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Where should your first med spa call home? As you embark on the exciting venture of opening your business, it’s important to consider this crucial question. Your med spa office sets the tone for your customer experience, so it’s vital that you find a space that meets your needs, is within your budget and is well-located—this guide is here to help you do just that.
“Location, location, location.” The old real estate adage still rings true, particularly if you’re looking to launch your first med spa office. Choosing a suitable space is essential to delivering the quality service and experience that you want for your clients.
Your office will be one of the most significant investments you make in your business, and it will also play a determining factor in your success. Your location says a lot more than you might realize—the location and setup of your office communicates to customers what kind of business you are running.
In the case of a med spa, this is crucial as your clients need to trust you and the quality of the services you provide. With so much on the line, you’ll want to make sure you go into the decision-making process with a plan. In this article, we’ll provide you with a framework to help you design a winning location strategy, including:
- Proximity, parking, and public transportation
- Types of spaces to choose from
- Size requirements
- Cost relative to your budget
- Terms of the lease
- Furniture and supplies
If you’re ready to open your med spa but unsure how to find the right space, this article is for you. We’ll guide you through finding an office, signing a lease, and getting set up to service your first client.
Why is the Location of Your Med Spa Important?
When choosing the location of your office, you’ll want to consider who your ideal customer is, where they are likely to live, and how they might arrive at your location. Do you offer free parking? Is your office accessible by public transit?
While it may seem trivial initially, consider that aesthetic medical procedures often require multiple sessions, and repeat customers are the foundation of a profitable service-based business. While customers may not mind fighting traffic or circling the block for parking for a one-off appointment, they’re not likely willing to undertake a stressful commute regularly. If this is the case, they may seek another spa offering more conveniently located services.
How to Find Medical Office Space
When you’re starting, all you truly need is a clean, comfortable room where you can meet with clients and perform your services. We recommend renting an existing treatment room; that way, you don’t have to spend time and money building the space to fit your needs. These spaces are also experienced with new small businesses and may be more flexible with their terms than traditional retail landlords.
- Look up local medical/dental offices: Familiarize yourself with small private practices or dentists in the area to see if they have space to rent or any available rooms in their building. Landlords who rent to medical professionals may also have other properties available if you do your research.
- Search for medical suites in your area: A medical suite is a commercial property that caters to medical services providers. Medical suites are a common solution for healthcare professionals in private practice, as the space is typically already designed and furnished for their purposes.
- Get in touch with local aesthetic medical services (semi-retail): This includes aesthetic or health-related procedures such as permanent makeup, laser hair removal, or massage. The owners of these businesses may have suitable space available or be able to provide you with some leads.
- Explore medical co-working spaces: A medical co-working space is an office space shared by multiple independent medical practitioners. This arrangement offers many benefits, including access to exam rooms, consultation spaces, and a shared waiting room, with the co-working company overseeing the day-to-day business operations.
How to lease a medical office space
Found the perfect location and are ready to sign the lease? Take a moment to consider all the implications and costs and understand exactly what the lease includes before signing anything. And — we can’t reinforce this enough — always be sure to read the fine print.
- Cost: We recommend choosing a smaller space that fits comfortably within your budget. Ideally, find an existing treatment room that is already outfitted for your needs. Keep in mind that you may also be responsible for property taxes, insurance, and utilities on top of your rent. Ideally, the cost of your space should be under 10% of your expected gross annual income.
- Term: The lease of your first location should be short-term and as flexible as possible. At Moxie, we love month-to-month leases— anything in the 12- to 18-month range works for us.
- Legal implications: Before signing anything, you want to make sure you fully understand the terms you’re agreeing to. Carefully review all lease terms, consider zoning laws, whether the lease is transferable, and determine what your payments cover. When in doubt, it’s always best to seek the advice of experts who can guide you to make decisions that are in your best interest.
Learn how Moxie helped Jessica with the details of finding a location for her med spa, Citrus >
How do you set up your first MedSpa office?
Once you’ve settled on a location, you’ll need to furnish the space to make it comfortable and inviting for clients while ensuring that it also meets your professional requirements. Delivering a top-tier service means investing in high-quality medical-grade tools and equipment.
We’ve put together a checklist with some of the essentials you’ll want to have on hand:
Checklist of MedSpa office furnishings and supplies
Med Spa Furniture:
When furnishing your office, your priority should be comfort and practicality. We recommend a clean, minimalist aesthetic that prioritizes your clients' needs.
- Magnifying lamp: Get a better look at your patient’s treatment area so you can formulate the right medical treatment plan.
- Medical fridge for drugs/compounds: Temperature regulated and should be able to lock
- Chair or stool for you: Comfortable and adjustable
- Treatment chair: This is one of the most important pieces of furniture you will buy. The right chair will be comfortable, adjustable, and meets your needs according to the services you plan to offer. The right chair should be:
- Electrically powered for easy adjustment
- Capable of reclining fully
- Ergonomic and adapts to your client’s physique
- Controlled by foot pedals
If possible, avoid buying a white chair as white tends to get visibly dirty very quickly and can be stained when it comes into contact with certain materials such as denim.
Pro tip: Treatment chairs can be costly, so consider checking online marketplaces to see if there are any "gently used" dental or aesthetic chairs that you can purchase at a discounted price.
Med Spa Technology:
Investing in tech can help you to automate front-of-house business processes and save you time and money in the long run. We recommend the following tools to streamline your service offerings.
- Tablet: Check customers in and out, and take before and after photos
- Card-accepting payment systems: Evaluate options like Square, PayPal Zettle, Shopify, or Vend
Medical Supplies:
When running a med spa, it’s essential to make sure that you have the right supplies to ensure a safe and sterile environment.
- Trash can
- Sharps disposal
- Smart thermometer for fridge
- Hand mirror
- Injectable tools: needles or cannulas
- Vial Decapper Pliers for botox
- Face towels
- First aid kit: Benadryl, Claritin, Pepcid, Epipen, eye wash, band-aids
- Gloves
- Gauze 2X2
- Gauze 4X4
- Cotton pads
- Rubbing alcohol
- Alcohol swabs for botox
- Hibiclens for filler
- Wound cleaner
- Syringes (different sizes)
- Saline for botox reconstitution and dilution
- White eyeliner for marking injection sites
- Vaseline or Aquaphor for lips after injections
- Emergency kit: Filler dissolver (Hyaluronidase / Hylenex)
Pro tip: Suppliers like McKesson, Henry Schein, and local compounding pharmacies sell filler dissolvers.
Office Supplies:
These are the basic products you’ll need daily. Since you’ll replace these items often, make sure you regularly re-stock them, so you don’t run out.
- Garbage bags
- Disinfectant for room/chair
- Paper towel
- Tissues
- Soap
In Summary
When it comes to opening your med spa, location is key. Clients see your office as a reflection of your business and the quality of your services, so it’s critical to research and plan carefully before making any commitments.
Taking all factors into consideration, including geographic location, the type of space you’re looking for, size, cost, and lease terms, will help you make an informed decision—one that will benefit your business for years to come.
Opening a MedSpa is an exciting journey but can also be overwhelming, and decision fatigue is real. Luckily, going into business for yourself doesn’t mean doing it all on your own. Moxie can work with you to get you to find the location of your dreams and help get you up and running fast.
Looking for the perfect location for your first med spa office? Learn More About Moxie and How We Can Help You Open Your Own Med Spa >
*This article is intended to provide a general guide on what professional licenses and conditions are needed to operate a practice or perform certain treatments. This information alone does not authorize, certify, or confer the ability of anyone to perform these treatments, practice outside their scope, or violate the corporate practice of medicine.
While based on currently available information, the rules and policies on scope of practice issues and ownership can, and do, change frequently. Specific training, education, supervision, protocol and regulatory requirements will differ depending on each person's situation in their state. Therefore, each person must examine their own professional situation, skill level, regulating board guidance, and scope of practice before proceeding.
You should not act upon this information without seeking knowledgeable legal counsel that takes into account the laws of your specific jurisdiction. All uses of the content of this site, other than personal uses, are prohibited.
