The VIP Route to Steady Cashflow

Running an aesthetic, cosmetic, or medical clinic is often born out of passion, but it must also be profitable. And right now, it’s tougher than ever to sustain a clinic with rising operational costs and clients feeling the pinch. Aesthetic practitioners are also impacted by the fact that the volume, average spend, and regularity of clients coming through the door are not predetermined. 

That’s why ensuring consistent, predictable cash flow is vital - not only to survive, but to grow and thrive. Alan S. Adams, Director of The Clinic Coach, shares his three top tips to improve your cash flow that’s a win for both you and your clients …

1. Stop starting each month on zero - Introduce VIP memberships
Most clinics begin each month with their confirmed income at zero, working flat out all month to hit their targets, only to repeat the cycle again the next month. This reactive model creates stress and unpredictability, and simply isn’t sustainable.

To avoid this, introduce exclusive membership packages or a VIP Club - where clients pay a monthly subscription in exchange for valuable benefits, for example £150 per month for £200+ worth of treatments, priority booking or VIP time slots during peak times, and early access to new treatments or exclusive bonuses. 

It’s important to tailor your VIP membership to what your clients actually value, so create avatars for your customers. Delve into their psychological drivers and desires, really taking the time to understand their needs, preferences, and spending behaviour. Only once you know what value looks and feels like to them, can you ensure you’re making an offer they can’t refuse. And even just twenty members at £150 per month can generate £3,000 in recurring revenue before you even open your doors, creating a stable baseline cash flow and greater customer loyalty.

2. Add tiered pricing options to maximise revenue
Not all clients want the same experience, so why offer them the same deal? Introducing tiered membership options allows your clinic to cater to different budgets while increasing total monthly income. 

For instance, a bronze subscription at £100 per month might include treatments worth £125 plus early access to products, silver might cost £150 per month and provide treatments worth £200 in addition to seasonal gifts. And a top-tier platinum subscription at £250 per month might offer £325+ value in treatments, along with exclusive discounts and VIP sessions. This approach appeals to a broader audience and encourages upselling. And it makes premium clients feel genuinely valued, further strengthening their loyalty and lifetime value.

It’s important to avoid rigid, long-term tie-ins though. According to an Ofcom research report in 2020, today’s consumers crave flexibility, so while the idea is to enhance (and steady) your cashflow, you must make cancellation easy - but design the offer so irresistible that they won’t want to leave.

3. Create an exceptional client experience that builds trust and loyalty
Cash flow isn’t just about pricing; it’s about client relationships, so once you’ve scoped the added-value membership, the next step is to spread the word and generate awareness. One of the most effective ways to do this could be to officially launch it at an event. Invite your very best clients, and announce your brand-new offers and the abundance of exclusive benefits. Not all of them will join there-and-then, but for the more considered customers who do go home to mull it over before signing on the dotted line, you can follow up this event with a series of communications. 

The event will provide a useful opportunity to gauge interest, generate feedback, and note any potential improvements which you can take on board to be able to deliver real value. 

Put yourself into the shoes of your newly created avatars in order to remove any potential barriers to booking - what do they need in order to enjoy a smooth and seamless service? Address physical barriers like parking, local transport, accessibility, or inconvenient hours - for instance, could you reserve VIP appointment times for busy professionals? 

Ensure you tackle psychological barriers too. Trust is vital in the aesthetics industry - customers must be able to trust your team, your clinic, and your treatments. Offer regular drop-in sessions or consultations as part of your membership to talk through new treatments, reassure nervous clients, and answer any questions. Remember that trust breeds loyalty, and loyal clients are far more likely to commit to memberships and spend more over time.

Any exclusive VIP memberships can (and should) be regularly tailored or tweaked, whether that’s based on customer feedback or the changing world of aesthetics. Don’t be afraid to be creative. It’s intended to be exciting, exclusive, and indulgent for your customers. And so make sure it is. 

Having a secure and sufficient cash flow is always important, but especially so in the current climate. Introducing schemes and initiatives, such as VIP Clubs and exclusive memberships, will be a win for both you and your clients, not only in the added extras they’ll receive, but also because you’ll be in a much better position to work on your business (and not in it). And the result? You can step out of survival mode and into strategic growth, making better decisions and choosing investments that really matter to the future of your clinic and the services you’re able to offer.