Lisa Hellwege, Founder of Earworx
In 2016, registered nurse Lisa Hellwege launched Earworx, a specialist ear cleaning clinic. This was after recognising a gap in the Australian market.
Earworx was born from an idea late one evening at the dining room table. Nine years and 23 clinics later, Lisa’s instincts were correct. Initially, Earworx treated 15 patients in its first month with minimal advertising. Today, they run the largest network of Australian professional earwax removal clinics. And there’s plans for further business growth. Today, the business serves between 5,500 and 6,000 patients every month.
Earworx is dedicated to innovation, accessibility and delivering exceptional patient care. Their commitment saw them win the National Championing Health Award at the 2024 Telstra Best of Business Awards.
Cleaning ears requires exceptional attention to detail and patience. It's much like the journey from starting a business to scaling it up to a national network. Driven by detailed planning, rigorous training and a focus on exceptional customer experience.
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Earworx provides the highest standards of patient care. Registered Nurses run all clinics, who are specially trained in microsuction techniques.
“People believe cleaning their ears is simple. But literature tells us that 1 in 1000 water syringing procedures can lead to a major complication. Without the help of a professional, eardrum perforation is the most common issue,” says Lisa. “We’ve done over 407,000 microsuction procedures without a major issue.”
The appetite for training is strong for most Australian workers. Telstra’s Tech State of Play report found 64% think training is important. Lisa also believes the success rate of Earworx procedures and zero major complication rate is due to their comprehensive training program.
All nurses have extensive theoretical training developed in-house. They must also complete a nationally accredited Earworx course in Aural Care, followed by an extended practical training placement; this being the key to safe and general practice.
“We broke the mould by having a nurse-led service,” says Lisa. This, alongside their other innovative business ideas, has made professional ear care more accessible and affordable. It caters to a broader market. They appreciate treatment from highly-skilled nurses outside a specialist medical facility.
Operating many Earworx clinics nationwide takes more than clinical excellence. The team’s dedication to effective business strategy was a foundation for successful business growth. Lisa made the transition from clinician to business leader. This required a brand new skill set in organisation and management. Working alongside her partner Scott Marston, has been a valuable source of support.
We’ve been very deliberate in how we’ve structured things, you’ve got to make sure your foundations are in place. The bigger the house, the bigger the family!
- Scott Marston, Chief Executive Officer at Earworx.
This approach was essential to delivering a consistent standard of quality care. Managing a decentralised regional service requires many things. This includes an investment in technology, a fast and reliable internet connection, effective communication channels and strong collaboration systems. Everything is documented in detail, from clinical matters to administrative tasks. “We’ve got our policies and procedures to a point where a trained actor can come in and do them!” says Lisa.
With 40% of their network in regional Australia, Lisa knows being connected through professional learning and development is important. This has helped set the wider Earworx team up for success.
Earworx clinic managers are empowered to solve their own problems. They can also share their own experiences. This means they don't need constant supervision from head office.
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The dedication to detail around training and development has certainly paid off. With more and more people being treated, it means other Earworx locations can be opened where they are needed.
People no longer need to travel hours for this service. It’s all about access and equity for us
- Lisa Hellwege, Founder Earworx
Marketing has also played a key role in executing their business ideas. When starting their business initially, Earworx invested in advertising to raise awareness about its services. Once patients experience the quality service at Earworx clinics, they become loyal customers.
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At this point, the marketing strategy shifts towards educating people; particularly the need for lifelong ear care. Social media is a great way to help with this. This helps encourage repeat business and word-of-mouth recommendations. It also helps to build a loyal community without the need for costly ads. A strong brand reputation has also helped when opening Earworx clinics in new regions, states and remote areas.
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Earworx plans to continue its business growth. It's aiming for significant expansion over the next 12 to 18 months. The company is well-prepared for this next phase. It has solid structures, teams and market analysis in place.
“It’s like the Olympics,” laughs Scott. “We’ve been training for years, we’re now at the start line, and we’re ready to explode out the blocks.”
Having come this far, what advice would they have given to themselves when starting out?
“Hasten slowly,” says Scott. “We put an enormous amount of pressure on ourselves because we didn’t have the foundations right. Now, we’re very considered with our business growth.”
“Be kind to yourself as you get out there and do things outside of your comfort zone,” adds Lisa. “Humility is a skill!”
And what about advice for others looking to start a business or scale up?
“Just make a start and get it done!” says Lisa. “It doesn’t have to be perfect. Create the environment for change and be the disruptor the market needs.”
“We took the risk, sold our house and went all in on the business idea because we believed in it. And we’re very glad that we did.”
Thousands of satisfied patients across Australia must be very glad, too.
This article does not necessarily reflect the views of Telstra or its staff.
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