Now that 2010 taxes are finished, it's time to make sure your personal and business budgets are in order.  You've heard it before -  maybe a thousand times - this is crucial for business and personal finances. 

• Avoid rash spending decisions and remember budgets (like business plans) are adjustable. 
• Prioritize monthly expenses and bills - rent, utilities, student loans, etc. from most important to least important.  
• Budget discretionary money that's available at month's end; this allows for wiggle room for unexpected expenses. 
• Use automatic payments - many finance professionals recommend using EFT (electronic funds transfers) or automatic withdrawal for recurring monthly expenses. This type of bill-pay takes the emotions out of monthly payments. 
• Utilize credit card benefits - but for the sake of your credit score pay off credit cards monthly and don't overspend. 
• Ensure you are insured - health, malpractice, disability, and life insurance are very important for financial health. 

The difficult part of budgeting is sacrifice and forcing yourself to look down the road 5, 10, and 20 years. 

Start your budget today! 

It was 4 a.m. when my wife answered the phone. My office manager, Jane, told us our alarm company had just contacted her, reporting that someone had attempted to break into our building and the police were at the scene.

I dressed quickly and, as I drove over, my thoughts envisioned the worst.....extensive broken glass, stolen property and basically an office "out of order."  Upon arriving, Jane was talking with the police officer who had searched and secured the building and was making a report, believing that the incident was random malice.

The perpetrator had thrown a brick thru one of the floor to ceiling glass windows in the front of the building.

Fortunately, we have double pane tempered glass windows which initially were installed to reduce road noise and provide temperature insulation. As a result of the double panels, while considerable glass had shattered, it was all on the exterior of the building and none had violated the interior premise.

My visions of a "ransacked " office were short lived and happily no other damage occurred. As I cleaned up the glass chars and surveyed the building, I was pleased at how well lit our office is, even during complete darkness.

I recount this event as a means of advise.

Make sure your building is secure. Our simple alarm system was "worth it's weight in gold" and if you're constructing a building, double-paned tempered windows can sure make a difference from a safety perspective and are energy efficient.

Examine the lighting around your facility, making sure that all areas are well lit so that patients and staff are comfortable at all times. And take a good look at your equipment and electrical system to insure that all are in proper working order.

And by the way.... we're just getting ready to examine the images on our security cameras.  Happy Days!

Most of you reading this have a renters or homeowners insurance policy.  One of the major reasons you have an insurance policy is to cover your personal belongings. 

When you purchase a policy, the policy will be issued with a Coverage C – Personal Property limit of insurance. 

What you may not know is that there are some categories of your personal property that carry a special limit of liability – regardless of your overall Coverage C - Personal Property limit. 

The special limits may vary by policy and/or insurance carrier, but the common limitations (based on the industry standard ISO HO-3 policy) pertain to the following personal property:

• Money, Notes & Coins                                    $200
• Securities, Accounts, Deeds, Valuable Papers  $1500
• Watercraft, Trailers, and Equipment               $1500
• Trailers                                                         $1500
• Theft of Jewelry, Watches and Furs                $2500
• Theft of Firearms and Equipment                    $2500
• Theft of Silver, Gold, Platinum Ware               $2500
• Business Property on Premises                        $2500
• Business Property off Premises                        $500
• Electronic Apparatus in Motor Vehicle              $1500
• Electronic Apparatus Used for Business            $1500
     And Not in Motor Vehicle

The good thing is, if any of the above limits look inadequate for your property, they can usually be increased by either scheduling the property (itemizing items and listing specific limits for those items) or increasing category limits by endorsement.

I do suggest discussing your policy with your agent to see if any of your Coverage C – Personal Property special limits of liability are insufficient.  If so, your agent should be able to present you with options on how to increase the limits for proper coverage at the best possible premium.

(Did you know NCMIC Insurance Services can assist you with a renters or homeowners insurance quote?  Our experienced agents work with a variety of national carriers to provide you with the best possible coverage. Contact them by email at agents@ncmic.com or by calling 800-394-1466.)

"America voted.....and your journey ends tonight."

Ryan Seacrest has been delivering that news weekly to one contestant on American Idol for the past several weeks.  We are down to seven contestants on American Idol and the competition is HOT!

I am an unabashed IDOL FAN!  Each year, my friends and I gather two nights a week during "Idol Season" to watch the contestants sing their ways to stardom.  And, yes, we even have a pool.

For those of you who have been watching, this has been a weird year.  Some amazing talent has been voted off the show.  Makes me wonder....why does one great talent get voted off while less talented singers remain?

I've come to the conclusion that it is because the lesser singers are more interesting.  They stand out because of their looks or personalities.  In other words, they have something that sets them apart.

As a practicing chiropractor, you are in a competition.  And your patients vote for you with their visits to your practice.  You may be a great doctor, but what sets you apart?  Is it your service?  Your staff?  The experience the patient has while in your office?

There are many talented doctors and many options for healthcare.  Give some thought to what sets you apart and how you can "win the votes" of the patients in your community.

I know most of you are just getting into practice, but there will be a large percentage who will associate with established doctors. 

If that is the case, one of the early signs that you are a go-getter is for you to observe SPRING cleaning. 

Patients, unfortunately, do not have a meter in which they can determine the "quality" of the clinical skills of the office. But they can easily determine if the office looks like it has been neglected: scuff marks on the walls, dust on hard to reach places, dead plants, old magazines in the reception room, less than stellar looking rest room facilities...you get the picture. 

Why not suggest to your new employer that a "spring cleaning" day might be in order for the entire staff to participate. Some of the tasks such as carpet cleaning might be better left to professionals with commerical equipment, but generally a good spring cleaning will not only take care of the "dust bunnies" from last Easter, but will also demonstrate a willingness on your part to treat the office as if it were your own. 

You might develop a three-ring binder of things that need doing at various times of the year. Some things are daily, others are weekly, quarterly and stlll others can fall into the annual cleaning schedule.

It is surprising that the things we see every day, we really do not see at all until viewed through the lens of a new set of eyes.  Your suggestion might not win you a huge economic return, but the good will you create with your new employer may be priceless.

Just recently, I responded to an "Ask the Expert" question pertaining to networking.  Not that I am an expert at it ... but I gave my 2 cents worth!

This D.C. was having no luck getting a response to her attempts in offering to give a presentation to the other physician's offices pertaining to the benefits of chiropractic.  She sent out mailings and made numerous calls - but no takers.

Personally, I have always refrained from the formal type of networking attempts.  Instead of taking up valuable office time, I have always focused my efforts on getting involved with community projects and fundraisers. Specifically, those associated with raising money for the local hospital and other numerous healthcare related projects.

In such settings, I can get to know other professionals and healthcare providers personally so they get to know me as a person and not just as a chiropractor.  In this way they get to KNOW AND TRUST ME as a person and eventually they will decide to make the proper referrals regardless of what they think of chiropractic. 

When someone decides to refer to me, they make the referral out of what they know of ME.

I am not saying that the formal methods do not work but if you are not having any luck, maybe try a different approach.

Has anyone else had similar frustrating attempts and what have you done about it?

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to watch the movie "Happy Feet," a tale of an oddball penguin with big feet who couldn't seem to keep his appendages still. I found myself tapping my own toes along with the music of the movie and smiling wide whenever the penguin started to dance.

It reminded me of the way I usually feel when I head off to work. I'm fortunate enough to work for a good company and work beside some great people. That combination makes NCMIC a great place to be. Happy feet!

Creating an environment that keeps your staff satisfied enough to keep coming back to assist you in growing your business is important to your future. It's easy enough to say your employees are critical to your success, but showing them is a different matter. 

Are you serious?  What reasons might send a good employee down the path of discontent? Can you stop the process and retain a valuable employee?

Here's a short list of answers and, yes, I know you are serious.

• Give a compliment - even the toughest skinned employee needs to know the job they are doing for you makes a difference.
• Reward when you can - a gift certificate, a thank-you note or a small surprise now and then shows you care.
• Don't sweat the small stuff - taking away a priviledge or calling someone on the carpet for things that you "heard" without giving an employee any opportunity to explain shows that you don't think they are trustworthy.
• Rules - don't have so many of them that an employee couldn't possibly retain the information
• Communicate - when an employee gets news second-hand,they feel blind-sided which creates a lack of trust. Keep all employees in the loop.
• Finally, take time to listen and ask for ideas. Front-line employees see your clients every day. They know what works and doesn't work with office procedures. Ask them for input and utilize what is feasible for your office.

In the end you CAN stop the process of discontent by including your employees ideas as you grow, showing them that they have value with your organization! It will make for employees with HAPPY FEET!

Any experiences or lessons you'd like to share about times you've felt valued or under-valued?

There are some very simple and easy steps you can do to ease your ability to get hired.  These are just a few:

1.   Credential with insurance companies

Ask any field doc, and they are likely to tell you how annoying it can be to go through the credentialing process with a new doc.  When you have determined where you would like to get set up, start contacting the appropriate insurance companies.  In many cases you can get enrolled in the programs before you are hired.  There is often a small credentialing fee, but it will really make things easier for your other doc.

2.   Create a marketing plan

Too often I see new docs who are planning on associating eschew their responsibility in creating a business plan.  While this is an issue unto itself, I am going to focus on the marketing plan.  Do a demographic study of the desired areas where you want to work.  Who do you want to take care of?  How are you going to meet them and bring them into the office?  It will truly put you way ahead of the game if you have a plan for this as you are talking with field docs.  I have yet to run across someone who is that prepared.  

3.   Get involved in the community

As you are looking into an area, look for organizations, etc. that you have an interest in getting involved in.  As a field doc, seeing an intent to dig into the community will give a strong signal that you are serious about this.  The last thing I want to do is invest time and energy into someone, and have them take off for someplace they would rather be.  

4.   Go where you want to live

This item probably should have preceded the last one.  Make sure you are looking for jobs in places you want to live.  A rough statistic suggests 80% of docs stay within 20 miles of where they associate.  If you don't have a desire to live someplace, it can really show in your interviews.  Most docs like where they live, and an earnest interest in the area will create a connection between the two of you.

I hope these suggestions have helped.  For details on how to write a marketing plan, please refer to the content on our website.