Still wondering if you should go to the effort and expense of having a practice website? Check out this article concerning the huge numbers of people who now use the web as their first source of information about health issues. My recommendation: as you open bank accounts and set up your credit/debit card merchant accounts, make arrangements to get your practice website up and running and put the URL everywhere, including in your yellow-page ad.
The Practice Management department at Sherman has had a long term relationship with the local chapter of SCORE, and our students regularly attend the STARTUP seminars they provide. Here's some news about Small Business Administration changes and new Women's Business Centers which are enabling women in business.
Many DCs have an eternal inner debate about cash practice vs. insurance based bractice. We discuss this a lot in Practice Management open forum, and there are vociferous advocates on both sides. Eric Plasker says maybe you don't have to decide either/or: see what you think.
We frequently discuss in class some "worse case scenarios" involving lawsuits and asset protection. Transfering total ownership of your home to a spouse may seem like a logical choice, but in today's world of 50% divorce rates, having your spouse own the farm may not be so wise. Here is an article by David Mandell offering other solutions.
The U.S.Institute of Medicine (IOM) announced recently that 1.5 million people per year are injured by prescription drugs. Here are some scary stats about this continued phenomenon. Would you believe 7000 deaths?
"I built it and they didn't come!" This is the common complaint of brand new chiropractors bemoaning the fact that potential patients are staying away in droves. Unfortunately, our 110 year old profession has not yet reached the point where a new DC can just open the door and expect people to beat a path to it. We have to market chiropractic! We have to tell people who we are and what we do. I don't think we need to be pushy, sleazy or promise the impossible. Just tell your story and answer the questions. Dr. Sharon Gorman shares some marketing tips.
Sociologists and demographers have long associated chiropractors with small towns, suburbs and rural areas. Here's a nice article by Michael Dorausch, D.C.that gives you the feel of practicing in Los Angeles. Check it out!
Dating patients, former patients, or possible patients is always a topic that perks up ears. Many of our students are single, healthy adults with normal desires and urges who hope to find their soul-mates, SOON! The fact that these normal, healthy adults are also starting a professional practice, and MUST adhere to professional boundary guidelines always creates a certain amount of internal conflict. This conflict leads to discussions in which "waivers" are sought, and "exceptions" are explored. Here is another version of the rules about dating patients.
Those of you that attended the Leadership Conference last week heard our ultra-successful alumni from Chicago speak about the importance of goal setting in creating the successful practices they own in Chicagoland. We have worked on our mission statements, so you have an idea about the importance of your mission to building a practice. Here's an excellent article on setting your mission, your goals and how to follow up.
Some consideration regarding setting up and having a home chiropractic office.
Chiropractors, like other professionals and businesses, are always looking for ways to let the public know what we're up to, what we offer, what the benefits of our services are, and why the public should beat a path to our doors. I will ask you to create a detailed marketing plan and strategy as a project for a midterm assignment. To kickstart your creative ideas, here are 5 short articles from bygone years about innovative ideas that DCs have used to create public awareness.
I've heard from practice management gurus over many years that the best way to motivate employees to produce more, sell more, collect more, and recruit more new patients is to institute a bonus system. Many CAs and secretaries earn a great deal above their base pay by pushing a few more products, digging a little harder for collections, and being a little more aggressive in "recapturing" delinquent patients. I'd always accepted this practice as a reasonable approach to increasing practice statistics. Bob Levoy doesn't think much of these incentive plans. See why.
Breaking Up Is Hard To Do Podcast
Chiropractic Economics does the annual survey of chiropractic incomes and expenses. This is a pdf version and it's several pages long, but has interesting numbers. Take a look.
Women own nearly half of businesses in the U.S. and financial institutions are finally catching on! Many banks and other organizations now have special programs to help women start and successfully operate businesses. Here's a list of links that will direct you to some of those sources of good information.
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