A new concierge medical spa startup launched this spring bringing Botox to Chicagoland residents’ doorsteps with two ambitious goals:
- Become the country’s biggest mobile medical spa
- Empower qualified medical professionals to become entrepreneurs
If any startup can do it, it’s Pinch, led by Jacob Avraham, MD, and his childhood schoolmate, former SpotHero executive, Elan Mosbacher.
Like many good founder stories, the idea for Pinch grew out of an obvious need.
Dr. Avraham, a board-certified surgeon, witnessed a growing sense of burnout from healthcare professionals during the pandemic. Even prior to that, allied health professionals who once had been willing to work nights and weekends now had families and wanted more flexibility. “They wanted a way to work as entrepreneurs, and I wanted to build something to empower them,” says Dr. Avraham.
That’s when he called his childhood friend, Elan.
Mosbacher helped build five venture capital-funded startups, including SpotHero. He joined that business early and helped scale it to over $1 billion in lifetime sales serving millions of clients every month across 300 cities
Dr. Avraham gathered information from nurse practitioners, nurses and physician associates. They found they all wanted the same thing: more flexibility, autonomy and money. “When we asked if they could do anything, we heard repeatedly that they wanted to get into aesthetics,” says Dr. Avraham.
They launched their mobile med spa in Chicago, Illinois with national aspirations. After a soft launch in the summer of 2022, they officially started marketing Pinch in April 2024. They have over 50 nurse practitioners actively treating clients each month. Pinch Providers have treated thousands of clients in over 250 zip codes around the greater Chicagoland area. “This is just a beginning to our much bigger aspiration to be in many states, offer a flexible business opportunity to many provider types and expand our portfolio of treatment options,” says Mosbacher.
Pinch’s nurse practitioners visit clients at homes, offering four treatments:
- Botox treatments for wrinkle prevention & reduction
- Lip Filler to add or restore facial volume
- Chemical peels to improve skin texture & tone
- IV therapy to offer rapid hydration at home
Most Pinch providers work a few hours a week as a side hustle and still maintain their hospital or clinic job. Pinch makes becoming an entrepreneur significantly easier for clinicians by providing a “business in a box.”
From marketing and medical supplies to training, software and insurance, Pinch offers clinicians everything they need to succeed in the med spa business. “We hand them what they need to do this without giving up the stability of their day job,” says Mosbacher.
Pinch has created opportunities for nurse practitioners in aesthetics by building the infrastructure. Following are eight operations tips, which apply to any healthcare business or practice.
8 med spa tips from an operations expert
Ensure safety and compliance:
Prioritize safety and compliance by investing in legal, clinical and insurance support. This foundation keeps your business secure and maintains client trust and is not just worth the investment but table stakes to running a successful business.
Start small and scale gradually:
Begin with a manageable setup to gain experience and understand your market before expanding. This approach allows for controlled growth and mitigates the financial risks of going “all in” on day one.
Focus on your niche:
Specialize in serving a specific niche of clients rather than trying to cater to everyone. Excellence in a focused area can distinguish your med spa and build a loyal client base. Once you nail that first focus, you can expand from there.
Consult with experts:
Pinch collaborates with surgeons, physicians, pharma partners and aesthetics experts to develop comprehensive standard operating procedures (SOPs) and clinical guidelines. This ensures providers are well-informed and operate within best-practice frameworks.
Build an empowering culture:
Healthcare business owners, for a good reason, tend to be risk-averse. Fostering a culture of trust and empowerment means giving clinicians some autonomy within the right guardrails. Encourage providers to use their best judgment and prioritize client well-being. This approach contrasts with overly prescriptive environments and promotes a more dynamic and responsive service culture.
Create a supportive community:
Pinch offers clinicians a digital community where they can share knowledge, ask questions and support each other. This ongoing professional dialogue enhances their skills and keeps them engaged and motivated.
Leverage detailed client feedback:
After each appointment, solicit detailed client feedback about their experience, including punctuality, professionalism, comfort and satisfaction with results. Use this data to improve provider performance and client satisfaction. Take critical feedback as a gift to help remedy the specific issue and create systematic solutions to avoid a similar problem arising again.
Be digitally native:
In a world with Instacart and Amazon, consumers welcome healthcare platforms built on digital solutions that make appointments and communications seamless. This enhances client convenience, streamlines operational processes and helps maintain a digital trail for compliance.
Learn more about med spa liability insurance tailored to your practice needs. By protecting your assets, license and reputation, CM&F’s superior professional liability insurance brings peace of mind to med spa owners.
