After graduating with a Doctorate of Pharmacy, you may be wondering what next? A few different career paths are open to you now, and many in your position will consider opening their own dispensary. If this is something you want to pursue, you’ll want to make sure you’re prepared for the journey ahead. As with starting any business, there are a number of things you’ll need to think about to ensure things progress smoothly. To help, we’ve put together a few tips for starting your own pharmacy after you graduate.
Keep An Eye On Competitors
It’s highly unlikely that you’ll set up a pharmacy that has no competition from other nearby establishments, and so, just as with any other small business, you’ll want to keep an eye on those competitors. This will give you an idea as to what tactics they employ to increase the footfall of customers, such as special discounts, a wider range of stock, and specialised services. As well as this, a pharmacy is essentially a shop, so it’s important to implement a good pharmacy floor plan. This will help to encourage customers to purchase certain things which they may not have spotted if you hadn’t optimised your shop’s layout.
Be Customer Focused
The way you treat your customers will have a stark impact on your pharmacy’s success, so it’s incredibly important to ensure that you and your team are as friendly and caring as possible. If you hire a team that isn’t charismatic and generally emits unwelcoming energy, you might find customers heading to competitors in the future. As well as this, you’ll want to find ways to cater to as many people as possible, which means being able to provide information in multiple languages. You could utilise a medical translation service like that from My Language Connection, allowing you to translate important information documents as well as medication instructions to ensure that your patients feel confident and considered.
Consider Your Stock Carefully
While you’re going to be making a majority of your income via NHS dispensing and services, you’ll also be able to make some profit from private healthcare services too. As well as this, you’ll be able to stock a range of health and beauty products and similar items, turning your small pharmacy into a very useful space for locals. It’s important to consider what the public would consider purchasing from your pharmacy. If you’re located some way away from shops, you can essentially function as a convenience store, selling soaps and other hygiene products to customers who may be pressed for time. You could also sell snacks and drinks too.
Advertise Your Business
Marketing is very important for your pharmacy business, especially if you’re dealing with nearby competitors as well. Your marketing can include physical content such as posters, leaflets and adverts in local newspapers, and also digital marketing content posted on social media. This can all serve to attract people to your pharmacy and showcase any deals or services you’re offering to the public. Businesses also need to have some form of social media presence, whether they have their own social media manager or choose to outsource their social media efforts to an external team. Outsourcing can be a great choice as it can help you to reduce your spending by removing the need for a dedicated marketing professional.
