How to start a corporate wellness company

I would have a well-thought out business plan. Be prepared to articulate to your potential clients what your mission and philosophy is and how you can help them improve the overall health and wellness of their employees. This means being comfortable presenting to a board of directors or a group of top-level executives. Keep in mind that health and wellness translates into dollars saved for a company, which is the main benefit to that company. If you want their business, you show them how your program can save money, and specifically how much. You’ll have to find data, studies and statistics supporting your claims of what unhealthy, sedentary employees cost companies like theirs on an annual basis, for example, and what all the benefits of a wellness program are for both company and employee. That’s the hard part. You’ll also need to find out who (if anyone) provides insurance benefits for the company, as it will be helpful to be networked with those folks and find out what they offer/cover as part of their contract with the company. You’ll need to have your wellness packages (different options, tiers, etc.) priced out so the company will know what they’re getting and at what cost, and they’ll be able to see how much they’ll save in healthcare costs after paying you. Use LinkedIn and any other networking connections you can find to make contact with their HR or executive-level staff. Be prepared for any unexpected obstacles that you’ll be confronted with. Once you’re in, offer your services to HR in helping them reach employees to encourage participation and compliance (newsletters, fb group, etc.). Be involved in as many company social functions as you can to build a great networking system. I’m told that the new healthcare guidelines coming down the pipeline will regulate wellness programs (design, content, incentives, and ensuring non-discrimination for disabled employees), so factor those regulations in when developing your program. I’m sure the company’s HR will ultimately be responsible for compliance, however. And remember, one company can bring another one.

Best,
harris