Q:

Dr. Margolies,

I am getting ready to open my doors in a couple of
weeks.  I do not have the needed financing yet and
this could be 2-4 weeks away.  So I plan on starting
bare bones and was wondering if it necessary to have a
CA in the office as soon as you open the doors?  I
would rather have one but not sure how I will get the
money to pay her in the beginning months.  So far the
banks won't finance me without SBA backing and that's
only for the equipment purchase not a working capital
line of credit.

Any suggestions?


A:

Thanks for the e-mail. Hiring staff is a major component in your success. A CA in the 
beginning has to be cross trained with PR as well as her duties at the front desk. If you 
have an uptone person with a purpose and mission dedicated to your goals .. she will 
pay for herself multiple times over. In the beginning it may be necessary to hire a part 
time person for the afternoons when it is usually busy .. but to not have any CA is 
indicative of self fulfilling failure.

Remember .. practically every business starts off money poor. They take the extra risk 
of hiring people to assist with customer service and then hope through word of mouth 
the business grows.

In our business word of mouth has to extend beyond our few first patients and into the 
community. A phone call and letter writing campaign takes time and requires additional 
help. I would hire a CA .. even part time .. to assist with these marketing programs as 
well as being available to maintain an efficient customer service base at the front desk.

Don't fall within the new beginners trap which is to limit your growth by limiting your 
potential. If within your minds eye you see slow growth .. little income .. few new 
patients and the like .. it will happen. Instead dwell on how with the assistance of your 
CA you have many marketing campaigns to stimulate the growth and success will be 
the outcome. If you can not foresee this .. then you are either looking at the wrong 
place to open or you have less creative juices than you need to start right.

How you pay for staff is simple .. pay yourself less and pay them first. If their 
assistance doesn't generate new patients within a few weeks .. actually a few days .. 
then hire someone else. You must be able to map out a marketing plan .. patients don't 
simply call or walk in the office


Hope this helps

Have a Great Day

Dr. M