Interview in December 2024 - Viacheslav Botvinyev & an anonymous cosmetologist

When did you start the practice and when was the clinic founded?

I have been in the practice of cosmetology for 12 years and my clinic was founded 3 years ago.

What was the reason why you wanted to open the business?

I am a member of a medical surgeon dynasty and it was coded in my genes.

How was the clinic established from organizational aspects?

Firstly it required renting premises, obtaining a license that is a lengthy process, recruitment of staff. At the start we had only 4 staff members and now we have 12.

How much investment did you need to set up the clinic? I guess this is a Moscow city average for clinics at this level.

Firstly, it required a lot of investment for hardware. The rent is 150,000 rubles a month and all the preparations cost roughly 1.5 million rubles.

Do you collaborate with anyone? Is it common in the business to collaborate?

I have not heard of many collaborations in the sector. Maybe it can happen with very few but I don’t generally do it. Although, I have a mentor who helped me in setting up and modernising the business.

How many clients do you see in a day on average?

In general, I have 7 to 12 clients per day.

What is the monthly annual income of this level of clinics in the city?

I would say somewhere between 2 to 10 million rubles.

What is the recent customer satisfaction rate (1 to 10)?

It is a solid 8 that I am really not happy with. I know it is not possible to satisfy everyone but there is still some work to do.

What has been significantly developed in the last 3 years? Can you name the most significant changes you implemented?

There has been an expansion of the team and the hardware base has become larger and modernised.

What factors could negatively affect the business?

A lot of factors but the most important ones are: financial crisis and negative feedback.