HOME MEDICAL PROVIDERS have millions of compelling reasons to make women's health their business. About 105 million, to be exact.

According to May 1999 statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau, that's the population of women in the country aged 18 and over. It's a number not easily dismissed, especially because women-who outnumber and outlive men-typically make the majority of health care decisions and purchases for their families, and might themselves have a variety of specialized health care needs, experts say.

"Probably 70 to 80 percent of our business comes from women buying DME or home health supplies for themselves or people they're caring for," says Phyllis Harvey, a supervisor at North Star Medical Equipment, a full-service HME provider in Virginia, Minn. In the 13 years she has worked at North Star, the company has derived an increasing chunk of its revenues from women's health products-post-mastectomy breast forms and bras, breast pumps, incontinence products and compression socks, among them- Harvey says.

Market Drivers NORTH STAR'S GROWTH is not surprising, considering some current statistics on women's health:

* About 180,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998, and an estimated 1.5 million women will be diagnosed in this decade, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Because of early detection and treatment, the chances of surviving breast cancer are also improving.

* Between 12 and 35 percent of breast cancer patients who have had a mastectomy or lumpectomy with radiation develop lymphedema, a swelling of a body part due to an accumulation of lymph fluid, according to Peninsula Medical, a Scotts Valley, Calif.-based manufacturer of compression therapy products.

* Half of all women will experience urinary incontinence at some point in their lives, says the American Urological Association.

* About 3.95 million babies were born in 1998, report the National Center for Health Statistics and American Academy of Pediatrics. What's more, a significant proportion of new mothers breast-feed their infants for at least a few months.

Obviously, women's health needs are many-and it makes for a vital HME market. The annual growth rate in sales of breast forms alone is expected to be about 6 percent, topping $114 million in 2000, according to Theta Reports, a health care research company in New York.

As the market grows, so do the product lines, which now even include skin care items. Harvey also points out that the types of products available to meet women's health needs have dramatically improved over the years. "When I started in the business, a lot of women's health issues were on the back burner," she says. The products reflected that fact. Most breast prostheses and post-mastectomy bras, for example, were "unacceptable" in how they looked and fit. "I wouldn't have wanted to wear those," Harvey says. "But now the bras and forms are beautiful and patient-friendly."

Treatment advances drive changes in product offerings, as well. For example, when some women began opting for lumpectomies instead of mastectomies, new types of breast-form products were developed, says Angela Ryan, special projects manager in the breast care marketing department of Marietta, Ga.-based Coloplast, which manufactures Amoena products.

Yet while both the demand and the products are there, some providers are reluctant to get involved in the women's health market, believing that those products are not covered by reimbursement. Such is not the case, market experts say. Soft camisoles for women to wear immediately after breast surgery, post-surgery bras and breast prostheses are generally covered by Medicare or private insurers. In addition, compression therapy products are often covered, as are some pre- and post-natal products, like back supports for pregnant women with medical needs and electronic breast pumps when babies aren't nursing properly.

There's even good news about the non-covered items such as incontinence products, skin care goods, wigs, hats and turbans. They may not be reimbursable, but they can help increase your cash flow.

Tapping the Market WHILE THE REASONS for entering the women's health market are compelling, tapping into it is challenging, experts say. "To do well in women's health, you have to be a good retailer," says Vicki Jones, founder of the Women's Health Boutique franchise system and owner of one of the stores in Longview, Texas.

You can succeed in the women's health market, say Jones and other experts, if you commit the proper resources, energy and enthusiasm. Here are their top nine tips.

* Build solid professional relationships.

Building good relationships with insurers, physicians, surgeons and other health professionals is one of the keys to success in the women's health market, say HME providers, women's health boutique owners and manufacturers.

"When you open a mastectomy line or mastectomy-related business, you need to get out in the community and let people know what you're doing," says Linda Jackson, president of Ladies First, a Salem, Ore.-based manufacturer of post-mastectomy products. "People won't come to you if they don't know about you. You need to show surgeons and oncologists what you can offer their patients."

* Serve the community. HME providers that carry women's health products go well beyond traditional advertising to get the word out to customers. Many, for example, provide information and education through nonprofit health-related organizations and support groups.

Knueppel HealthCare Services in Milwaukee-a provider of women's health products, medical supplies and equipment, and rehab equipment-co-hosts an annual breast cancer forum in conjunction with the American Cancer Society. About 400 people attended the most recent event, which featured educational sessions ranging from salon advice to the latest trends in surgeries and biopsies, says Cindy Ciardo, Knueppel's director of operations. Knueppel also hosts an annual fashion show featuring models who have had breast cancer surgery.

"The goal is for women in the audience to draw strength from every-day people who are conquering the disease, whether it's a woman with a full-time job, a new mother or a grandmother of 12," Ciardo says.

The result of such community endeavors is that women's health products now account for close to a third of Knueppel's revenues, Ciardo says. "Our fitting services are the backbone of our business," she says. "It's what we're known for above all else."

* Get a makeover. Getting women's health customers in the door is just the first step. After that, you must present women's health products in an appealing way.

"Consumers don't want to walk into a store and feel depressed," says Vincene Parrinello, founder and chief executive officer of Escondido, Calif.-based Hope Aesthetics Cosmeceutical, which manufactures skin care products for women with chemotherapy-related skin conditions. When Parrinello visits the stores that carry her products, she is sometimes dismayed by what she sees. "The company may have sunk hundreds of thousands of dollars into inventory, but it hasn't spent a few thousand to make it a lovely place for employees and the people who come there for help," she says. "That's why women are going to stores like Nordstrom for their breast prostheses."

Knueppel HealthCare Services has gotten the message. Knueppel's women's health section features pretty prints on the wall, plush carpeting and large fitting rooms with furniture, Ciardo says.

* Offer privacy and comfort. HME providers experienced in this market niche say it's important to create a separate section of the store for women's health products, especially if the store fits post-surgery bras and prostheses. The dedicated area should feel both private and pleasant. "When women have had breast surgery, they want to go to a place where they feel comfortable," Ryan says.

Women's health boutiques are especially appealing to customers because everyone visits them for similar reasons, Jackson points out. However, HME providers can create the same kind of privacy and comfort offered at boutiques if they have the space available and put forth the effort to make it special, she says.

* Hire top-notch fitters. Compassionate, knowledgeable professionals who fit customers for prostheses and bras are a must if you want to sell women's health products. "If you care about people and how they look, they're going to feel good," says Nancy Shire, health care specialist at Health 'n' Home in Glendale, Ariz., an HME provider chain. "You have to be very understanding, give them hope and show them they'll look gorgeous."

Harvey says fitting customers entails treating people like patients rather than customers. "It's not just fitting someone with a prosthesis or a bra. It's also about listening and offering support," she says. "I consider myself a very important part of the patient's team. It's their oncologists, their surgeons and me."

All the employees at Carole Coogle's two stores, The Special Lady Boutique in Louisville, Ky., and The Special Woman Boutique in Indianapolis, are breast cancer survivors. "Our new customers are immediately comfortable when they're dealing with someone who has already been there," says Coogle. "They feel the person really understands. I don't think there is any substitute for that."

Regardless of whether fitters are health professionals or breast cancer survivors, they should be trained and certified by the manufacturers whose products they are fitting.

* Retail, retail, retail! To be successful in the women's health market, you have to take an assertive approach to selling and understand the "idiosyncrasies of retailing," Jones says. "When a woman comes in with a prosthesis prescription, a DME tends to fit her and send her out the door," she says. "Dealers do that out of habit."

A savvy retailer, on the other hand, would take the opportunity to cross-sell the customer a washing solution for her mastectomy bras, to inquire about her swimsuit needs or even to suggest skin creams to use on her surgery site, Jones says. "I like to call it 'suggestive selling.' If you give women suggestions for how products will enhance their lifestyles and make their lives easier, they'll appreciate it."

Product displays are also important. Every week, Jones changes or "refreshes" her window display so packages aren't faded. She also features different products in a central display in the store. "If you really want to know how to do good retailing, go to Nordstrom, the Gap or Barnes & Noble," she suggests.

Linda Whittredge, national trainer and fitter for Waco, Texas-based Capital Marketing Technologies, which manufactures Nearly Me mastectomy products, offers another display suggestion. "We tell our dealers to display our mannequins, which have one breast," she says. "Rather than hiding those products, we want them displayed. It's not something to be hidden away or embarrassed about. The more people we can educate, the more we continue to pull breast cancer out of the closet."

* Stock plenty of options. Because women today are more educated about their health and aware of the product options on the market, you'll want to offer a wide range and depth of products, Ciardo says. Women need different sizes and shapes for many specialty products, from post-mastectomy bras to incontinence undergarments, providers say.

"Product selection is very important," notes Jones. "In retailing, having low-, medium- and high-priced products makes sense. The customer thinks, 'I like this one, but it's too expensive, so I'll get this other alternative.'"

In addition, many customers prefer one-stop shopping with an HME provider they've gotten to know, says Ciardo says. "If a woman comes in for a breast form and has swelling in her arm, you have to have compression therapy products on hand, too," she says. "It's the same case with breast pumps. If you're going to have pumps, you need to have the rest of the supplies to back them up."

* Mark down those prices. The turnover of products is critical in retailing, Jones says. To make room for the latest and greatest products, you have to get the old inventory off the shelves. Jones recommends periodic sales. Knueppel HealthCare Services holds at least two big sales annually, which is especially good for women who don't have insurance, Ciardo says.

Besides reducing prices, stores can sometimes trade unsold products back to manufacturers dollar for dollar if the store agrees to buy 30 percent more in new products as part of the deal, Jones says. "Manufacturers don't offer you that. You have to ask about it," she says.

* Solicit manufacturers' expertise. Generally, manufacturers can give you a lot of valuable information, including pamphlets to distribute to customers and marketing tips.

"I take any opportunity I can get to learn more or get trained by a manufacturer," Harvey says. "They're so helpful and will tell you what works and what doesn't.They have tons of expertise that you won't benefit from unless you ask."