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How Medical Spa Practices Maximize Value With an MSO

Updated: Aug 28

Management Service Organizations, or MSOs, have revolutionized the medical spa industry by offering a solid structure for handling non-clinical corporate operations. The business is split into two parts: the medical clinic, which treats patients, and the management arm, which is in charge of hiring staff, doing accounts, and advertising. This two-level method not only ensures more seamless operation but also makes investments more interesting and enables ownership by those not doctors to be feasible and viable.

management services organization - Medical Spas - MSOs

TABLE OF CONTENT

Core Benefits of MSOs for Medical Spas

MSOs Allow for Non-Physician Owners to Own a Med Spa Practice

Regulatory landscapes vary by state, but many require non-physicians who wish to own medical aesthetic practices to do so through an MSO (management services organization). This enables experts from many backgrounds to enter the field free from the need for a medical degree.

Streamlined Administrative Operations

MSOs centralize administrative tasks such as payroll, scheduling, and marketing, creating efficiencies that individual locations would struggle to achieve on their own. This consolidation helps reduce costs and improve service delivery.

MSOs Are Highly Scalable

The scalability of MSOs makes them particularly attractive. A well-organized MSO can manage multiple locations, enabling business expansion without a proportional increase in overhead. This scalability is crucial for medical spas looking to grow their footprint.

MSOs Can Be Attractive to Private Equity Groups

Due to their operational efficiency and scalability, MSOs are attractive to private equity groups. These investors greatly increase the investment attractiveness by valuing the capacity to quickly replicate company models and combine several acquisitions under one operational umbrella.

Comparing MSO Managed vs. Non-MSO Managed Spas


MSO-managed spas often exhibit higher operational efficiencies and financial performance than non-MSO-managed spas. The structured management provided by an MSO ensures uniformity in practice operations which is less variable and more predictable than spas managed independently.

Moreover, MSOs offer economies of scale, which helps them negotiate better rates with vendors and simplify overhead expenses including marketing and payroll. Reduced running expenses and better profitability follow from this. The methodical management of an MSO also gives corporate operations consistency, therefore stabilizing operational results as well as financial ones. This stability benefits development and may increase the appeal of the spa to financiers. The MSO concept generally helps medical spas to reach improved performance and lasting financial success.

Comparing a Single-Location Med Spa and a Multi-Location MSO

A single-location spa under an MSO enjoys economies of scale and unified vendor negotiations, which are not available to independent single locations. The financials starkly favor MSOs, as illustrated by lower costs of goods sold and streamlined expenses across multiple locations.

Source: SKYTALE

 In this MSO model, the medical spa sees a reduced expenditure in COGS and fixed expenses such as accounting and marketing, thanks to the centralized services provided by the MSO. Although there is a management fee, the overall net income is higher due to more efficient operations and reduced individual site costs.


The comparison clearly shows the financial benefits of operating under an MSO. The MSO model not only decreases operational costs like COGS through economies of scale but also eliminates redundancies in accounting and marketing expenses. This leads to a higher gross profit and net income compared to the non-MSO model. Furthermore, the MSO structure lets one approach operating expenses more deliberately, which can be quite helpful for companies trying to grow to several sites.

By lowering overhead, simplifying processes, and freeing the med spa management to concentrate more on service delivery and patient care than administrative tasks, the MSO essentially offers a strategic advantage. Since this model offers a more consistent and profitable company structure to possible investors, it is particularly successful for med spas aiming to scale operations or those trying to draw investment.

Finding Financial Efficiencies in an MSO Model


MSOs optimize costs effectively. For instance, a med spa under an MSO can negotiate better terms with suppliers and service providers due to its larger scale, reducing the cost of goods sold and operational expenses compared to standalone spas.





MSOs capitalize on economies of scale to reduce costs for medical spas. Here's how they do it:

  • Bulk Purchasing: By ordering in large quantities for multiple locations, MSOs secure significant discounts, lowering per-unit costs.

  • Streamlined Services: Centralizing functions like marketing, staffing, and accounting cuts redundancies and spreads costs, reducing overall expenses.

  • Reduced Operational Expenses: MSOs streamline operations, minimizing inefficiencies and lowering costs such as utilities and administration.

  • Enhanced Negotiating Power: The collective strength of multiple locations under one MSO enhances bargaining leverage, ensuring better rates from vendors and service providers.

Legal Considerations with MSOs

MSOs must navigate complex regulatory environments, particularly around ownership and operation. Compliance with laws such as the Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute is crucial, as these laws regulate financial relationships in healthcare settings.

Irvine Bookkeeping Solution for Medspa

Irvine Bookkeeping offers specialized services tailored for medical spas managed by MSOs. They provide comprehensive financial management, from routine bookkeeping to in-depth financial analysis, ensuring that med spas not only comply with financial regulations but also optimize their financial operations for better profitability.

Conclusion

Management Service Organizations (MSOs) significantly enhance the medical spa industry by managing non-clinical operations, enabling ownership for non-physicians, and attracting investments. MSOs streamline administrative tasks and harness economies of scale, which reduce costs and increase scalability essential for growth. By centralizing functions like purchasing, marketing, and staffing, MSOs achieve greater financial efficiencies and offer a consistent quality of service across multiple locations. This standardization not only increases profitability but also makes MSO-managed spas more appealing to investors. With MSOs, medical spa professionals can focus more on patient care, driving operational effectiveness and sustainable growth in the sector.


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