Opening a med spa comes with a lot of excitement—and a lot of paperwork.

The good news? You don’t need a wall of three-inch binders to be compliant or successful.

In reality, most med spas can stay organized (and inspection-ready) with 5–6 core binders. Whether they live physically on a shelf or digitally in Google Drive, these binders create the backbone of a compliant, well-run practice.

Below is a plain-English breakdown of what you need, what goes in each binder, and the easiest way to create them.

1. Policies & Procedures Binder

(AKA: “How We Run This Place”)

This binder explains how your med spa operates day-to-day. Inspectors, consultants, and even new hires will ask for this first.

What goes inside:

• Scope of services offered
• Delegation & supervision rules
• Provider roles & responsibilities
• Incident reporting procedures
• Emergency protocols
• Documentation standards
• Telehealth or virtual consult policies (if applicable)

Easy way to make it:

• Start with a Google Doc and use headings for each policy
• Canva has simple Policy & Procedure templates you can customize
• Keep it digital so updates are painless

2. Clinical Protocols Binder

(Your “How Treatments Are Performed” Playbook)

This binder outlines how each service is safely delivered.

What goes inside:

• Treatment protocols (Botox, fillers, lasers, microneedling, etc.)
• Pre-treatment requirements
• Contraindications
• Post-treatment care instructions
• Adverse event response steps

Pro tip:

Protocols should match what your providers are actually doing in the treatment room.

Easy way to make it:

• One Google Doc or PDF per treatment
• Use bullet points, not paragraphs
• Store digitally so providers can access them quickly

3. Consent Forms Binder

(Client Protection + Legal Protection)

Every med spa needs clear, signed consents—and they must match the treatments you offer.

What goes inside:

• General med spa consent
• Treatment-specific consents
• Photography / marketing consent
• Financial responsibility & cancellation policies

Easy way to make it:

• Draft forms in Google Docs
• Convert to fillable PDFs
• Better yet: use a system (like Reviva) that stores consents directly in the client chart

4. OSHA & Safety Binder

(Staff Safety + Compliance)

This binder focuses on employee safety and workplace standards.

What goes inside:

• OSHA exposure control plan
• Blood-borne pathogens policy
• Sharps disposal procedures
• MSDS / SDS sheets
• Workplace injury reporting

Easy way to make it:

• OSHA provides free templates
• SDS sheets can be downloaded from product manufacturers
• Keep this binder easily accessible to staff

5. HIPAA & Privacy Binder

(Protecting Patient Information)

If you handle patient data (you do), you need HIPAA documentation—even if your spa is small.

What goes inside:

• HIPAA privacy policy
• Breach notification process
• Business Associate Agreements (BAAs)
• Staff HIPAA training acknowledgment forms

Easy way to make it:

• Start with a HIPAA template
• Store BAAs digitally
• Update annually or when vendors change

6. HR & Training Binder

(Optional—but Highly Recommended)

This binder keeps your team aligned and protected.

What goes inside:

• Job descriptions
• New hire onboarding checklist
• Training documentation
• Continuing education records
• Employee acknowledgments

Easy way to make it:

• Shared Google Drive folder by employee
• Simple onboarding checklist in Canva or Google Sheets

Physical vs Digital Binders (Which Is Better?)

Short answer: Digital wins.

Most modern med spas:

• Keep digital binders in Google Drive
• Print only what inspectors or landlords require
• Control access permissions by role

Digital = easier updates, cleaner audits, less stress.

Where Reviva Fits In

While binders are important, your software should carry most of the weight:

• Consents stored in the patient chart
• Treatment documentation tied to protocols
• Audit-ready records without digging through folders

The goal isn’t paperwork—it’s clarity, safety, and scalability.

Final Thought

If you’re opening a med spa, don’t let “compliance” overwhelm you.

Start simple. Build clean systems. Keep everything organized from day one.

And remember:

A well-run med spa isn’t about more binders—it’s about better ones.