There was a time when hard work was enough.
If a person had some decent therapy skills and a desire to open up a clinic, all they had to do was acquire some space, get on insurance plans, go door to door, treat patients well, and they could do fairly well.
It’s not like that anymore.
The world is a much different place…
The rules have changed…
Consumers have changed…
Our profession has changed.
The whole game has changed.
Whatever you’ve been doing to get you to where you are today, it’s not enough to get you to the next place.
(It may not even be enough to keep you where you are.)
You must evolve…
Your clinic must evolve…
Your thinking must evolve.
So what does it take then?
Today, in order to get to the next place,…
…you must do the following:
1 Clearly define what your “next place” is.
If you don’t where it is you are trying to go, you will never get there. And not moving forward and upward towards a destination, leaves you vulnerable to those who will pass you by. Competition is fierce. There’s no time to waste. I don’t mean to scare you. I just want you to start thinking beyond the day to day. It can be as easy as,…
“I want to be a clinic that does 50% insurance and 50% cash.” or
“I want to open another location within the next 12-months.” or
“I want to become well known for sports performance and agility rehab.”
Whatever it might be, you must have your sights on something better and be working towards it. At least be making small steps toward it daily.
Complacency will kill you. Not knowing where you are trying to go will kill you today.
2 Transform hard work into smart work.
It’s not enough to work hard every day. Many do so, yet spin their wheels never getting anywhere farther than they were a year ago. More and more businesses are filing bankruptcy today. Many big names such as Toys R Us, Vitamin World, Gymboree won’t be around. Macy’s, Sears and more are closing half their stores.
Working hard was enough during the age of industrialism, consumerism, and materialism but not anymore today. Today we are in the age of ideas. It the thoughtful business owner who innovates and creates that will thrive today.
3 Replace desire with drive.
Wanting something is not enough. Desire is not enough. Today you must have drive in order to win. And it is a game, a competition, a race. It’s not a hobby or side-thing,…it’s an all or nothing thing. So if you want to be successful in private practice, be prepared to give it your all. And the best way to do that is to ask yourself the “Why”. Why are you doing what you are doing? What is your purpose? It’s not enough to merely want to make money (there are easier ways). It’s not enough to merely want to help people (there are easier ways). If you are unsure of your why, or having difficulty deriving it, try focusing your target market (eg. women’s health, adolescent sport injuries, etc.) and it can help.
4 Adopt a new mindset geared toward change and adaptation.
I’m big on mindset being the center of where success starts. It’s never been more significant than it is today. I know many people who want things the way they were, clinging to a fantasy like they would a childhood security blanket. The successful ones welcome change (not just merely tolerate it). They look for ways to innovate and do things better. Patients benefit, the profession benefits, they benefit.
5 Transcend basic business skills and learn the science and art of success.
6 Evolve from being a decent clinician into an authority figure.
7 Strive for more than mere satisfaction but lifelong loyalty.