7 Reasons NOT to Start a Hybrid Acupuncture Practice

<Disclaimer: LHCA is technically a hybrid practice>

Definition of a Hybrid Practice: Community Acupuncture part of the time, Private Treatments part of the time.

1. You simplify your marketing message. Can you imagine giving your “elevator speech” trying to outline the benefits of community acupuncture AND  private practice acupuncture at the same time?
2. Conserve your energy, money and focus. I really believe in the laws of attraction. You get what you think about, the harder you think about something and the more positive energy you put towards it the more of it you will get. If you are trying to hold two competing forms of practice in your mind at once, you muddy your message to the public, yourself, and the universe. 
3. Community vs private takes 2 sets of different types of rooms/equipment- that means money, folks!
4. If you are trying to do privates and community treatments simultaneously: be careful. It is difficult and distracting to switch between the two. It’s really easy to forget how much time is going by when you are in one space or the other, which leads to patient neglect. 
5. Patients can be confused by this model. "Wait, I could have gotten the same treatment for a lot less money? Dang it!" or "You've been telling me how great community acupuncture is and now you want me to do private treatments? Does this mean I've been missing out on something great?" or "Gosh I want a private treatment, but I just can't afford it, looks like I'll have to settle for 'poor man's acupuncture'...".
6. Community vs private comes down to a price point and expectations. When you want to celebrate your anniversary with something special, you don't go to Good Times. When you want a $2.00 burger and a shake you don't go to Lawry's Steakhouse. How many restaurants do you know of that offer both?
7. If you are thinking of starting a hybrid practice, look deeply into the reasons for it.  What draws you to each type of practice? What are the benefits of having both? What are the pitfalls? What could you not possibly do without? Most of all: What are you afraid of? What would you do if you knew you could not fail?

So in all fairness here are a few reasons TO have a hybrid practice:

1. It's really hard to gather all the information you need for infertility cases in 15 minutes a week. Also, these patients are likely not to want to share their information as freely in the community setting even if they are whispering. 
2. Great for people who need a private space to work through their grief or anger. 
3. We miss needletop moxa,  shiatsu, and cupping!
4. It's impossible to do Peds patients under 5 in a community room. (in my opinion)
5. Some people will get better results with the extra nutritional advice, hand-holding, talking and listening offered by this model. 
6. Obviously much easier to deal with issues located in the lower abdomen, groin, buttocks or breasts.