways clear? Can those with mobility concerns navigate the space well? Privacy - ensure patient privacy is able to be maintained. This can be assisted with the use of privacy screens and frosted glass.
• Storage: As mentioned previously, storage is key to ensuring optimum functionality of the space. If the room does not have adequate storage you may need to bring in drawers, desks etc.
• Lighting: The space should be well-lit. Additional lighting such as lamps may need to be brought in.
• Decor: receiving medical care can sometimes be stressful for patients. To ensure they have the best experience possible consider including artwork, or a houseplant to provide a source of distraction and therefore comfort for your patients. Wherever possible opt for a neutral palette, with natural elements such as plant life included where you can. If your demographic includes children, it is a good idea to consider how you can make them feel welcome in your space. Whether it’s a basket of toys or age-appropriate artworks, these small touches will make a big difference in your patient’s experience. 
• Clutter: Keep your workspace clean and tidy. This will present a professional image to your patients, as well as reassure them of the quality of service you are providing.  
• Furnishings: As you will spend a lot of time in your medical room, it’s important the space functions well for you. Consider ergonomic chairs, desks and other furniture that will enhance your ability to provide excellent care for your patients. You should also be mindful in selecting furnishings that will be comfortable for your patients. It is also a good idea to provide seating for a support person (family, friend or caretaker) who may attend appointments with your patient. Having this provision already taken care of, before you need it, will demonstrate to patients your care and attention to detail.  

Finding Patients (Marketing)
So now you’re all set up, it’s time to start seeing patients. Whether an established business or one just starting out, a solid marketing plan is important to build your business. Marketing can get a bit of a bad rap, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here are a few steps to get you started. 

1. Identify your ideal patients. This point may seem simple, but you’d be surprised how often it’s overlooked. 
2. Consider what your ideal patient’s needs are. 
3. How does your business meet those needs?
4. How can you best reach your patients to tell them about how your business meets their needs? 

Once you’ve answered these questions you’re in an excellent position to begin effectively marketing. Struggling with a particular step? Check out the following tips:

• Identifying your ideal patient: For specialist medical professionals, you may have a pretty good idea about who these patients are. If you’re not sure, it may be helpful to take some time to collect data and figure out who your regular patients are, and if there are any patterns among them. This can also be a good way to identify gaps in your services or demographic. Research plays a key role!


• Consider what your patient’s needs are. Depending on your demographic, the needs of your patients and the services they need to access may vary. The elderly may not need the same services that those who have young children do. The set up of your rooms should also reflect the needs of your ideal patient to make them feel welcome (and therefore more likely to return) From the decor, to the informational pamphlets available, consider the patient's needs first. For example, after researching you may discover that a large proportion of your patients do not speak English as their first language. 
• How can your business meet their needs? Once you’ve gotten to know your patients and their needs, it's time to maximise your business’s usefulness to them. Whether it’s increasing your referral network to needed services, offering those services within your business, or providing informational pamphlets on topics of interest - this will build credibility and trust between your business and its patients. For example, you may hire doctors who speak more than one language, prominently display information in non-English languages, or place emphasis on doctor’s cultural sensitivity training and access to translators.
• How can you let your patients know your business can meet their needs? Start with the patients you have. They may benefit (or know someone who will) from your business's desire to meet their specific needs. Think about how this will be communicated to patients you already have - via a noticeboard in the waiting room? Email? Pamphlet? Doctor discussion? The way to best communicate this will depend on your patients and their specific demographic (age, gender, language). Returning to our example, it would be ineffective to communicate the clinic’s changes for better language diversity in doctors in only English. 

At other times, you may be trying to reach prospective patients, those who have not yet experienced your clinical services. Here are a few general tips for that situation:

• Ensure your business is visible. Use good physical signage, have an effective website and be present on the social media your patients frequent. 
• On social media seek to engage meaningfully with prospective clients on topics they may be interested in. Need content ideas? Here are a few (meet the team, educational mini-series, seasonal health tips and tricks eg. allergy/cold and flu)

Retaining Patients and Staff
One of the hardest parts of running a small business can be retaining good staff and patients. But be reassured that a little goes a long way. 

Retaining Staff:
Retaining staff can be a challenge at times, but there are a few things to consider to increase the likelihood of staff staying on board. Or for you to reflect on if high-turnover of staff is a problem in your business. 

• Workplace culture: ensuring your staff feel respected is important to their overall satisfaction. It may seem obvious, but using manners and treating people with respect is vital. 
• Offering opportunities for advancement and to professionally develop. Keeping staff engaged and invested in what your business is doing can be tricky, but if done right can leave you with a staff that is effective and passionate about what they do at work. Consider how you can support your staff’s careers and in turn, they will often invest back into your business.
• Practice what you preach. We all know that work/life balance is important to avoid burn out. But setting the culture of your business starts with you. Build your business so it can function without you (or any other individual) present. Family and downtime is important. 

Retaining Patients:
Finding patients is one thing, ensuring they stick around is another. Building patient loyalty can at times feel challenge, particularly in the midst of fierce competition. If your retention of patients leaves something to be desired, the next few tips will come in handy.

• Consider how your business can add value for your patient. Whether it’s referring to another practitioner for a service your clinic doesn’t offer, or providing payment plans for out of pocket services - patients generally appreciate these efforts to go above and beyond in their healthcare. 
• Listen to feedback. Ensuring your patient’s comfort and convenience is key to maintaining their satisfaction. While it may not be a deal-breaker, if you get lots of complaints about the chairs in the waiting room, it might be time to switch them out. You don’t want things you can control to be negatively impacting the experience your patient has in your clinic. 
• Offer new services & demonstrate a commitment to ongoing development. Keep up to date with your patient’s needs. While you don’t necessarily need to incorporate every health trend into your clinic, an awareness of these and reflection show patients a commitment to ongoing quality of service. 
• Convenience. How can your business be more convenient to patients? This often involves assessing where in your business you can incorporate technology to ensure a better experience for your patients. Two examples that are becoming more commonplace is the ability to book an appointment online, and having an up-to-date, functional website

Making the most of your lease
While your medical centre room is the primary component of what you’re paying for with your lease, there may be other ways your business could benefit. Consider these ways you can make the most of your lease. 

• Does your lease entitle you to any perks within the community or building? Some landlords, particularly if you’re renting through a co-working space may have arrangements that entitle you to particular benefits. Whether it’s access to shared storage, discounted parking, free networking events or appointments with business experts - be sure to ask your landlord when you inspect the room.​
• Networking. It doesn’t have to make you groan, we’re not necessarily talking about events (though there’s a place for those too) but rather being friendly to your fellow tenants. Smiling, introducing yourself or sending a quick email to say hi can go a long way. If these businesses are in the same industry as you, you can often make valuable connections and boost your client base as a result. You may even be able to build a reciprocal referral network this way by discussing how one anothers businesses could help each other out. Ask your landlord and do your research to find out what businesses are nearby. 

Why Wellshare
Wellshare is an option well worth considering for health professionals looking for a medical centre room for rent in Sydney. Located in the historic dymocks building on George St, our rooms blend character and modern design.

With a range of room sizes and lease lengths available, we have the flexibility to accommodate medical practitioners looking for a change from the traditional clinic model. Our rooms come fully furnished, so you can get to work straight away. Looking to customize your space? That’s no problem either, we welcome tenants to make the room their own.

In Wellshares medical clinic rooms you can expect access to these amenities:

• Internal sink
• 24/7 access
• Storage 
• Kitchenette
• HICAPs terminal
• Highspeed Internet
• Shower/bathroom facilities
• Shared patient waiting room
• Easy access to public transport

In addition to these amenities you’re able to access much more. Including networking opportunities, business growth seminars and appointments with experts in marketing and business development.

We can also provide support with reception and administration duties. 

Build your business at Wellshare

​Book a tour and speak with a member of our friendly team today. 

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