New Home Health Agency...failing

[LJ85, ADN, BSN, CNA, LPN]

Hi,

I was recently approached to be a partner in starting up a home health agency from scratch. The two others in the partnership have zero experience in the medical field. We have gotten as far as receiving the state license, which is a great accomplishment, but as for the business end, were really struggling to find clients and get out of the red. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm grasping at straws here...

[NedRN]

You need referrals. Wine and dine case managers, hospitalists, and primary care practitioners. Rehab centers and nursing homes. You can network in social organizations such as churches.

Of course the big hat trick is to scale, finding and hiring nurses as you acquire clients. If you are too successful, things can get away from you and your reputation will suffer. A delicate balance to be sure that every successful business experiences.

To be honest, you may be in over your head. The best bet in starting businesses is in your area of expertise. For example, I'm a travel nurse. I've leveraged that knowledge now to start an agency and two other travel nurse related businesses.

Ideally, a home health business should be started by a home health nurse or the close family member of one and leverage that specific knowledge and contacts. You can accumulate business knowledge as you ramp up much easier than you can get 10 years of industry experience.