Holidays Ahead!

The holidays are just around the corner. Use this time to relax, enjoy seeing friends and family and then contemplate in the next couple of weeks what you can do in 2013.

Your first thoughts have to be about your current operation, which includes the company, staff, and clientele. Think about what you will do to expand your bottom line with higher profits.

In a previous blog was a reminder to be sure you have already enrolled for the Spring Medtrade in Las Vegas. So many new surprises and opportunities will be found there. I have been monitoring the show and can tell you how impressed I am with what is ahead!

In anticipation of attending Medtrade Spring, do the following. Write a business plan for 2013. It will not be graded and if you take the time, I know you will be rewarded.

Do a careful review of the past year activities to determine which disciplines brought in the best profits (and those that did not). Begin from the weakest link to see why it did not produce as much as you anticipated. Realize where sales were down and why that happened.  Armed with that information, you can make corrections to prevent that from happening again.

Study every segment of your sales to see where OTC cash sales products are available. This can become a goal for Medtrade. Build from your base and continue to grow. This can be a most constructive time. It really makes a difference! The ROI for the time and effort in preparing this as a new “business plan” will never be better. This effort makes attending Medtrade so vital!

It is important to share your thoughts with all your employees. Their enthusiasm will be found on the bottom line annually. Make this Holiday season work for you!

“Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.”

Help for Small Business

I do not like to use the term “small business”.  The average DME/HME location may not have the same volume as does a Target or a WalMart, but for the principal, it is still a “very large” operation. The owner's family and the employees all depend on its success to maintain their way of life!

This makes the average DME/HME location into a big business because they have a following of clientele and customers who depend on them.

Recently, there was an interesting article in my local newspaper about entrepreneurship. It listed some programs available when you seek help. As the economy of the United States has started back on the road to recovery these sources can be of great value. When I had my company, I was able to get some very excellent advice through SCORE. The personnel of SCORE are all retired, very successful business executives.

As I met with them, I showed every segment of my operation and told them how much money I was seeking. After the SCORE counselor studied each facet of how we function, he assisted me in obtaining a bank loan.

Today, there are also more than 1,000 Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) throughout the country. Their counselors are available to provide free one-on-one sessions with you. They will also help develop a new business plan, help manage your accounting and give advice for marketing.

This free service is available for every DME/HME provider. You should contact SBDC so they can help you develop new approaches.

This year at Medtrade (10/16-10/18) there will be many opportunities and experts to help you find answers. The economy is getting brighter and it is your turn to be in the forefront!

Yes, there is a lot of help available for your business. Take advantage of the opportunity. This year Medtrade is the best place to get answers. Come prepared and learn how to attain every one of your goals. 

Change & Opportunity

When you make any changes in your DME/HME company operation and it is successful, that move is usually permanent! Problems can happen when any change is made in haste without proper preparation. When it does not work out as anticipated, the opportunity is lost!

In the last few blogs we wrote about ROI, family caregivers, OTC cash sales, listening, e-mail and other normal day-to-day opportunities. This morning I received a phone call (877-553-5127) from a young lady who told me that this Medtrade in 

Las Vegas will be her first one. Her enthusiasm is high!

She wanted to know to whom she should visit while at the show? I told her to seek out the companies she currently buys from. Meet them and tell the about her operation (her company is less than a year old). Then I recommended that she look at all the vendors to see which other products fit into her operation.

She wanted to know if she could attend the lectures and seminars without having registered for each. I explained that these seminars are an integral part of Medtrade. Hearing that she told me now she would bring a staff person. She realized that could earn her a good ROI!

Sometimes you forget that there are many opportunities waiting for you on the showroom floor. Yes, Medtrade is also a great social event where you will meet many friends and peers.

At the exhibition everyone will have to have the ability to find new products and new services. All of these will enhance your business and increase your profits. Another major benefit at Medtrade is the ability to meet with the industry associations, buying groups and publications. There is nothing that compares with what you can get at Medtrade; new opportunities and great ideas for changes! Seek and ye shall find. I hope to see you all in Las Vegas!

If you haven't registered yet, there is still time! https://www.xpressreg.net/register/MEDS042/landing.asp?h=&sc=EREG6SIC