We need more patients!! We also have a Grand Opening event coming up next Wednesay...and I'm getting kinda nervous about it. People are just too busy for that kind of stuff now. We want it well attended, so we're advertising that we will have a drawing for a free set of braces. Now, it's just getting the word out.
I'm open for suggestions!!
Last week, I recorded a radio ad that will broadcast on two local stations. We're getting advertising in the local papers. I've posted on all the local internet public calendars I can find. We're posting up fliers around club houses and community centers. We've given fliers to the dentists to give to their patients. We've told friends and others. The Chamber of Commerce will be coming and doing a ribbon cutting ceremony.
I'm also nervous because our invitation-only open house (for dentists and staff) was attended by about 1/2 the people who said they would come. It was a success...everyone who came was impressed with the office and the event. It's just getting people there that we're having trouble with...
Anyway, we're praying like crazy for success (specifically...patients who progress into treatment). Can you join us in that prayer?
We have felt assured, many times, by the Lord that Rob will have a successful business. It's just getting close to that line that if his business doesn't pick up soon (I'm projecting by the end of the summer...I would love to see it pick up a lot more before then), he will have to work as a PT orthodontist somewhere (ideally...the pay beats anything I could do PT) in order to meet our personal and his business financial obligations.
Thoughts that keep me from going berserk:
The Lord's promises are sure
Ye receive no reward until after the trial of your faith
Faith precedes the miracle
Give thanks to God for all things
D&C 98:2 aWaiting patiently on the Lord, for your prayers have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded with this seal and testament—the Lord hath sworn and decreed that they shall be granted.
Matt 6:28-29 Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Sometimes, faith requires an active choice.
A choice to believe and not doubt.
A choice to hope and not fall into despair.
A choice to act to make the miracle happen that you're praying for and not idly wait.
So, right now, I choose to have faith.
And I believe that the Lord will bless us.
And I hope for that miracle.
And we all are doing all that we can to make the miracle happen.
And so we wait.
A choice to believe and not doubt.
A choice to hope and not fall into despair.
A choice to act to make the miracle happen that you're praying for and not idly wait.
So, right now, I choose to have faith.
And I believe that the Lord will bless us.
And I hope for that miracle.
And we all are doing all that we can to make the miracle happen.
And so we wait.
12 comments:
see if you can advertise at the schools - people would like a chance at free braces - i don't know if they will let you, but it is worth a shot
Oh yeah, middle schools. We have kids out daily for orthodontics.
Also, while we are all praying for the business to pick up, could you add in Chase Patents? (chasepatents.com) Things are going pretty slow on this end too.
Well, looks like you're doing a lot to get the word out. The only other thing I can think of is getting stuff mailed directly to houses - you know 'junk mail'. I know when we moved to Ohio I worked 3 days for this telemarketing company that actually sold lists to business of people who just moved into a certain area (you could buy as many zip codes as you wanted to). I think the whole deal came with ready mailing stuff or something like that and was specifically designed to allow businesses to present their services to people who are new and don't know where you find a good doctor, auto mechanic etc.
Other than that while it's scary to not have enough income, it's completely normal for a practice that started from scratch to take off slowly. I don't know much about Ortho stuff of course, but for Optometry, pretty much all Optometrists who start cold have to work somewhere else for a couple of years, until their practice has picked up sufficiently to make it a full-time thing. I don't know why that would be so bad? It seems like a pretty normal thing to me. But then again, it may not be normal for Ortho. I have no idea. I think as long as you have opportunities to earn money and pay what needs to be paid, I think you're fine. Those things just don't happen over night, and not necessarily even over a few months. And I'd guess that the state of the economy right now doesn't help things. I'm sure everything will be just fine, given enough time. However, patience is always hard, especially when bills need to be paid. I'm sure all will work out. You've already had some amazing blessing - like getting loans to start your practice to begin with. From all we're hearing right now it's incredibly hard to get loans to either buy practices or worse, starting one. It's seems like a small miracle in itself to me that you guys were able to get that money, hard as it may have been. I'm sure it happened for a purpose, and probably not for the purpose of failure. Keep up the faith. It'll all work out.
In our area you have to go to the school district and get your flier approved then you can take that signed copy to any of the schools in the district and have them put in the kids take home folders.
It sounds like you are doing all you can do. We will pray for you. We did just have a Sunday School lesson on the Exodus and it was all about suffering the trial before the Lord rewards with great blessings. I hope your blessings are close and that you are able to learn much through this trial of patience. I'm glad you are so active in your efforts.
We'll be praying for you!
We'll be praying for you!! It sounds like you are doing a lot to get the word out. My sister did flyers for her house cleaning company, she said that worked really great. Anyways good luck!
I know Rob is the best of the best. We want him to assess me for braces and do a cleaning for Brian, Tim & I. I know he is way overqualified to do cleanings but do you think he would do it? We have good insurance coverage. I'd like to get down there soon...just trying to fit it into the weekend craziness. Let us know.
-Sarah
Patience is so hard, isn't it? We'll keep you in our prayers!! Keep your chin up.
Thanks, guys, for your love and tips. We're trying to do what we can in the schools, they just have a policy about not distributing "for-profit" things. Rob has already done a dental health assembly at one of the elementary schools. They loved it. We're just at low tide right now...soon the tide will come in...and we sure wouldn't mind a Tsunami.
Oh, Ang! I'm sorry things are going quite as planned, but do they ever? It sounds like you're doing a great job with getting the word out. I don't know if your county does ValPak mailers or little magazines with coupons. I see lots of Dentists advertising in those. Since we're sort of new to the area, I look at those all the time just to see what's out there and what deals I can get.
Anyway, things will come and we'll pray for you. Love ya!
Good idea, Henry. My mom worked for a "welcome wagon" company here in CV for years. Back then, there was a person who personally went to each new-to-the-area family's house and went over the coupon book. But, even a mailer from a welcome wagon company.
Angie, what insurances are you guys signed up for? Is there any advice that those dental plans can give for a new practice?
Could you advertise in the high school newspapers?
And, with how popular Facebook is, maybe create a FB page with some type of a very small give-away. You'll probably get a ton of kids to sign up for that and then they'll receive your daily/weekly status updates.
What about local health faires or community events? In Pleasanton, they close down the main street so local businesses can have a booth.
Could you hold a contest for the dentists? Whoever refers the most patients gets a gift certificate to a local restaurant?
I'll think good "send crooked-toothed kids Rob's way" thoughts. :-)
Henry was really Fran. ;)
Those are some really great ideas. We do have the option of putting our brochure in the Chamber of Commerce packet for visitors and new residents. I recommended that we do that...I just don't know if they've followed up on it.
Rob has been looking into direct mailers. It's costly, and we've already spent a lot on the Open House and Grand Opening...so I think we will do direct mailers later as a business booster.
The "elitist" in an orthodontist also doesn't want to advertise in "junk mail" since some people view advertising in junk mail means that the practice isn't top notch. So, we would use direct mailers sparingly.
Advertising in middle and high school newspapers is a great idea. It hits the target market...and maybe using that advertisement to direct people to "join" our facebook page in order to win something is also an awesome idea. We have these aluminum water bottles and coffee mugs that everybody just loves...we could do monthly contests for youth and adults for those. I'm sure it would be a hit! I'll pass these idea on to Rob and his staff.
Thanks, everyone! You're the best!
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