Help with starting nursing agency

dishes, BSN, RN · Mar 1, 2015

I do not have any experience, but if I was considering starting a business I would start by reading articles and books on the topic. The national nurses business association com has an interesting article on starting a nursing agency, it also has book recommendations. After reading articles and books, I would consider taking a nurse business/entrepreneur workshop or course in order to become fully informed before making the change from bedside to business.

nurse agency · Mar 1, 2015

Thanks for the response. I did all of what you said but still I need a consultant/expert to navigate me through the system. There are so many details that I need advice on.Do you have any other ideas?

dishes, BSN, RN · Mar 1, 2015

I would need advice on the details as well, I think after reading books and taking a workshop, I would develop a basic business plan and then consult with a CPA to tweak the business plan. I would be interested in the human resources aspect of running a nursing agency, so I would take a human resource certificate program through my local university.

dishes, BSN, RN · Mar 1, 2015

One idea I can suggest, is to join the nurse entrepreneur speciality interest group of the florida nursing association, hopefully once you are involved with the group, some members will share their experience and tips with you.

HarryTheCat, MSN, RN · Mar 1, 2015

A few of other things you might want to consider would be:

1. A lawyer, to help you set up a corporation, Sub-S, or LLC.

2. An HR outsourcing company to handle payroll, withholdings, insurance, background checks and all that other nitty-gritty stuff, at least initially while you're getting things up and running. As you grow your business you can add staff to handle these things, if it's cost effective.

3. A banker who is small-business friendly. You will probably be starting out with only whatever cash you have in the bank to get off the ground, but later on you will need a line of credit to get through the usual ups and downs of your revenue cycle. Customers don't always pay on time, but you still need to meet payroll.

Be prepared to wear a lot of different hats at the outset. You'll not only be the CEO, but the CFO, Chief Marketing Officer, Sales Manager and Sales Rep (you'll be knocking on lots of doors and making a bazillion phone calls to get business!). You'll probably also do the recruiting, employee counseling, terminations, etc.

The idea of a CPA to help develop your business plan is excellent advice. They can also help steer you through the tax minefields and the accounting pitfalls that come with running a business. I have also found them to be a good "sanity check" when it comes to understanding what it takes to have a successful business start-up. Just when you think you know what it will cost, double that number, then double it again. And remember that slow, steady growth is the best way to develop your business model. It's easier to tweak it when it's small, making the adjustments you need to survive. A meteoric rise is often followed by a spectacular fireball plummeting to earth.

Good luck!

lovinglife2015 · Mar 2, 2015

If you have to ask then you're not actually starting a nursing agency, but rather thinking about it.