PAEDS BIZ
... HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR PRIVATE PRACTICE April 2017
Values, vision, mission statements explained Free!
BUSINESS WEB EVENTS
Protecting your IP
AN INTRODUCTION TO
CATHY LOVE Allied Health Business Coach Speaker Author Occupational Therapist
Hello, I am Cathy, the editor of the Paeds Biz emag. I am the director of Nacre Consulting, a cool business with a weird name that provides services to disability service providers, parents and children. For those of you who are first-time readers, I work as a specialist Allied Health Business Coach helping clinicians run their own profitable and powerful private practices. I have started, grown and sold a large multisite private practice and now readily share what I know with others. We energetically offer workshops, blogs, web events, conferences, networking events and coaching. The podcast is coming early 2017. I am a professionally trained coach and a registered Occupational Therapist with thirty years of paediatric experience. Yes, I still enjoy my clinical work and providing clinical coaching to individuals and teams. Each month we write up news, practical tips, business information, and more. This year we are promoting support businesses and a broader range of guest writers. Suggestions from our readers for topics, writers and content sources are always welcome. Our readership is now international and we would love for you to share Paeds Biz with your colleagues. Curious about my business name? Nacre, pronounced {Nay-Ka}, is the process by which pearls are made. A seed, held in a shell, gradually builds up layers of resilience and iridescence as it is exposed to natural forces. And so the same is true for ourselves, our teams, our businesses and our clients. I believe that we all have endless possibilities for unique growth and brilliance. More about Nacre Consulting on our website ww.nacre.com.au
MY OVERFLOWING DESK Term one is in full flight. It is so good to hear that, once again, phones are ringing and appointments filling up. Phew! Nearly through this year’s cash-flow challenge. Plus, new members of staff are settling in, marketing plans are being implemented, and programs are in development. All systems go, well done Allied Health business owners. I’d like to extend a welcome to an awesome clutch of new clients to the Paeds Biz Success coaching program. It is incredible what private practice business owners are working on in regards to social media sophistication, innovative service delivery, HR compliance, system development, and more. The NDIS continues to flavour our conversations—I learn something new everyday. I can’t wait to hear Chantelle Robards from Espy Connect speak at the upcoming Paeds Biz Conference.
bulging, Slack pinging, and emails zipping. Despite being spread over three time zones, all our team tech and apps keep us glued together very well. My VA team is incredible, which makes any time I have off far less stressful. My laptop will travel with me, the thought of not running occasional surveillance over email and tasks sends me into a shiver. Do you sneak a peak at work when you are on leave? The Paeds Biz Conference is looking amazing. Speakers and topics are finalised, tickets are selling quickly, the menu is finalised, the videographer is booked and the vibe is positive. Be quick because early bird ticket sales end April 3!
The Paeds Biz GROW free events were extremely popular and the feedback was positive. I had fun, so let’s do it again. Read on for May dates and topics. Enjoy the end of term break, settle in with a chocolatey I have lovely family travel plans waiting for me in treat and chomp through the April edition of Paeds April. Nothing beats a deadline to step up the mode Biz. Adios. of productivity. I have lists of lists, Trello boards are PAEDS BIZ 02
CONTENTS 02 From the high-piled desk of Cathy Love Meet Cathy Love
04 COVER FEATURE: Values, vision, mission statements explained
04
05 PAEDS BIZ CONFERENCE: From Stress to Success 06 How to protect your IP: Guest Writer - Daniel Smith
06
08 Blast from the past: Private practice rooms: Are yours beautiful? 10 Cover Feature: What is this value proposition you speak of? 11 Top 3 things to consider BEFORE engaging a VA: Guest Writer - Anita Kilkenny 12 Downloadable Douments 13 Events Calendar 14 Naming your Business: What’s in a name? 16 Paeds Biz Podcast 16 Notice Board
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18 The Wrap
Values, Vision, Mission Statements And the Relevance to Your Business With Cathy Love
It is important to know what makes your business unique in an increasingly competitive disability market. Core to this differentiation are your organisational values, vision, and mission. They determine your business vibe and anchor your business plan and activities. Let’s clarify what these concepts all mean, how they help you build a great team, and how you can use them. Values. Your values are the fundamental beliefs of your business. They act as the guiding principles that dictate the behaviour and actions of yourself and your team. Vision. Your vision is the ultimate statement of all that you wish your business to be in the future. It is the answer to the question “Where are we going?” The best vision statements are generated from the team. They are specific, uncomplicated, inspirational, and compelling.
there should also be plenty of alignment if you have selected your team wisely. Develop some posters, sit with the statements, and review and adjust. When ready, commit to them and act on them. Weave these features into your business plan. They will then serve as a compass helping keep you on track towards your business goals. Simon Sinek in his book Start with the Why explains that people don’t buy what you do; instead, they buy why you do it. Connecting with your values, vision, and mission adds depth and authenticity to all you and your team do.
Mission. Your mission statement explains why you are heading there, consider it your business purpose. Whilst this should extend from you the business owner’s personal beliefs, team input is great for discussion and increased engagement.
Develop the mindset team wide. Being able to articulate your business values is very powerful. A strong vision should flavour the words on your website, the flyers you distribute, and the way you verbally interact with clients and referrers. I can pick a medical model business a mile away just by their website or report format wording. Clients will sense the authenticity of your business and judge how it aligns with their own . Clients are super savvy they know when your heart is in it and when you are a good match. And who doesn’t want to work with their ideal clients.
Take a team approach. Allocate a team meeting to discuss your businesses values, vision, and mission. Remember to include admin in the conversation. There may be some surprises, but
•What are the foundational values of your business? •What are your business’ vision and mission? •How can you develop and implement these with your team?
How could a private practice coach help you? Need a hand with policies and procedures? Where is your business plan up to? Not sure where to start with marketing? Keen for some people management ideas? BOOK YOUR FREE 30MIN SESSION SIMPLY BY CLICKING HERE PAEDS BIZ 04
PAEDS BIZ CONFERENCE
FROM STRESS TO SUCCESS
BOOK YOUR EARLY BIRD TICKETS NOW Details Friday 16th & Saturday 17th June 2017 Oaks on Market, 60 Market St, Melbourne 9.00am to 4.30pm Two days of Private Practice Business Know How, Inspiration & Networking. As an Allied Health business owner there’s constant pressure to effectively manage your business, understand financials, market brilliantly, lead your team and deliver exceptional services to children and their families. Fair to say we often feel overwhelmed and undervalued and that we dream of like minded conversation and guidance.
Speakers Include: • Christine Lyons - The current and changing landscape and future opportunities for Private Practioners • Kim Mestroni - Implications of policy reform, such as the NDIS, for professions and professionals • Kerrie Canning & Cheryl Disher - HR considerations and issues for your team • Joel Friedlaender - Cyber safety of your clinical and business data • Cate Schreck - How to build a culture of service excellence • Emma Price - The parenting journey and the insights service providers need to know • Chantelle Robards - NDIS Open Forum Q&A • Jenna Moffat- Clickability: its value to consumers and service providers • Christine Kendall & Gloria Staios- Leading your team for clinical excellence • Cathy Love - Diverse and recurring income streams • James Crook - Boosting your online prescence and marketing magic You are all invited to join our entrepreneurial conversations. The conference is suitable for your leadership team and practice managers. Enquire about our group discount for three or more attendees from the same organisation.
The day will be hosted by Cathy Love Allied Health
This years conference is a two day feast of all Business Coach, Speaker, Author and Occupational Therapist. things Paeds Private Practice. PAEDS BIZ 05
PROTECTING YOUR
With guest writer, Daniel Smilth Intellectual Property (IP) is a term used to describe various exclusive proprietary rights to creations of the mind. IP includes copyright, trade marks, patents, trade secrets, and know-how.
some protection from laws on misleading and deceptive conduct, and passing off.
Patents
In most cases, to protect your IP, you need to register it. Different IP rights vary in the protection that is granted. An IP owner can take steps to enforce their rights against people who are violating them.
A patent is an exclusive government granted licence to make, use, or sell any device, substance, method or process which is new, inventive, and useful. It is a good idea to protect your business as other companies can’t make, use or sell the same device, substance or method.
Protecting IP
Confidential Information
Intellectual Property (IP) is a vital asset that adds value through brand identity and consumer recognition. By developing an IP strategy, you can integrate IP protection into your business strategy and integrate IP with your business’ competitive strengths. With an IP strategy, you not only protect valuable assets but also safeguard your business’ products.
Copyright
Copyright protects the creative expression of ideas in writing, music, visual images, moving images, and computer programs. It can also protect other things, like databases and broadcasts. It provides the exclusive rights to use, copy, license, perform, and modify the protected creative work. A copyright notice states who created the work and when.
Trademarks
A trademark is a sign used to distinguish one trader’s goods and services from those of other traders. A trademark can be a letter, number, word, business name, phrase, sound, smell, shape, logo, picture and aspect of packaging. A registered trademark is legally enforceable. It provides you with exclusive rights to commercially use, license, or sell your trademark, in connection with the goods and services for which it is registered. An unregistered trademark has
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‘Confidential information’ may include technical information, inventions, patents, trade secrets, proprietary ideas, potential new products and services, research and development information, financial information, and customer data.
Key Considerations
It is vital to record your idea in detail. You can protect your intellectual property by taking measures to discourage misuse. By recording your idea in detail by having detailed drawings, descriptions, plans and records, you can prove your ownership over your intellectual property if any disputes arise. Keep track of your IP in a register, along with who has access to it and under what conditions. This will help you to manage your IP rights and enforce them if you need to. IP Australia handles all IP registrations in Australia. The Institute of Patent and Trademark Attorneys of Australia has a list of patent and trade mark attorneys that can assist in registering your trade mark.
Securing IP protection can be costly and time-consuming. Engaging an IP attorney or lawyer to prepare and submit your application ensures you cover all the application requirements.
Protection of Intellectual Property Registration
In most cases, the first step in IP protection strategy is registering your IP. You can register your patents, trade marks, designs and plant breeders rights with IP Australia. Note that registration with IP Australia provides coverage only in Australia.
Employees and Contractors
Employees and contractors will likely contribute to the creation of your business’ IP. It is crucial to clarify IP ownership and to protect IP in your contractors and employees agreements. The key clauses you should include are: Assignment: all IP created for the business is assigned to the business;
How can LegalVision help me? LegalVision assists businesses and individuals with tailored online legal advice for a fixed-fee, including the protection of intellectual property. Call LegalVision today on 1300 544 755.
As LegalVision’s specialist trademark lawyer, Daniel can help you with your trademark registration process and provide advice on how best to protect your brand. In addition to his trademark experience, he’s an experienced litigator and brings in extensive IT know-how as well. Daniel uses both his in-depth technical knowledge and legal experience to understand his clients’ business needs and help them achieve the best possible outcome.
Non-compete: that employees and contractors cannot use your IP—including to set up their own business or to assist someone else in business. This is to deter employees and contractors from leaving and becoming competitors; and Confidentiality: including that IP and trade secrets are confidential and protected.
Website
Website Terms of Use are an important shield against competitors looking to copy IP from your website and social media. These should include: IP rights;Rules for republishing your content; Prohibited conduct; Disclaimers, e.g. website content is not advice; and Limiting your liability.
Frequently Asked Questions about Protecting IP Q: What is an IP licence agreement? A: A licence agreement is an agreement between an IP owner and another party, granting permission to the other party to use the IP for a set period of time and on certain conditions. Having this agreement will help avoid disputes over the IP rights of both parties. Q: What is an IP assignment agreement? A: An IP assignment agreement is a transfer of ownership of the IP from one party to another. Q: Can I commence legal action if someone steals my intellectual property? A: Yes. You can take legal action for IP infringement if you are the registered owner of the IP. We have a team of intellectual property lawyers who can assist you with advice on how best to enforce your rights.
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Becoming Chief is a book written for parents and service providers. It is written to help parents find their way, gather their support tribe, set goals and manage their child’s team and program. All the tough topics are covered, wonderful real life stories told and mountains of parent wisdom shared. It is easy to read, practical and energising.
Buy your copy today Want the kindle edition? FREE POSTAGE AUSTRALIA WIDE
Private Practice Rooms: Are Yours Beautiful? Yes, you have seen it before and it’s been one of our most popular articles. This week I have sourced an interior designer for three of my private practice coaching clients. Hope you enjoy the re-read. Have you ever thought about how your work environment reflects both your personal and business brand? Over the years I have visited many private practices and I have been struck by the diversity and, to be frank, the care factor. The appearance of your private practice rooms directly reflects the value you place on yourself, your business, and, most importantly, your clients. Let’s explore these thoughts a little more. What do your private practice rooms like? Some premises I walk into are absolutely beautiful. Super clean, super decor, and super fresh and inviting. The admin set-up is uncluttered, with I.T. and paperwork stashed neatly. My instant impression is…sigh, these guys are cool, calm, and collected, and they have the admin totally under control. You only have a few seconds to create a positive impression. Our clients are sophisticated, they know a smart set-up when they see it. And then there is the all-too-frequent contrast of shabby and tired premises. The door opens up into a hallway, pokey dark rooms, filled with make-do and mismatched furniture and wobbly room dividers. The admin team is working from desks piled with post-it notes, papers, and files. In the background are messy shelves, folders, cords and clunky dated hardware. Client paperwork in clear public view is never good. This is a first impression that creates doubt in the clients mind and requires professional brand repair. Some suggestions Waiting room The waiting room needs to accommodate your client’s needs. Big and little chairs, couches, space, and then a bit more space. There must be good storage for toys and books and clean carpet and rugs. Ideally the waiting area should be far away enough from the reception for the sound of client
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conversations to not be overheard while simultaneously blocking out the boisterous waiting room chat to not interfere with the admin teams activities. It’s asking a lot I know. As many clients will be attending for multiple visits, it may be good to change some of the toys to help keep waiting hands curious. The flip side of this is those clients who look forward to and, to an extent, need the predictability of certain toys in certain places at certain times. Explore the options. Fresh, clean and tidy. Walls need to be painted more regularly than you think. In between, they need to be thoroughly wiped—so hunt out that easy clean wall paint. Perhaps experiment with colour. Floors need to sparkly clean and professionally dry-cleaned at least twice per year. It may be time to evict the tatty rugs, scrub the Lino, freshen the doormat, and sweep the porch. Brief your professional cleaner on all the nitty gritty cleaning you need done eg corners, under furniture, waiting room all the places sticky little hands get into. The bathroom always needs forensic care. A rechargeable hand held vacuum is indispensable for that end-of-day whip around.
Toys and equipment. Audit your toys during every school holiday. Throw out those that are broken, incomplete and past their use-by date. Ensure they are all clean; sanitise as required. The ultimate client respect is observable in a comprehensive range of new and modern toys, games, books, and therapy equipment. Parents notice this. Quality toys shout that you care about your service, staff and clients; crunch your toy and equipment budget, then double it. Reduce visual clutter. I once visited an office that had so many signs stuck up on walls that I didn’t know where to look, so I didn’t. Similarly notice boards get tired and drawing pins are never a good idea for a waiting room. How could you display and share information more effectively? Work towards ‘less is more’. Great storage reduces visual clutter, a place for everything and everything in its place, yes that’s how therapy and meeting rooms should look. Train up both your team and your clients to put things away in their spot. Spend lots of time nutting out your ideal storage solutions and measure it all out before hitting the stores. Closed storage will reduce distraction and open storage enables clients to help themselves, find a balance as you will need both. Admin storage is perhaps the hardest to get correct. Hopefully the majority of your admin storage is cloud based and out of public view. If it’s in public view, please have matching modern filing cabinets, shelves, and cupboards. It is critical that you present your service as uber professional. Day to day considerations I am a big fan of artwork on the walls. Large photo printed canvases and stretched fabric pieces are now affordable. Both offer the option of adding sound deadening insulation across the back. How does noise travel in your rooms? Are you confident that conversations stay private to the room? It may be good to check sound transfer, particularly through ceilings and doors. Professional input Are you surprised to know that private practice owners are engaging interior designers? This specialist input provides a high-level consult on the overall concept of people, space, and task-flow. Several of my private practice coaching clients report tremendous value in gaining a smart and objective overall opinion that ultimately saved them time and money. The wrap Having a lovely work environment for your team will boost pride, efficiency and support them to work brilliantly with your clients. With pending workforce challenges, the workspace is a feature potential new staff will take into consideration as they compare service providers they wish to work for. Potential buyers and investors have an eye for quality and professionalism. Similarly, clients are expecting bright and beautiful therapy spaces as they have more and more providers to choose from. Perhaps it’s time to seek a professional opinion and invest in a strategic makeover.
FOLLOW US... LET’S BUILD A TRIBE OF LIKE MINDED ALLIED HEALTH BUSINESS OWNERS
This e-mag is hosted by a platform called Issuu. I only discovered that this was a thing last year and have since enjoyed a variety of reads. I would love you to follow Paeds Biz on Issuu. Here’s how you do it: Clicking ‘Follow Publisher’ below the publication you are reading OR By clicking the green “Follow” button on our profile page. Once that is done, you’ll see all new uploads and stack additions from Cathy Love in your Feed.
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you speak of? Evernote – Remember everything. Lets unpack what this business speak really means and how it applies to private practice. This subject is amongst my favorite current readings at the moment. Skype – Keeps the world talking for free. My head is back into a favourite book: The Business Model Canvas, which now has a partner book, Value Proposition Design. So work with me, it’s not hard and is really quite interesting. If you know what a USP (unique selling proposition) or a POD (Point of difference) is, then you are already really close. According to Wikipedia “a value proposition is a promise of value to be offered, communicated and acknowledged. It is also a belief from the customer about how the value or benefit will be delivered, experienced and acquired.” We can thank the NDIS for seeding some of this thinking. Yes, private practice is at last shifting into the mainstream business world. We are becoming much more consumer focused and marketing savvy. Creating a value proposition is part of a business plan and strategy. It is what we set out to do and obviously aligns with your values, vision, and mission. Your value proposition is a clear statement that explains the benefit you provide, for who, and how your business does it uniquely well. Some great examples include: Mailchimp – Send better email. PAEDS BIZ 10
Sounds a bit like a tag line, doesn’t it? Close. Having a clear value proposition gives you the basic building blocks of your marketing. My value proposition is along the lines of sharing my clinical and business experience in order to help others run their own amazing unique business. Based on my business story, my values and beliefs fully align with my weird process-based business name and logo. You will often see me using the words brilliance, unique, growth, across my marketing channels. And it is a work in progress. A strong and true value proposition has many benefits. It shines a light on what you do brilliantly and differently from your competitors. It illustrates how you view your products and services, and then it unites this message across your branding, customer experience, and marketing activities. Finally, it helps build customer memories and word of mouth ambassadors.
How can you explore and develop a value proposition for your business?
Top 3 Things to Consider
BEFORE Engaging a Virtual Assistant GUEST WRITER - Anita Kilkenny Does delegating make you freak out and feel cold with fear? Engaging a virtual assistant for the first time can be quite a daunting experience and very nerve racking … • • • •
What if you can’t find the right one? What if they do it wrong? What if they rip me off? How can I trust someone else to look after MY business?
These are very legitimate concerns but it doesn’t have to be this way if you know what you’re looking for and you do your homework. So, here are the Top 3 Things to consider BEFORE engaging a Virtual Assistant … #1 … Professionalism There are many virtual assistants out there with varying qualifications and experience, so how do you know which one to work with? Good question! Professional virtual assistants run their own businesses just like you do, they work with you, not for you and are super skilled at what they do. They’ve spent time and energy on training and education and they want your business to succeed. Sure, skills and experience will vary, so do your homework and due diligence. Research and ask around for referrals. Word of mouth is very powerful. #2 … Budget Can you afford to engage a virtual assistant, or, more importantly, can you afford NOT to do so? If you’re spending time doing everything yourself, then it’s a nobrainer. Work out a budget but be realistic. An awesome virtual assistant will work with your budget or let you know what they can do to fit with it. Some work on hourly rates and some offer packages - these are based on value and outcomes rather than
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time keeping. This benefits everyone in the long run. Remember the rates will be higher than employing someone, but there are also hidden costs with employment. Hiring the cheapest virtual assistant may not get you the results that you want and it may even cost you more in the long run, so don’t go on price alone. It’s not worth the heartache. #3 … Your Business Goals and Dreams What are your short and long-terms goals and dreams? How will you achieve them? What is your timeframe? Who do you need to help you achieve them? What ‘type’ of virtual assistant you engage will depend on what your short or long-terms goals and needs. If you just need to get stuff done now, then you may need to engage a generalist VA to help with day-to-day tasks, such as diary management, emails, travel, event management, etc. But if your goal is to grow, then you may need someone more specialised to implement marketing strategies and processes to streamline your business. Work out what you want done and find a Virtual Assistant that will fit into your needs. You may even need more than one and that’s totally fine too. Where Can You Find Your VA? The best place to start is at the Australian Virtual Assistants Association website. There is a list of Australian VA networks and all of them have an RFP (Request for Proposal) page for businesses who are looking for a VA. Take the time to do your homework and don’t be afraid to let go and delegate. It’s the only way your business will grow. Anita Kilkenny Head Goddess at The Holistic Virtual Assistant hello@theholisticva.com.au www.theholsticva.com.au
DOWNLOADABLE
DOCUMENTS Do you want to save time and frustration? Do you want consistent reporting and customer service? *NEW* Financial Fluency We have a new one and it’s proving to be very popular. We have complied a list of financial terms to help you out during chats with your accountant. Super practical and easy to read, it is our chocolate coated gift to you. For your copy, click through here to our website. You’re welcome. BOT2 Summary Report $49 This report provides a clear overview of the test and how to interpret the scores. Every section and subtest is described, standardised scoring options included. General headings, summary and OT recommendations included. Provides a great foundation that you can customise. Sensory Profile 2 Report $69 This template defines sensory processing, the sensory systems and the core concepts of the SP2. Results are written up in sensory systems exploring threshold reactivity and behavioural responses. Clear and easy. General headings such as reason for referral, background information, summary and recommendations with info suggestions are included. Save time and stress with this detailed document. New Referral Form $29 Great template to gather everything you need to know in the first phone call. Table structure so you stay focused. Ideal for admin to use. Parent Questionnaire $49 Template for allied health professionals to provide to parents of pre / primary school age children. Captures history, team members, interests, talents and current needs. Engage parents in the evaluation and intervention process. Service Agreement $49 Essential business template that you can own. Outlines privacy, fee schedule, communication, payments options.
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make your cancellation,
Therapy Session Notes $29 Template for therapists to write up therapy sessions. Ensure consistency across your team. Suitable to provide to parents, teachers and other team members. Handwriting Report Template $69 This comprehensive handwriting report template is suitable for primary and secondary school students. The fully customisable template contains headings and content structure for: • Background information • Assessment process • Participation during assessment • Description of tests used • Posture and pencil grip • Writing tools • Test of Motor Proficiency • DASH, THS-R, HST • Handwriting Legibility • Handwriting speed • Typing and keyboard skills • OT summary • Recommendations Teacher Questionnaire $49 Template for allied health professionals to provide to pre / primary school teachers. Engage teachers in the evaluation and intervention process. Captures strengths, supports provided, participation, performance and challenges. • All About My Child $29 Template for parents to easily write up a great whole child summary of their child to share with service providers. Complete Set of Documents $159 Kick start your practice with documents and save. • All About My Child • Parent questionnaire • Teacher Questionnaire • Service Agreement • Therapy Session Notes
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EVENTS CALENDAR Four FREE web-events specifically for private practice owners Sign up NOW Monday 1st May Practice Management Software, and why you need it. Monday 8th May Strategies for growing your private practice. Monday 15 May Twitter and Pinterest for private practice. Monday 22 May How to plan and schedule your social media posts. Monday 29th May Time management and productivity strategies.
Click here to Sign up NOW It is not too late to purchase the complete program. There will only be one or two catch-up recordings. Click here to Sign up NOW Or purchase one of our upcoming individual events by clicking the links: 4th April iPad Apps for Intervention 2nd May Delivering services in a NDIA world 6th June Helping families have fun out in the community 4th July What’s Praxis, what is the best practice? PAEDS BIZ 13
Naming your business generally elicits a mix of emotions. Nowadays with business sales and mergers, re-naming and re-branding happens at different stages, and not just for start-ups. There’s a lot to consider, let’s take a look.
the chance to tell my story and share my beliefs. Cultural sensitivity. Many a word has different meanings in other languages and cultures. Run it through google just to be sure. On the flip-side, there may be wonderful words in other languages that may serve your purpose beautifully.
It’s the vibe of the thing. How much do you totally love Consider the limitations of using your name, your business name, and how does it align with your profession, or geographical location. Your business values and organisational culture? Does it give you and may flourish into a multidisciplinary team with multiple the people you tell an instant smile and clue as to why locations and your business name may not be able to you do what you do? grow with you. Is your business name growth ready? Don’t rush it. There are many business name Own the business name and virtual real estate. Is generators, acronym builders, and the like online. Work the name available with ASIC a quick online search through these, continue to scrapbook, cut and paste. can check this. Is the url available? Once again, head There’s a good chance that the most perfect name will online to a domain purchase company. Now to check just randomly drop when you least expect it. Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter. It pays to be thorough. It’s about what your clients achieve. There is a growing trend for business names in the Allied Health space to make a clear statement about the client’s outcomes. How is your business name positive, future-focused, and outcomes-based? Make it memorable. Stick to common spelling, maybe a familiar word acronym, and ensure that it is easy to pronounce. Stick with short names—two syllables at most. I have had some fun with nacre, but it gives me PAEDS BIZ 14
PAEDS BIZ Secrets Cathy has started recording the first series of her podcast. The intention is to capture stories and pearls of wisdom from private practitioners who serve children and families. Each episode will be light, chatty, short, practical and not at all scary. We are super keen to hear your story. Whether you are a small start-up, struggling to grow, or maybe thriving and oversubscribed, all stories are unique, powerful and help others. Additional guests will include the advisors that we all need, digital marketers, customer service coaches, HR consultants, lawyers, web designers, social media guru’s and more. Most of all we want to chat with private practice owners. P.S. the tech side of thigs is really easy. Who’s up for sharing their experiences, promoting their services and helping mates? Email me cathy@nacre.com.au - we can chat and book in a time.
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PODCAST
A sneak peak of the podcast guests:
• Melinda Houghton, financial planner • Christine Kendall and Gloria Staios, founding directors of Spectrum Speech Pathology • Jenna Moffatt, Social Worker and Co founder of Clickability • Tahnee Westbury, Private practice pioneer at Sydney’s Hopalong Occupational Therapy for Children • Dino Menillo, OT and director of Adelaide’s OT4Children • Fran Nichols, Speech Pathologist and director of Sensational Kids Melbourne. •
And more!
NOTICE BOARD Organise Tomorrow Today: 8 Ways to Retrain Your Mind and Optimize Performance at Work and in Life. Dec 2015. Dr Jason Selk, et al.
WOW. What a wonderful read. “Doing more is not the answer, and Selk and Bartow walk you through how to achieve more by doing less. There is a huge difference between knowing something and understanding. There is an even wider gap between understanding and doing. Highly successful people never get it all finished in any given day; however, they always get the most important things completed. Selk and Bartow offer the 8 fundamentals of doing what it is most important. OTT will show you the performance gains that athletes, executives, and salespeople spend tens of thousands of dollars to achieve.”
Facebook Pages Manager Pages manager is a free app. It helps admins connect with their audience and keep up with activity on multiple pages, and has many useful features, such as posting photos and posts and responding to comments as your page. View and reply to private messages sent to your page. It has the option of getting push notifications for new activity, tips, and reminders. You can see posts from pages like yours and pages that you follow, then to share them as appropriate. Finally, you get to view our page insights. Nifty app with lots of page management features.
Blinkist.com I love to read but have increasingly less time to do so. My recent and super impressive app helps me grasp the content of the books I want and need to read. I have outsourced my business book reading. The team at Blinkist reads books, identifies the key insights, and then presents them in a digestible 15-minute summary. You can read the summary or listen to it. I have signed up for an annual membership and have over 1500 books to choose from and the list is growing—I am loving it!
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KEEN TO REACH YOUR TARGET MARKET?
We have had quite a few enquiries about advertising in our emag. Such a good idea, why didn’t we think of that? From February we are selling advertising space. Your one-eighthof-a-page advert will be seen by up to 3200 paediatric allied health professionals. Paeds Biz is a perfect way to promote your clinical supervision services, online store for therapists, online courses, software … We may even get our favourite graphic designers, accountants, practice management software providers profiling their wares. Our mission to help private practitioners, the rates are uber reasonable. We can do the art work for a small additional fee. Find out more today. Please email info@nacre.com.au and let’s make this happen.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION Cathy follows and shares posts from national and international small business, disability, news and general interest agencies. Our posts are targeted to paediatric private practitioners who want to who want to be super informed and confident to run their businesses even better. Typical content includes NDIA, education, HR, financial management, marketing, people management and well being. Come on over and join us. Click on the links to follow us today!
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Next month’s edition will include: • How To Automate Receipts And Eliminate The Shoebox • How to write great job adverts • When and how to review your fees • Cyber crime and safety.
My bags are packed, my passport is found, and I’m ready to go. Well, not really. Yes my laptop is packed so please get in touch electronically, as required. I hope you’ve soaked up some private practice success factors from our April edition. Whilst it’s heady stuff wrangling you values, vision, and mission statements and value propositions into shape, it provides such a strong anchor to all of your business activities. We encourage you to persist and ‘eat the elephant one bite at a time’.
About Nacre Consulting As many of you know I am the founding director of Nacre Consulting. A cool business with an unusual name. Nacre is the natural process of a little seed, held in an oyster shell whist it grows, layer by layer, into a brilliant unique pearl. This process takes time, special conditions and forces of nature. And so it is true for ourselves, our businesses and the children and families we serve. More about my clinical supervision, parent coaching, teaching and private practicing coaching services on my website: www.nacre.com.au
A 30-minute free coaching session may be the first step to shifting your knowledge up and your business forward. You are invited to book into my calendar here. Wishing you all a safe and lovely term break. See you back in the pixels for our May edition. FOLLOW NACRE CONSULTING ON SOCIAL MEDIA If you are curious about my specialist private practice coaching services you are most welcome to get in touch, find out more and experience a 30 minute complimentary session: cathy@nacre.com.au