It’s 11:15 AM EST as I sit down to write this unscheduled post about physicians and profit. 11:15 AM — and I’ve already spoken to 3 physicians who are ready to dodge the norm and increase not only their income, but their impact.
Not a physician? Keep reading anyway. There’s a lesson in here for you too.
NON-physicians often think of doctors and envision men and women in lab coats bringing in hoards of cash.
To be frank, there was a time when this was closer to reality than fiction. Today, however, let me break some things down for you.
- Malpractice insurance is sky high.
- The coding complexity of new healthcare reform is breaking their backs. (400% more codes to learn.)
- Payouts from insurance companies are going down.
- The pressure to be bought out by big medicine — rather than remain independent — is constant.
And you know what? These physicians WANT what they wanted before they endured year after year of (expensive) schooling. They want to help people, or animals — for my veterinarian clients! =) They want to make a difference. They want to spend more time with you. They want more of a relationship with you. They HATE the box that they feel they’re being pushed into schedule-wise. MANY go to a concierge or self-pay model. Not because they’re greedy… but because it’s the BEST way they can truly be the doctor they want to be.
I love working with physicians. They are patient, bright, driven, and determined. And they each have a unique voice. Often times this unique-ness gets hidden behind a multi-doctor practice brand. Or that thing that sets them apart as a physician? Well, it’s really hard to get the word out while you’re seeing patients all day. They want national attention, not because they are trying to be famous… but because they BELIEVE in what they do. They want a book, a platform, a way to serve people without ALL of the headaches of managing, marketing, and — of course — dealing with insurance and staff!
I help them with this and love doing it. But are you starting to get my point? Physicians have many of the same issues as other business owners. They are better educated, yes. But they are human, and they are business owners. This means they have to do all of what WE do to get our own clients. They reach capacity — just like us. They seek opportunities for leverage — just like us. They have a message they want to both publicize AND monetize — just like us.
So, the next time you’re sitting in a doctor’s office, shake their hand. Thank them for remaining in business — for US. Share with them that you too are a business owner — every day making the following quote a very sobering reality for all of us!
Incredibly the spirit of the entrepreneur is so resilient, we stubbornly get up each morning, polish our swords, and head out the door, no matter how the fire-breathing dragon population may have multiplied overnight. Now thats the REAL audacity of hope. Hi Ho, Hi Ho, its off to slay the dragons we go. And it’s a damned good thing we do, because if those 24-million small businesses all elminiated just one job each, that’ll be 24-million folks added to the unemployment rolls overnight.
Dan S. Kennedy
