When it comes to business processes, many companies try to automate as much as possible to help save time and streamline operations. From accounting software to social media tools, there are countless ways to automate small and large tasks alike. But, automation isn’t for everything—contrary to what many business owners believe. In fact, there are some things in business that you’re better off doing by hand … and I’m here to give you the rundown on what they are.
4 Tasks Your Business Should Be Doing Manually
Approximately two-thirds of businesses have fully automated at least one function in their company. And as technology evolves more each year, this number continues to grow. But, this doesn’t mean you should necessarily push manual tasks to the side and automate absolutely everything in sight. There are some tasks that should (and frankly, need) to be done by hand. Without further ado, here are four things your business should not be automating.
1. Responding To Customer Reviews
Customer reviews can make or break your business. They are what your potential customers see and read before deciding whether or not to go with your business or a competitor. Not to mention, they can be a great marketing tool.
With customer reviews being an oh-so-important part of your business, it goes without saying that it’s crucial to respond to reviews. But, something you should 100% absolutely never automate is your responses to reviews. You hear me? Never.
When responding to customer reviews, the last thing you want to do is sound like a robot and say the same thing to every customer that leaves a review. After all, they took the time out of their busy day to give you (hopefully good!) feedback.
All responses should be genuine and personalized. When responding, don’t forget to show your gratitude for the feedback. If it’s a negative review, investigate the situation, be empathetic, and provide a solution.
2. Providing Customer Support
Picture this: You call a support line to get some answers to questions you have. There are so many department options that you don’t know which one to select. And once you finally choose an option, you’re led down a pipeline of other options and struggle to get a hold of a real live person. Sound familiar? If so, you’re definitely not alone. This is the reality for many customers trying to get support.
When it comes to providing customer service, steer clear of automating. Attempting to automate certain customer support options, like phone calls and online chats with robots and canned responses, makes it extremely frustrating for customers. And what can said frustration lead to? That’s right—a lost customer for your business (and bad reviews you must attend to!).
Instead of automating aspects of customer service, pride yourself on your customer support and try to give the best experience possible. Give your customers numerous ways to get in touch with your team, like email, chat, or phone call. And, be sure that regardless of which customer support avenue your customers take, they can easily get in touch with a representative.
At my accounting software and payroll company, Patriot Software, we pride ourselves on our top-notch and quick customer service. And, our customers absolutely love us for it (based on the reviews we meticulously read through and respond to!). So, don’t be afraid to provide some good old-fashioned customer support.
3. Engaging On Social Media
Chances are, part of your marketing plan probably includes some form of social media. After all, it is 2021, and social media is all the rage. If you want to really give your business a boost on social media, you have to get your followers talking and engage with them. And, you probably guessed it: engaging with folks on social platforms is something you should not automate.
Keeping people engaged on social media is an absolute must if you want to help spread the word about your business. When you engage with customers on social media, your responses shouldn’t be bland and robot-like. Trust me, that’s not what customers want to see. And, those types of responses are not going to make people want to engage with your business.
Take advantage of social media to humanize your business and truly connect with customers. Let your business’s personality shine through in your social responses to give engagement a boost.
4. Thanking Customers
Your customers are the foundation of your business. Heck without them, you wouldn’t be in business. Because they do so much for your company, you should be thanking them, right? Right. And, you should be automating said thank yous? Wrong.
When it comes to showing your customers your appreciation, avoid automating as much as you possibly can. Handwriting and sending a simple thank you note or email can go a long way with customers. And yes, your customers notice (and appreciate) the small details.
Of course, if your business has really taken off and you have more customers you can count, handwriting thousands of thank yous may not be physically possible. But even as your business grows, you should still avoid automating this aspect by adding a touch of personalization to emails or selecting certain customers to send thank you notes to.
Whatever you wind up doing, make sure you’re showing your customers that you appreciate their business.
So … What Should You Be Automating?
Now that we’ve gone over what you shouldn’t be automating at your business, let’s review what type of tasks you should consider automating. Here are some things you may want to automate at some point:
Accounting tasks
Payroll tax filings
Emails
Social media posts (e.g., scheduling posts in advance)
Appointment and meeting scheduling
Sales
Again, automation is a great tool you can and should use in business. But, that doesn’t mean you should automate absolutely everything. Take time to consider the tasks that absolutely need automated and the ones you’re better off handling manually (aka 1 – 4 above).
Perform Practice Solutions can help you to optimize your day-to-day operations and improve your clinic’s performance. Visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/PerformPracticeSolutions or give us a call at (833) 764-0178 to see how we can help elevate your physical therapy practice!
We can help you to run your practice with more efficiency and prepare for your challenges. Perform Practice Solutions can help you to optimize your day-to-day operations. Improve your clinic’s performance now. Visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/PerformPracticeSolutions or give us a call at (833) 764-0178 to see how we can help elevate your physical therapy practice!
Let’s talk about your business challenges today.
Our fresh perspectives, experience, and specialized skill sets will get your practice where you want it, and with far less stress. (833) 764-0178
Is it time for a fresh start? Business owners need to focus on recovering. Improve the chances of the success of your practice by boosting your marketing strategy (or implementing one!). We can also help, as marketing can take your time and your patients need your full attention. Moreover, you need an expert team to focus on the many details and strategies to convey your niche areas of expertise, spread your message, and get your phone ringing.
Businesses are diligently working to recoup last year’s lost earnings following the start of the pandemic. Holiday sales in the United States beat expectations in 2020, but were primarily made online, forcing many small businesses to cut hours and trim staff to stay afloat.
When business owners have to make budget cuts, the marketing budget is often considered as it can be erroneously viewed as a non-essential expense. Research reveals companies who invest in marketing during a recession bounce back faster than companies who opt to cut their ad spending. Small businesses can improve their chances of success by bolstering their online platform and wisely allocating their marketing budget into programs designed to generate results.
Give your business an advantage this year by fine-tuning your marketing strategy to include various methods of reaching customers. New mover marketing, a strong social media presence and community involvement are three ways you can help your brand navigate the current economy successfully.
Think of new ways to add customers.
Businesses who cut their marketing budgets during lean times run the risk of being overshadowed by the competition and preventing new customers from discovering their brand. The pandemic has resulted in people not exploring their local area as often as usual, which is why this is an opportune time to consider a new approach like direct mail and new mover marketing. These methods reach out to consumers without them having to leave their home and guide them to businesses like yours that are seeking customers.
Many people are fleeing their current neighborhoods and relocating to suburbs and small towns to provide stability during this difficult season. An analysis of data from the United States Postal Service revealed more than 15.9 million people moved last year. Targeting new residents will introduce people to your brand before they have a chance to build loyalties with your competitors.
Boost your online presence.
A report from Mastercard estimates online holiday sales increased 49% compared to 2019. This increase shows that shoppers are turning to the internet to price check, shop and read reviews of products and services. Your business should have a strong online presence in order to connect with customers digitally.
Fortunately, social media allows you to share information about your business by posting to your respective profile at no cost. Promoted posts and paid ads, however, do cost money. Social media advertising and promoted posts increased to 83% last year, according to a report from the Content Marketing Institute. Posting on social media can increase your company’s rank in search engines and provides a platform for sharing customer testimonials, website blog posts for customer tips and more.
Keep in mind that social media can become saturated with ads, creating over-stimulation for the customer which can result in the loss of an impression, click or sale. While having an online presence is undeniably important in this day and age, it’s critical to mix in alternate channels of marketing such as the others I’ve mentioned.
Support your local community.
While improving customer service and creating a customer loyalty program will help draw in new patrons, it’s smart for businesses to be active members in the community they serve. Joining the local chamber of commerce and participating in community events are two ways that can make an impact.
Supporting local non-profits is another way to give back to your community and increase brand awareness. In 2019, corporate giving increased to $21.09 billion — a 13.4% increase from 2018, according to Giving USA’s 2020 report.
Some businesses have found success by making community service part of their business model. Toms, a popular shoe brand, touts a one-for-one business model, where they donate a pair of shoes to people in need each time a customer makes a purchase.
While one-for-one giving may not be the right fit for your business, I’m proud to say that our business model supports local communities as well; every new mover who receives our welcome package is gifted one-time-use housewarming offers from our partnered local businesses. Really, it’s the community welcoming program and our clients are the neighborhood sponsors as they graciously give one free gift to new residents — no strings attached.
Another option is supporting a charity that mirrors your company’s goals.
When reviewing your 2021 marketing strategy, be sure to include low-cost, trackable options that raise brand awareness and generate results. Keeping your marketing budget robust will surely help your business succeed in 2021.
We can help you to run your practice with more efficiency and prepare for your challenges. Perform Practice Solutions can help you to optimize your day-to-day operations. Improve your clinic’s performance now. Visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/PerformPracticeSolutions or give us a call at (833) 764-0178 to see how we can help elevate your physical therapy practice!
Let’s talk about your business challenges today.
Our fresh perspectives, experience, and specialized skill sets will get your practice where you want it, and with far less stress. (833) 764-0178
Increasingly, the amount of time being spent online engaging with social media platforms has become an integrated aspect of our daily lives. Nearly 74% of Americans are on Facebook daily- given this exposure we want you to consider: Are you maximizing the exposure of your physical therapy clinic through various social media platforms? 80% of Americans experience some sort of pain and/or discomfort and restrictions with their physicality. If you are not targeting these individuals on social media, that is a lot of money you are leaving behind! We want to outline the ways in which you can use social media to optimize your entity and stand out within the PT world.
Raise Awareness:
Use your practice’s social media account to raise awareness of common ailments, new technology, or rising concerns within your field. If your account provides accurate, relevant, and timely information, it is more likely that new/returning patients will remain engaged with your practice or clinic.
Fight Misinformation:
By the very nature of social media, it is easy for information to spread quickly- the same goes for misinformation. Using your social media account to combat or discredit misinformation will lend credibility and reliability to your practice. This will help build rapport with patients, making it more likely they will come to you for treatment.
Answer Common Questions:
Patients typically raise similar questions at various stages of their health and wellness journeys. Providing “hot takes” or “snapshots” of these questions with a clear answer is likely to motivate patients to work with your practice. With some of the preliminary concerns addressed through easily accessible and highly visible social media posts, patients will feel more confident taking the next step forward in their physical therapy journey.
Destigmatize Talking About Body/Health:
For a lot of people, talking about their bodily ailments can be embarrassing or something they are not comfortable sharing. By bringing the discussion into the public sphere, new/returning patients will feel more comfortable addressing their concerns as your entity has helped to build their trust and assuage any embarrassment or fear around talking about their bodies and their ailments.
New Way to Market:
In 2020, 68% of health care marketers increased their spending on online/social media ads over 2019. The best-placed ads are where people will see them – and share them! – and with the vast majority of Americans on social media, marketing your entity on these platforms increases your visibility. If you do not do it, you know your competitor will, so staying on top of client’s minds is important for your success. Moreover, ads that are placed on platforms such as Facebook can target people in your area- making your ads relevant to those seeking your services.
Make social media work for your physical therapy practice! Perform Practice Solutions has got you covered! From blogs to newsletters to managing your social media account, we are ready to optimize your online presence! We will take care of your digital footprint so you can focus on what you do best- patient care! Visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/PerformPracticeSolutions/ or give us a call at (833) 764-0178 to get us working for you!
One of the best things small businesses can do is learn from the past to improve the future. And there are many lessons to be taken from 2020! Here is an insightful overview of some of the top SMB technology stories to peruse for some takeaways.
Every week I round up the five most important technology stories for small businesses and give an explanation of why. This week, I’ve selected the 13 technology stories that stood out for me. Why? Because they’re about technology trends that not only affected small businesses in 2020 but will continue to have an enormous impact in 2021. Here they are.
1 – Small businesses who pivoted to e-commerce saw record sales during Black Friday weekend.
According to information released by Adobe Analytics, small businesses saw a 110% average increase in their online sales throughout the 2020 holiday season so far with a big boost coming during Black Friday weekend. (Source: NBC News)
Why this is important for your small business:
Depending on the research you’re reading, e-commerce sales have increased anywhere from 30 to 45% this year over last year. Of course, this was caused by the pandemic, but it really just accelerated an already existing trend. Small businesses that pivoted online were better able to navigate their way through this year’s unprecedented economic downturn. Those who didn’t suffer more…and will continue to be at a disadvantage in 2021 unless they do so.
2 – A hacker group donated their ransoms to charities.
So you’re not going to believe this but a ransomware group named Darkside disclosed that it has been donating portions of ransoms received from companies they’ve hacked to various charities. The group —which has been operating since August of this year—typically attacks big corporations, encrypts and steals their data, then demands a large ransom costing companies millions. The group released a statement that they only focus on big, for-profit organizations, and have taken pride in giving a portion of the paid ransom to charities such as Children International to help children in poverty, among several other non-profits. (Source: ZDNet)
Why this is important for your small business:
Ransomware is a billion-dollar industry and is so profitable that hacker groups, like this one, is literally paying it forward with money it has stolen from companies that paid it ransom. Ransomware and other security attacks – like the recent SolarWinds attack that impacted the treasury, commerce, and other government departments – will continue to wreak devastation on organizations of all sizes in 2021. Backup. Get software. Upgrade your operating systems. But most importantly get training.
3 – A Microsoft engineer was been sentenced to nine years for stealing $10 million from Microsoft.
Volodymyr Kvashuk— a former Microsoft software engineer—was recently sentenced to a term of nine years in prison after stealing over $10 million from the company’s online store in the form of store credit. Over the course of 2016 through 2018, the engineer was in charge of testing the online ordering process to help monitor and ensure all was operating properly. While the testing software prohibited physical shipments to testers, a loophole allowed for testers to buy gift cards virtually. Through the virtual purchases, Kvashuk stole enough to buy a $1.6 million home and a Tesla which cost $160,000. (Source: ARS Technica)
Why this is important for your small business:
Even the biggest companies with the best technologies can still get duped. Microsoft may not even miss the $10 million but employee theft like this could cripple a small business. This issue will continue to be pervasive in the years to come. I offered a few suggestions for protecting yourself here.
4 – Boeing 747s are still using floppy disks. Yes, floppy disks.
A recent report uncovered that Boeing 747s— a plane that’s been around for decades— continue to use floppy disks to get important software updates. Recently, members of the security research team at Pen Test Partners had the chance to fully examine the entirety of the plane’s avionics, discovering a disk drive that still used floppy disks. According to the report, the disk drive was utilized to import vital data that guided the plane’s navigation and required updates once a month that was installed by an engineer who would visit on site. (Source: The Verge)
Why this is important for your small business:
Before you freak out, I actually kind of understand this, mainly because many of my small business clients do the same. Despite all the experts who urge that we always use the latest technologies, there’s a reason to stick with the old stuff: if it works, don’t break it. Perhaps the cost/benefit of changing out these archaic floppy disk systems isn’t worth the effort. That’s a question for Boeing to answer. But countless small business owners use this rationale when they decide where to spend their investment dollars. And in many cases, the decision to stay with older tech makes better sense if the ROI can’t be justified. Replacing older tech with something newer will continue being debated this year.
5 – Twitter announced that employees will be allowed to work from home ‘forever.’
Twitter announced that they will permit their employees to work remotely ‘forever.’ The company was one of the pioneers in allowing their employees to work from home when the COVID-19 outbreak first began. While employees who wish to work in the office will still be able to, they will need to wait until restrictions are officially lifted. Individuals who want to work from home instead will now be able to do so as often and as long as they’d like as long as their role and circumstances allow it. (Source: The Guardian)
Why this is important for your small business:
Kind of surprised that tech companies like Twitter haven’t been doing this for a while. We all know those cloud technologies are good enough to enable employees to work productivity from home. My expectation is that a lot of companies – including many small businesses – will be expanding their work from home policies. And then after a few years, scaling them back when they realize that face-to-face interactions is what really makes an innovative company grow. But we’ll see…
6 – Microsoft Teams is getting fake coffee shops, breakout rooms, custom layouts, and is launching new Cortana features for business users.
Microsoft also recently announced new features for their Together Mode, which was designed specifically to address COVID-19 remote work meeting woes. While Together Mode is not new to Teams, some of the features — such as virtual conference rooms, auditoriums, and coffee shops — are. (Sources: The Verge, Tech Crunch)
Why this is important for your small business:
Per another report on The Verge back in April, Microsoft claimed 75 million daily active users of Teams, a surge of 70% in a month. Google Meet, Zoom, and Citrix also claim hundreds of millions of daily meeting participants. These applications are accepted, useful, productive and most of all…work. They were instrumental during the pandemic and will continue to be for the foreseeable future.
7 — Netflix raised prices on standard and premium plans.
Netflix raised prices on both their premium and standard plans to $17.99 per month for premium and $13.99 for standard. Previously the standard plan cost $12.99 while the premium plan was $15.99 a month. Customers will see the changes reflected in their upcoming bills in the next two months and will also get an alert one month before the change occurs. The basic Netflix plan will stay at $8.99/month, which remains the same as when the entry-level option was rolled out in 2019. (Source: CNBC)
Why this is important for your small business:
This scares me. Why? Because small businesses are more reliant on the cloud than ever – just check out the stories I’ve already mentioned. But although security is a concern, I have a much bigger concern about the cloud and Netflix personifies it. Because Netflix is a cloud company. It delivers an online service. And – quietly – they just increased their prices without much opposition. What are you going to do? Give up another season of Ozark? Never! But for a business owner, the risk is what happens the companies providing our cloud applications do the same thing. We’ve got little means to stop them.
8 — Google now officially supports running Chrome OS on old PCs.
This year, Google obtained Neverware, a company that has provided PC users with the ability to turn their machines into Chromebooks or Macs through their CloudReady software. With the acquisition, Google will begin to implement plans in order to make CloudReady available as a formal Chrome OS rollout. With the transition, users will be able to effortlessly update their software and will be provided with Google support for CloudReady, just like Chrome OS users get. According to the announcement, Google will recognize any current licenses that span over several years and there are also no plans to change prices. (Source: Engadget)
Why this is important for your small business:
This is also a potential game-changer for small businesses, particularly those on a budget. Think of it: you’ve got an old Windows or Apple machine and instead of tossing it you turn it into a Chromebook. By doing so you’ll be able to realize very similar functionalities for much lower hardware investment.
9 —Banks are quietly drifting into accounting.
Wells Fargo and accounts payable management platform Bill.com joined forces to create a feature to assist small and medium-sized businesses in gaining access to automation for accounts receivable and accounts payable processes. The partnership will help streamline workflow into a digital process while adding additional features such as electronically capturing and tracking invoices, to name a few. Meanwhile, TD bank said that they will be introducing TD Online Accounting, which will serve as a new online accounting and payment feature. The addition will be made to their small business online platform and will allow business owners to pay their electronic payments and credit cards straight from their TD Bank business checking, allowing the process of making payments to run more efficiently. (Source: Pymnts (Wells) and Pymnts (TD))
Why this is important for your small business:
These are just two examples, of many during 2020, where banks are either more fully integrating with small business accounting products or simply offering their own bookkeeping options to their small business customers. My prediction is for more banks to gobble accounting software makers and create more cozy relationships with others in the space. It makes sense.
10 —Customer service chats are coming to Instagram DMs.
Businesses will now be able to provide live customer service agents to assist users posing frequently asked questions through Instagram. With the ability to field questions through Stories and Shops on Instagram, businesses will also be able to merge the social media platform with their CRMs, providing the ability to keep track of order and message history from customers. The most recent version of the messenger is currently being tested by big brands such as Adidas, H&M, and Michael Kors—to name a few—and is not yet widely available. (Source: Engadget)
Why this is important for your small business:
Instagram is owned by Facebook and part of Facebook’s strategy – as told to me in this interview by Rich Rao, Facebook’s Vice President of Small Business – is to expand its e-commerce capabilities. Over the next few years small businesses who sell their products on both platforms will be seeing more tools like the ones mentioned above to sell their products and provide customer service. Could Facebook, with its billions of users, be a better platform to generate revenues for your business than Amazon?
11 — Google Translate now lets you transcribe conversations in real-time.
Google has announced that they launched a new feature in their Translate Android app that will allow users to transcribe conversations—in real-time—into other languages. The new feature will support Thai, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Hindi, German, French, and English. Users will easily be able to touch the new “transcribe” icon from their home screen and select the target languages and source and tap the microphone icon in order to start, stop, pause, or restart their chosen transcription. (Source: CNET)
Why this is important for your small business:
Microsoft and Amazon Alexa now provide similar translation and transcription services. The world is getting closer and that’s going to make it easier for small businesses to do business overseas.
12 —Augmented Reality technologies are growing fast, thanks to the pandemic.
Augmented reality is becoming a key factor in helping companies make sales during the coronavirus pandemic. Brides and bridesmaids can now shop virtually through David’s Bridal website and their augmented reality feature. Shoppers are able to load mannequins in 3-D on their website, select a dress, allowing them a 360-degree view and chance to inspect the dress closely, getting a good look at the fabric and details of the dress. Similarly Avataar. me — which is an advertising platform driven by AI — is helping companies by transforming 2D pictures into 3D in order to help shoppers get a closer look at things like cars, houses, and furniture. (Source: Retail Wire and Your Story)
Why this is important for your small business:
Thanks to Covid, businesses – both big and small – are looking for new and innovative ways to show their products in a safe and virtual way and because of that Augmented reality applications and uses are expanding at a greater rate. This is a trend that will continue to accelerate in the next few years and if you’re in a business that could benefit – retail, field service, real estate – these technologies are important to consider.
13 — This machine makes 700 pieces of sushi per hour.
California roll, anyone? The Suzomo machine is the newest player in the culinary robot field, with the ability to make perfect sushi rolls in mere seconds. While finding a talented sushi chef at a reasonable wage is proving to be difficult, the machine is able to make approximately 700 pieces of fresh sushi per hour, tasting just like handmade sushi rolls. The company says that the popularity of its machines has grown quickly, allowing restaurants to run efficiently with less staff. (Source: ABC 7)
Why this is important for your small business:
Less staff are the two most important words here. As minimum wage and other benefits drive up compensation costs many smaller restaurants are looking for ways to keep overhead (and employment headaches) to a minimum – and so they’re investing in technology. An automatic sushi maker is only one example of how robotics are speeding up food preparation…with no bathroom breaks needed. Smart financial advisors should be making their restaurant clients aware of this major trend.
Perform Practice Solutions can help you to optimize your day-to-day operations and improve your clinic’s performance. Visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/PerformPracticeSolutions or give us a call at (833) 764-0178 to see how we can help elevate your physical therapy practice!
Let’s talk about your business challenges today.
Our fresh perspectives, experience, and specialized skill sets will get your practice where you want it, and with far less stress. (833) 764-0178
It is a relief to close the door on 2020 and look ahead to 2021. But there are valuable business lessons to take away from the most unconventional year we all just endured. Here are three that are worth reviewing.
We are nearing the finish line of a year that many people will forever associate with difficult challenges and pain. Lessons will undoubtedly emerge from all of the personal hardships.
On the professional front, it’s hard to imagine any employee, manager, or leader who didn’t experience some major shift in their company or the way it operates – some positive things and many negative. They too are walking away from 2020 with key insights and observations that will hopefully strengthen their companies for the challenges ahead.
While there is an infinite list of lessons that we all could take away from this year, some are more critical than others for leaders who are trying to best manage their ship in waves of uncertainty.
Here are three key takeaways that business executives and senior leaders should recognize as we enter 2021:
Contingency Planning For Emerging Concerns Is Critical
How will your company react the next time a health crisis starts to appear on the other side of the world? Do your communications teams have an action plan for the next time-sensitive social issues weave through your industry?
Whether it’s planning for immediate changes in how employees work or for addressing company policy standards on relevant social issues, leaders need to have a documented contingency plan for how, when, and to what degree action needs to be taken.
As we’ve seen from events over the last year, no department or functional role is immune to sudden shifts from external forces.
Step one is about developing some type of action plan and communication strategy earlier for emerging events that could have some direct or indirect impact on the business.
While this could seem daunting, focus on what threats would most directly affect your company’s ability to operate, your employees and their well-being, and your culture or your brand in the eyes of your customers. Simply put, ask yourself what events in the business, social, global landscape are surfacing right now that may become a concern for us tomorrow.
You should create or refine a plan for the things on that list that look highly likely or disproportionately threatening. The same should be done for opportunities that arise in the market that could be favorable for your company.
Step two is about ensuring all the relevant stakeholders have access to the plan and communication streams so that everyone knows what to expect when action is needed.
JPMorgan Chase is one clear example of how a company created and actually tested a plan in preparation for what ended up being a necessity. In late February and early March, it was reported that the company used a contingency plan named “Project Kennedy” to test how thousands of employees could work from home in the event that the coronavirus outbreak spread further.
This was well before any other large company issued a formal work-from-home program that was associated with the health crisis. Fast forward to today, it could reasonably be said that it served the company really well.
Your Company’s Brand Is Dynamic And Always Faces Risks
Just as a contingency plan can help your organization balance the challenging demands that may emerge from a national crisis or growing social restlessness, your brand needs the same level of thoughtfulness about what you communicate to your consumers, employees, and community. What your company stands for and how it markets itself to the public is less of a headache during good times, but it can truly be a make or break for your brand during bad times.
Topics of equality, justice, diversity, public health, and employee wellness are all among the things being considered by consumers as they engage with brands today. Today’s executives and managers need to view the maintenance of their brand as a true work-in-progress, no longer simply a line item for the marketing department.
When Nike ran a controversial campaign with Colin Kaepernick during the midst of the kneeling during the national anthem debate, it wasn’t immediately clear just how it would be received. When Quinnipiac University National Poll later released their findings, it was clear that public support was in their favor and sales followed.
The company didn’t rest from its prior efforts on social issues, it continued to build consumer trust on a topic that it knows people care about. They remained dynamic with their brand and it served them well, in part, because of consumer loyalty and brand affinity that it earned.
On the other hand, we’ve seen stories recently surface about tech companies that refuse to take a stance on social issues and prohibit political speech. In an age when more companies have taken the opposite approach, it will be interesting to see how actions like these impact a business or a customer’s willingness to support it.
All Assumptions Should Be Challenged Regularly
Effective executives and senior leaders create and communicate a message about why the company does what it does. This helps each stakeholder understand how their role fits into a larger vision. Hopefully, when a contingency plan is created, as outlined earlier, everyone has a deeper understanding of how to shift strategies when the situation calls for it.
However, relying on a set of ‘what if’ plans isn’t enough. Successful leaders need to foster a culture and company environment where everyone is regularly challenging traditional assumptions. For example, it’s been well documented that some managers were skeptical of the remote work trend. Be it a lack of trust or inability to measure productivity, the reasons are plentiful.
Changing the assumptions that work is done in a singular place or office may take time, but larger widespread events like the pandemic reinforce how quickly some ideas can shift from bad to not as bad as we expected.
Does a distributed team really work most effectively through asynchronous tools like email? Is a traditional hourly pay structure right when someone is working remotely and may need more schedule flexibility? All of these long-held beliefs and processes are ripe for reconsideration.
Turning Ideas Into Action
All of these questions should be on the table and each leader owes it to their team to think through how the old ways of working can be improved. While these concepts likely won’t be at the top of the priority list, they deserve some inclusion on your ranking of objectives.
You can’t predict the future but you sure can plan more effectively for things that could arise, even if they are low-probability scenarios. That investment in time, effort, and resources could pay dividends in the future.
Finally, consider how your company’s brand and vision could be impacted through all of this. You won’t know for sure how things will land, but the exercise of thinking about it beyond a simple marketing analysis could serve you well.
The beginning of a new year is busy for some organizations but slow for others. Find a way to integrate these concepts and ideas into your annual planning and kickoff events. If 2021 ends up being anything like 2020, you’ll thank yourself for it.
Perform Practice Solutions can help you to optimize your day-to-day operations and improve your practice’s performance. Visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/PerformPracticeSolutions or give us a call at 702.287.6104 to see how we can help elevate your physical therapy practice!
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The festive season is here, and it could not have arrived any sooner for a lot of physical therapy and medical practices! Now is the time to enjoy the holidays and take some time to consider how you’re going to tackle the new year. Here are some strategies that can get the ball rolling for you.
Perform Practice Solutions has a team of industry experts available to help you enable your physical therapy or medical practice to thrive. (833) 764-0178 Info@PerformPracticeSolutions.com.
It’s been a hell of a year, hasn’t it? Between the pandemic and politics—not to mention the day-to-day stressors the average small business has—it’s been challenging to keep our heads above water, let alone think about the future.
But as things slow down a bit around this holiday season, I invite you to do three things: rest, reframe and rejuvenate. Trust me, both you and your business will be better for it.
Rest your body and mind so you can get back to crushing it
Even if you normally take a vacation, you may not have taken one this year. Where is there to go? The idea of getting on a plane wearing a mask for several hours and wiping every available surface does not appeal to many of us. I try to take at least one international trip a year and have had three trips canceled because of Covid-19 this year.
And yet, entrepreneurs desperately need that time to disconnect and unwind. Starting and running a business understandably requires more work and causes more stress: 61% of entrepreneurs have higher stress levels than when they started their businesses, and 60% struggle to take time off.
That’s bad for business.
Even if you can’t go on your annual ski vacation this year, find time for rest. That might mean taking a Friday off now and then (a practice I highly recommend!) or spending a long weekend in a cabin in the woods. Heck, it could just be getting a massage or turning off your phone after work hours if that’s the best you can do. But I encourage you not to devalue the importance of being well-rested. A brain that isn’t stressed and overtaxed can come up with innovative ideas.
Reframe how you do business
The biggest takeaway from 2020 is that we can’t rely on how we used to conduct our businesses. Whether that’s because the quarantine kept you from serving customers in person or that you had a huge learning curve for using video calls with clients, there is something that has fundamentally shifted.
Don’t take that as a one-time lesson. You may struggle now to attract business the way you used to, either because of the economic climate making consumers gun-shy about spending money or because the market has changed. The worst thing you can do is continue doing “business as usual.” These are not usual times, and even when things level off, we will need to have a permanent plan in place for what our businesses will look like moving forward.
Remember that business plan you drafted all those years ago? Now would be an excellent time to revisit it as more than likely it needs to be updated. Where you find customers, what you sell, and your long-term strategy may have shifted, so put those changes in writing; your business is there to remind you of how you might need to pivot to survive.
I’m always amazed at how resilient small businesses are. I’ve read about a day spa that transitioned to offering at-home facial kits. A magician who, being unable to give in-person performances, now has paid shows on Zoom. Restaurants that have deftly navigated changing rules and added outdoor seating and more takeaway and delivery options. Even if this year has destroyed your business, consider how you can rise out of the ashes like the beautiful phoenix you are.
Rejuvenate your love for what you do
I occasionally go through extreme burnout in my business and lose passion for what I do. It can be tough to do the same thing for years. But when I feel like I can’t go on another day, I step back. I rest. I take time away from my business and don’t even think about it for days or weeks. Inevitably, when I return, I feel better.
That might work for you. You might try something else like coming up with a new product or service or finding different industries to work with. You might learn a new skill. Or hire help to take some of the pressure off of you.
You started this business because you were passionate about it, but just like in a relationship, sometimes you have to reignite that spark. Don’t let your passion die, or running your small business will consume your soul.
And if these rejuvenation ideas don’t work, consider that it might be time to call it quits. Again, just like in a relationship, sometimes there’s a shelf life for your business, and denying that will only make you unhappy. Find an exit path and make room for something new to light you up.
I wish you the best of holidays this season. Even with such strife, we still have much to be thankful for. And who couldn’t use a little holiday cheer to wrap up what has been an overwhelming and stressful year for all?
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Perform Practice Solutions helps clinic owners nationwide adjust to the changing and challenging reality of practice ownership. With its innovative coaching platform, transparent billing platforms, and marketing services, Perform Practice Solutions provides frustrated and hard-working owners with an alternative way forward. It's not easy, but it is possible.
