Sundardas Naturopathic Clinic is the earliest integrated Natural Medicine clinic in Singapore
THE GENESIS OF SUNDARDAS NATUROPATHIC CLINIC PTE LTD
Sundardas Naturopathic Clinic (SNC) overview
Sundardas Naturopathic Clinic is the earliest integrated Natural Medicine clinic in Singapore. It took over from Natural Therapies Research Centre that now focusses on clinical research and development. Collectively these organisations have served the community for more than 30 years.
The focus of the clinic was to provide choices for people to lead healthy, happy, high quality lives. To manage the challenge of aging gracefully while containing the toxicity that affects us all today.
Since its inception in 1989, the practice has evolved from traditional naturopathy to a potent combination of functional naturopathy and technology. While still utilizing traditional rapport with clients and natural medicines, cutting-edge equipment and technology has been integrated into diagnose as well as manage significant health issues.
The clinic deals with typical health issues in Singapore, such as weight management difficulties, digestive health, sleep problems, hormone imbalances, ageing, pre-dementia and in genetic and epigenetic testing for disease prevention and anti-ageing. It also offers one on one and group programs.
The clinic provides a wide range of therapies from Naturopathy, Homoeopathy, Osteopathy, Acupuncture, Detoxification using Bio-resonance and other therapies. Also offers somatic healing therapies. The clinic at different stages won more than 5 awards and has been featured in the media and press for 30 years.
The clinic is primed to address the growing need to provide natural healing and drug free solutions for people who otherwise would continue suffering.
Business Strategies
The Singapore market was initially antagonistic to Naturopathy thirty-five years ago. The market only understood Western Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Naturopathic medicine needed to be introduced in a very different fashion. Hence clinical services were introduced as Functional Naturopathy with testing and technology.
This allowed market penetration. In the early years (thirty-five years ago) most naturopaths who came to Singapore, gave up after three to five years.
Natural Therapies Research Centre spearheaded the introduction of an integrative and scientific platform for Naturopathy, Homoeopathy, Acupuncture, Manual Medicine, Energy Medicine and Mind-Body Medicine. The solutions provided include nutrition, diet, lifestyle, homoeopathy, herbal medicine, manual medicine, emotional modulation, energy medicine and finally a maintenance lifestyle.
It was the first centre in Asia to use all of these approaches according to the tenets of Functional Medicine. It became the first centre in South-East Asia to achieve ISO status in 2004.
The first bio-energetic equipment was added in 1993. Continuous updates and training in the latest breakthroughs in Complementary Medicine from around the world have been integrated into the NTC system thereafter. With the special NTC clinical diagnostic protocol,
In the first five years of the practice the founder (Dr Sundardas) wrote two regular magazine columns, ran a radio-show for a year and a regular schedule of talks, seminars and programs. The magazines that he wrote for were delighted to host programs for him.
Current Strategies
· Focussed marketing on our front-end programs that include digestive health, pain management, weight loss and autism.
· Regular email newsletters
· Introduction of new and relevant services based on market research (ie programs for Gut Brain rehabilitation, Brain rehabilitation programs, Inches loss program)
· Providing ongoing support to current clients by addressing their ongoing concerns
· Introducing online testing and consultation services
· Regular public outreach programs with channel partners
· We also developed an App to support existing client and to reach out to new clients
https://freemindapp.yourmindstrategy.com/
Key Differentiators
- Licensed Naturopath, Acupuncturist, Functional Medicine, Osteopath and Clinical Nutritionist for 34 years
- Varying client profile from different regions of the world including India, Dubai, Singapore, United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Africa, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Indonesia (15,000 clients)
- Integrated services under one roof
Founder’s Story and Business Journey
Early Childhood
Sundardas was born with congenital birth defects (cleft lip and cleft palate). Surgeries and drugs to correct this led to secondary damage. By age seven,he was left with speech disabilities, hearing handicap and Aspergers. He needed to solve the challenges posed by all these issues.
Overview of Dr Sundardas D Annamalay’s Background
Dr Sundardas D Annamalay BSc, BNsc(Hons), ND, PhD, MD(MA), DSc, CFMP CST-D
Dr Sundardas D Annamalay is a multiple award-winning entrepreneur, Amazon best-selling author, Professor of Natural Medicine and Naturopath, Homoeopath, Acupuncturist and Clinical Nutritionist, Functional Medicine Specialist practicing in Singapore for the last thirty- five years.
He is CEO of NTC Alliance Group of Companies. He has seen upwards to 15,000 clients from more than 30 countries, spoken in and presented in more than 12 countries.
After completing his first degree in Physics at 24, he went on to study Natural Medicine. After completing his undergraduate studies in Acupuncture, Naturopathy and Homeopathy and manual medicine, he continued to study with the leading researchers, physicians and practitioners around the world.
This included Bio-reasonance in Germany with Martin Keymer, Acupuncture systems in Taiwan, Sri Lanka with Dr Anton Jayasuriya and Functional Medicine in the United States and European Biological Medicine with Dr Thomas Rau of Paracelsus Clinic in Switzerland. He also had the good fortune to study with Jean-Pierre Barral and Alain Croiber. He is also a Diplomate in Anti-Ageing Medicine with American Academy for Anti-Ageing Medicine.
Dr. Sundardas, founder of the clinic is well known as a determined researcher into the mind-body-biochemical causes of chronic illness and wellness medicine. He pioneered bio-energetic medicine and functional medicine in Singapore. He formalized a Diagnostic Protocol and NTRC Healing System which allows the centre to handle a broad spectrum of difficult to solve health problems. The Naturopathic Diagnostic Laboratory is his brainchild.
Early Business Challenges
There were multiple challenges in the early years which included the following:
a) Originally the Ministry of Health did not even have a classification for our business but we still needed to get permission from them to start the business.
b) Singaporean perspective about wellness and health. The relative lack of awareness about preventive health.
c) Ignorance about the difference in educational standards of licensed healthcare like Naturopaths, Osteopaths and Chiropractors and unlicensed healthcare providers.
d) Financial challenges about creating a new business and staying profitable and sustainable.
Business Development Framework
The first step that made all this possible was completing the ISO certification in 2004. We were fortunate that the SPRING grant (Singapore government grant) allowed us to complete the ISO faster. We formalized operation practices, personnel training and facilities management in our ISO certification. We have a Continous Improvement (CIP) System in place. This means that when we identify a problem or a protocol has been breached we call a meeting within 1 to 3 days to identify what went wrong and how to improve it. We generate a report and make this part of the new protocol within a week of the triggering incident.
We developed training and protocol manuals for all of the existing training and maintenance of equipment, operational procedures, personnel training and facilities maintenance and upgrading.
Prior to the ISO certification we invested approximately $ 2 million in training and research. After the ISO certification we continued to spend on the average $20-30K annually on research and development.
The Opportunities the Business Market is facing
The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) defines wellness as the active pursuit of activities, choices, and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health. According to this definition, wellness is not a passive state, but rather an “active pursuit” that is associated with intentions, choices, and actions. Wellness also extends beyond physical health and incorporates many dimensions, including the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, and environmental dimensions.
The wellness economy encompasses industries that enable consumers to incorporate wellness activities and lifestyles into their daily lives. We estimate that the global wellness economy grew from $4.3 trillion1 in 2017 to $4.9 trillion in 2019, or by 6.6% annually, a growth rate significantly higher than global economic growth (4.0%).2 In 2020, the wellness economy fell by 11.0%, to $4.4 trillion (while global GDP declined by 2.8%)[email protected]
We plan to take advantage of this by offering wellness themes communities that include wellness styles homes with proprietary equipment our partners have developed with gut brain focussed clinics and associated services attached. The first such project will be in Asia. We are currently raising funding.
a) A cohesive system of multiple systems of Complementary Medical Systems
b) Diagnosis and treatment systems can be standardized
c) There is sufficient documentation every step of the way
d) The system has stood the test of time (ie 20 years of reproducible results)
e) This is the first such system in South East Asia
f) The system is capable of being reproduced in other locations
g) Medical doctors can be cross-trained in these disciplines
h) Making wellness available on a mass scale
We plan to take advantage of this by offering wellness themes communities that include wellness styles homes with proprietary equipment our partners have developed with gut brain focussed clinics and associated services attached. The first such project will be in Asia. We are currently raising funding.
@ The Global Wellness Economy: Country Rankings (2022), https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/industry-research/2022-global-wellness-economy-country-rankings/
Advice to others about business
You can choose to grow your business organically or structurally like a startup. Either way the steps are similar except your margin of error is a lot smaller as a startup.
1) Identify your niche (Ensure your niche is significant)
2) Identify your avatar for the niche
3) Work out the service of product you wish to offer
4) Create a minimum viable product (MVP) and see how your avatar responds
5) Work out your communication packages. If you can’t say what you want to get across in 30 seconds or less keep reworking
Examples: 1) Lose Inches while you lie down on a bed (Weight issues)
2) Boost your memory and brain power (Brain enhancement)
3) Stop feeling bloated and enjoy what you eat (Digestive issues)
4) Be able to get a good night’s sleep (anxiety and insomnia)
5) Your child will smile at you and say mummy (Autistics)
All the above are programs and niches Sundardas Naturopathic Clinic has significant experience in.
Many of our co-founders for our new startup all have their own businesses. We are combining our collective experiences of building up our businesses organically to put together a startup that will put together wellness styles homes with proprietary equipment our partners have developed together with gut brain focussed clinics and associated services attached (Items 1-4). https://www.renewlifes.com/
We are in the process of raising USD$25 million for this project with a projected ROI of 30%. So pick either the organic growth model or the structural model like a start-up but test everything every step of the way.
Lessons learnt from running this business
What is interesting is the longer I stay in business, the more I am aware of all the things I can do but how little resources I actually have to do them. Else, I work at improving the marketing of current offerings.
1. Reviewed existing businesses
2. Identified limiting frameworks
3. Identified gaps
4. Corrected gaps with training, new staff and other resources
5. Designed execution plans
Ksenia Sobchak enjoys blogging on fashion, style, lifestyle, love and CBD areas. Prior to becoming a blogger, Ksenia worked for a renowned fashion brand. Ksenia is a contributing author to leading fashion, lifestyle and CBD magazines and blogs. You can bump into Ksenia at her favourite cafe in South Kensington where she has written most blogs. Ksenia is a staunch advocate of CBD and its benefits to people. Ksenia is also on the panel of CBD reviewers at CBD Life Mag and Chill Hempire. Her favourite form of CBD are CBD gummies and CBD tinctures. Ksenia is a regular contributor at leading fashion, lifestyle as well as CBD magazines and blogs.
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