Facebook can be an eerie place. Like ghosts hiding in the night waiting for a good scare, social media sites can be filled with late night lurkers and hundreds of trolls. You hope to never awaken them... but all it takes is one bad day and BOO! You get a negative Facebook review. Here is an optometrist’s guide to properly handling a negative review. Take a deep breath A … [Read more...]
Growing Your practice With Social Media
Picture your practice thriving. You feel powerful, valuable and fulfilled in your community. Your team is energised. Your patients delighted. This is why you went into optometry. If you’re not there already, how do you make it happen… how can you make your practice grow and thrive? Social media is one way to help you get there. Patients have more choices than ever before … [Read more...]
HEAD to HEAD: Small Town vs Big Box
If football-themed movies have taught me anything, it’s that underdogs can come out on top most of the time. It doesn’t matter if it’s just a bunch of rag-tag kids going up against a group of hardened veterans - a lot of the time the little guy comes out on top. Being from Philadelphia, however, means that I am certainly grounded in the fact that, while things may work out … [Read more...]
Brand Identity
What's in your brand? An overview for considering a brand identity for your business What this is: This article is more about beginning a conversation about evaluating your brand and whether you need to think about and consider a brand identity. My goal with this article is simply to define what a brand identity is, what the core components are, and perhaps hit a few … [Read more...]
Value Eyewear: A Smart and Profitable Niche.
— and just a great idea for a second pair Value eyewear plays an essential role in any ECP’s business plan, even in an upscale dispensary. As consumers increasingly turn to the Internet in search of transparency and value, ECPs must offer their patients an assortment of quality eyewear at affordable prices. Now more than ever, the savvy office manager will provide a broad … [Read more...]
Kentucky College of Optometry
In continuing our look at schools of optometry across the country, we wanted to take a look at the newest one – the Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO), located at the University of Pikeville. Since they don't actually have any students yet, as their first class begins this fall, I spoke with Dr. Andrew Buzzelli, the Founding Dean of KYCO. Q: So, Dr. Buzzelli, why open a new … [Read more...]
It’s Time to See Your Dentist
For most all practice owners, the largest challenge is getting consumers in your door or, as many refer to it, as 'getting butts in the chair'. The process for this challenge is creating and following an articulate marketing calendar of events. However, rarely is there a plan laid out to create patient loyalty in order for them to return to your practice. I worked for … [Read more...]
Hashtag This: Instagram and Eye Care
Instagram has over 400 Million active monthly users... and of those users, 12 Million are in the United States. This makes Instagram a great tool for promoting and marketing your business to the masses. It is a free platform for businesses to showcase their products and services through visual storytelling. By celebrating your brand and being consistent with your business … [Read more...]
Managing Success in a Practice Management World
Much has changed in the last few years in how a practice operates. Gone are the days of patients simply paying for services rendered and products purchased. Now the modern ECP must navigate a complex system of charts, categories, costs, rules, and limitations on services based on whatever provider a patient may have. For sure, the good ol’ days are gone. Or are they? … [Read more...]
Increase Patient Revenue with Add-Ons
What is one of the best ways to improve your bottom line this year? You can add more patients or more hours, but these options will cost more in payroll and marketing. The best way to improve your bottom line is to increase revenue per patient. This can be done in a number of ways, such as raising prices on frames, lenses, contacts, and services. In spite of that, insurance … [Read more...]