From: Dr. Margolies

At the conclusion of this week¼s e-mail are a number of requested postings. There is a DC in Wisconsin 
looking for an x-ray unit .. a new graduate looking to associate in Michigan .. two seminars for your 
enlightenment .. one in New Jersey another in Atlanta .. and the editor of Chiropractic Economics is 
looking for your feedback .. 

E-mail message this week: Downsizing (8-16-98)

Just the other day .. my patient asked if I knew of anyone hiring computer software developers. Seems 
this patient had worked for the same company more that 8 years and they began to downside. Since 
being bought out over a year ago her company has gradually lightened their overhead by firing a number 
of employees and are about to lose some more. She sees the handwriting on the wall and is ready to 
bail out before given the boot. I asked her if they had an active public relations and marketing 
department and she said they were the first to go. So typical .. if you believe in your product .. why 
downsize .. you should grow. Rather than bailing out the people that will generate interest for their 
product and company they should have increased their marketing team and spread the good news. But 
shortsighted corporations consolidate by imploding which results in more of the same.

A recent edition of Success Express provided by the Foot Leveler company had a fine article concerning 
office management. I wish I had my copy handy so I can acknowledge the fine writer and refer and quote 
directly from it. But in essence .. the writer mentioned the typical busy office .. so busy that 
fundamentals were overlooked and service was jeopardized. Office components that created this 
success was being overlooked in the haste of keeping things at an even keel. A practice even with 
limited number of patients but steeped in paperwork .. staff mismanagement .. patient control that is out 
of control will seem overwhelmed forcing the doctor and staff to always work in overdrive. 

So .. what¼s the first thing to go .. service. Getting through the day becomes the credo. „If I just get my 
act together and things slow up I¼ll do this or that.¾ Yep .. if for sometime this has been the mantra of a 
small voice within you  .. you best step back and realize that you too have been mentally downsizing 
and slowly imploding. Your practice maintenance and growth is dependent on your energy .. both 
creative and physical. It¼s easy to downsize this energy and hope to recharge the batteries later .. but 
later usually winds up being an unrealized goal. You have subconsciously downsized your mental 
energy and reduced your potential.

So .. how does this effect you and your practice? Well .. the first thing that is downsized is your creative 
juices. Concentration is placed on „holding the fort¾ and not worrying about more. As with the 
corporation above that elected to fire their public relations and marketing departments first but holding 
onto their technical and manufacturing divisions to be downsized later .. they decided the game was 
already lost and surrendered with this thought „well hold tight to the reins and hold the fort .. but 
growth at this point is fruitless.¾ So .. rather that consolidating their energy and focusing on their proud 
product they decided to keep the status quo rather than creating more. The creative portion of their 
business was let go!

Doctor .. are you overwhelmed? Is your practice growth substantial enough that you feel confidant it¼ll 
stay that way without your conscious efforts towards continued growth? Have you been forgetting the 
fundamentals that brought this growth to your doorsteps hoping that the trend will maintain itself 
without any effort? At Vegas when you¼re winning you roll the dice again. When your practice is 
working at its peak .. patients are referring and new patients are calling from all your efforts .. don¼t 
make the mistake to downsize your marketing and PR energy .. it is at precisely this time that you 
maintain or increase this level of creative growth .. keep rolling the dice.

If your practice is just getting off the ground or has floundered for awhile don¼t make the cardinal 
mistake to limit your marketing energy. I¼ve been telling my students that once they have an office they 
need to spend the proper time creating a practice. I recommend they spend .. at least .. three mornings a 
week .. for 3-6 months .. doing nothing but marketing. This time is blocked off so they can make the 
phone calls .. walk their beat .. shake hands and create alliances .. foster and provide workshops and 
generate a strong long lasting new patient base. It takes time .. dedicated and concentrated time .. with 
increased energy not downsized power and purpose.

If you are in a positive powerful growth spurt and your practice is rich with new and established 
patients .. look if the fundamentals are being overlooked .. determine if you have downsized your public 
relations team (even a mention about referring .. providing a weekly workshop or seasonal promotions 
is marketing and PR). Keep on keeping on and never forget the fundamentals .. once you do .. you¼ve 
downsized

Dr. M

Now this week¼s postings:

Doctor looking for an x-ray unit for new graduate:

BRAND NEW D.C. needs an x-ray machine and DOESN'T WANT to finance BIG
BUCKS with a new machine until school loans are being paid first... He
may be able to get a new machine in a year or two, but has to build the
practice first.  If you can help him out with a reasonable x-ray unit
that works, contact me and I will try to get him underway with the unit.
He is in WISCONSIN and I want him to have a great start at a
Chiropractic life... THANK YOU!
reply to: drroy@vbe.com  
Neenah, WI (1-920-722-8511)

New graduate wishes to associate in Michigan:

Recent Life graduate looking to associate in Michigan.  Please reply to:  DJBANK@yahoo.com

Masters seminar in New Jersey with Dennis Perman DC:

Practice Development Seminar is August 28-30 in New Jersey -- 
please join us!  It's going to be excellent -- to register,  please call 800-451-4514

Chiropractic Economics' November/December edition is focusing on practice management consultants.

Would you mind adding a message from me for in your next letter? I'd like to invite your readers to 
contribute their experiences with practice management consultants (good and/or bad) for our 
November/December edition. For example, I'd like to know what is the best tip they've ever gotten from 
a consultant? The worst tip? What pieces of advice have they actually implemented? What secret works 
best for them? What have they stuck with the longest and so forth?

Responses should be e-mailed to me at chiroeco@aol.com or faxed to 219-485-7311 or my direct phone 
number is 219-492-2763. They can be as short as a paragraph or two or longer. I'd prefer they be 
identified with the author's name and city/state, but it's not required.

Thank you for helping me prepare for this upcoming edition of Chiro Eco!

Sincerely,
Lana Stewart
Editor
ChiroEco@aol.com