Recession-proof Your Practice

The economic news worsens daily. There are no safe guideposts to survival. How can you cope?

Remember that your services will always be needed. You are in control of your practice expenses to a great degree.

This is a good time to rethink your holiday celebrations. Instead of giving a holiday party for your staff, give them the money you would have spent on it. If you were going to buy them gifts, give them the money. Every extra dollar at this time is well appreciated.

Consider changing your patient hours so your staff won’t have to pay for child care or won’t have to worry about extra fees if they work late. Perhaps you can split shifts so that mothers can pick their children up after school.

With a high rate of unemployment, this is a good time to remove marginal employees. People with poor skills or work habits are dangerous and unaffordable. You may be able to find an overqualified person who would be thrilled to have a job and can be trained quickly. Intelligent, hard working staff are great assets.

Do you need an administrator earning a large five figure annual salary to supervise your office? He or she can probably perform the major functions working part time. My clients are engaging me as a consulting administrator for three figures a month to provide the top level of administration.

Lesson: Turn your diagnostic skills on your practice. What ails it? What remedies will cure it?The economic news worsens daily. There are no safe guideposts to survival. How can you cope?

Remember that your services will always be needed. You are in control of your practice expenses to a great degree.

This is a good time to rethink your holiday celebrations. Instead of giving a holiday party for your staff, give them the money you would have spent on it. If you were going to buy them gifts, give them the money. Every extra dollar at this time is well appreciated.

Consider changing your patient hours so your staff won’t have to pay for child care or won’t have to worry about extra fees if they work late. Perhaps you can split shifts so that mothers can pick their children up after school.

With a high rate of unemployment, this is a good time to remove marginal employees. People with poor skills or work habits are dangerous and unaffordable. You may be able to find an overqualified person who would be thrilled to have a job and can be trained quickly. Intelligent, hard working staff are great assets.

Do you need an administrator earning a large five figure annual salary to supervise your office? He or she can probably perform the major functions working part time. My clients are engaging me as a consulting administrator for three figures a month to provide the top level of administration.

Lesson: Turn your diagnostic skills on your practice. What ails it? What remedies will cure it?