Acupuncture from a rented treatment room

Individual clients who book and pay you directly for each appointment, often through word of mouth, local searches or referrals from neighbouring therapists.

A fee per appointment, with longer first consultations and shorter follow-ups. Some practitioners add herbal prescriptions or sell block bookings. Your main cost is the room rent.

• Recognised training in acupuncture or East Asian medicine
• Good listening and clear communication
• Careful record keeping and hygiene
• Basic self-promotion and booking admin

• Professional indemnity and public liability insurance, which professional bodies and room providers usually ask for
• Check with your local council whether you and the premises need to register for acupuncture or skin piercing, as rules vary by area
• Chinese herbal products have their own rules on sourcing and what can be supplied, so check with the MHRA before offering them
• Advertising health claims must follow ASA and CAP rules, so check before you promote treatments
• Client health records are personal data, so check your data protection and ICO registration duties
• Income can be slow to build, so keep your costs low and your other income going at first

Startup costs are estimated at typically around £1,500 to £6,000, depending on equipment, insurance and how you promote the practice. Renting by the day or half-day keeps fixed costs low while you build clients.

Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around £600 to £3,000, depending on how many sessions you rent and how quickly clients book. Income can be slow to build, so keep costs low and other income going at first.

Check with your local council whether you and the premises need to register for acupuncture or skin piercing, as rules vary by area. Also check insurance requirements, ASA and CAP advertising rules, and data protection and ICO duties for client records.