Chris Barrow’s Blog

and because it amuses me, here is the desk at my apartment in Manchester, where I’ll be working for the next few days. 

It’s just after 5.00pm on Friday and writing this post will be my last professional duty before I switch off and prepare for a glass of wine and a nice meal.

My working week has mostly revolved around my desk in Falmouth (as you can see, I’m a neat freak).

 

 

Its been a week of business development and, looking back, I have achieved the following:

•  upgrade of my Vodaphone 3G datacard to keep me on-line when I travel;

• Preparation for our second quarter of Team Training Days – “Focus on Time and Money”, including new PowerPoint slides and (working with Ernie) the creation of new workbooks and assessments;

• Follow up notes and slides from the first quarter of our Breathe Business Club meetings;

• Re-write of the wording for my web-site bio;

• Creation of a new cash flow forecast for Breathe Business v 2.0 – demonstrating the funding required for the business over the next 24 months;

• Review and re-arrangement of my calendar for the rest of the year;

• Decisions regarding the future creation, editing and issue of our ezine;

• Writing of various articles for both dental and coaching publications;

• Some long-overdue additions to my blog page – including my favourite links to client web sites (see over on the right hand sidebar);

• Some equally overdue work on my personal finances, including revisions to my personal cash flow forecast for the rest of this year.

Phew!

And I’m pleased to say that, along the way, I have replied to numerous client emails and even made time for some telephone calls with both clients, prospective new clients and the Breathe Team.

All in all – a very productive week – and a reminder of just how valuable “production down-time” can be.

I feel rested from business travel – and connected with my business and our team.

Guess what?

My to-do list still isn’t clear – and I’ll be spending a few more days next week on business development. 

Business is good at Breathe – but there’s always room for more!

I haven’t known such exciting times in business for many a year now and I’m privileged to be working with Simon and the rest of the Breathe Team. 

bonus-calculator.xls

This is a simple but effective little spreadsheet for you to download and play with.

In the practice who use it, profits are calculated monthly and then distributed to all salaried staff in the same proportion that their individual salary bears to the overall payroll cost.

This means that everybody is getting the same percentage of their salary as a bonus – get that?

You can enter bonus percentage, salaries and monthly profits in the white spaces – and go from there!   

  

David Horobin at Chapel Road Orthodontics in Bexleyheath has created a job advert as part of his web site.

 

Click here 

 

David writes:

it’s fed by an entry in the Blog and can also be indicated from a job advert in the local press 

 

Dental Design did the design and I modify the site with Adobe Contribute – a useful tip for technologically minded principals I think. 

 

 

 I have long been an advocate of a business card that differs in size and content from the accepted normal.Here’s an example from James Goolnik in the City of London. The objective here is for these cards to be handed to existing patients, at public speaking opportunities and in any business to business networking environment.There is enough information on the card for the reader to gain an initial impression:

• do I like the look of this guy?
• do I find the overall branding attractive?
• is the language speaking to me and my needs?

It keeps the wrong type of people out – and acts as a magnet for the right type. And “yes” – its the “wrong size” – that’s deliberate.  Notice also that by promoting a “Bow Lane Signature Smile®” he is creating a unique process, rather than just another product. 

John Street Dental Practice

As a Practice we believe we offer a high quality working environment, with modern equipment and a motivated, well trained team.

An opportunity for you!

• ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT/ RECEPTIONIST

• QUALIFIED/TRAINEE DENTAL NURSE

John Street Dental Practice

67 John Street · Workington · Cumbria CA14 3BT · T: 01900 65217 · F: 01900 871005

Working with the team at Circle Orthodontics in a modern church hall/conference facility outside St Albans.

Last day before the Easter break and a mammoth drive home tonight.

I’ll tell you more about today next week.

Interesting business model – 11 practices forming a producer group – about which I have written before but this is the first one I have seen in dentistry UK.

Have a lovely Easter weekend – time to reconnect with yourself.

“I don’t know how to find the right people.”

Heard that before?

We certainly do – on a regular basis, from clients who are struggling and overwhelmed.

I spoke with a lady dental principal yesterday who provides 5 days a week of clinical dentistry and then runs her own business in the evenings and at weekend.

There is no point in building a team of low-paid people who bring every decision and problem back to you.

Like another struggling dentist I met yesterday who pays his staff between £6.50 and £7.50 an hour – that’s the wage range – and he wonders why nothing gets done unless he does it himself – duh.

Just like Gulliver, he and you will be pinned to the ground by numerous decisions, transactions, situations, relationships, crises, repairs, conversations, signatures, letters, emails, forms to fill in, calls to make, beans to count – and on, and on, and on.

Do you ever feel like that?

“Why don’t you all just leave me alone!!!”

There is a way out of that.

It’s called effective delegation to a highly-paid and well motivated team.

To do that you will need money and time and people.

And that buys you freedom from “work” and the opportunity to create some “wealth” as well as “income” – any hard-working fool can create “income”

I know – I have been there for 38 years this year.

A busy fool.

Now I’m on a mission to maintain my income and create some wealth.

Wealth for me, for my business partners, for my team and for my clients.

Wealth buys you freedom.

I want to be free.

Andrea Lee taught me many years ago that the best marketing is always BOP:

Bold

Outrageous

Provocative

So congratulations to Ben and Paula Buffham at Park Lane Orthodontics in Reading – for getting noticed!

Whether we like it or not – the media have their teeth into this now.

Heather has left court with £24 million.

Britney isn’t in prison or care at the moment.

Amy is out of rehab.

Al Fayed has had his day in court.

So there’s not much scandal about and hacks are bored.

So let’s talk up a recession shall we?

And I am just beginning to hear the very first rumours of gappy books about the place – although the last two days in Bristol have been with clients whose appointment books are busting at the seams.

However – just to keep you going, here’s a letter I designed with a client just this morning:

Dear    You will no doubt, like us, be watching the media continue to talk about “recession” – well we are delighted to say that the nationwide interest in cosmetic dentistry and facial rejuvenation shows no sign of slowing down – people want to “look good and feel good” even when times are tough.Having said that – like any business, we understand that, in a recession, we have to work that little bit harder to earn your loyalty and support as well as your custom.We would like to bring your attention our patient referral scheme.

In addition to the monthly referral reward programme, where you have the chance to win a number of fabulous prizes whenever you recommend our services to your family and friends. We have introduced our gift voucher scheme.

For every patient that you refer who subsequently registers you will be automatically sent a £10 gift voucher to use at Marks and Spencer’s.

You will still be entered in the monthly prize draw. I have enclosed a small supply of our practice referral cards for your use.

If you have any family, friends or colleagues who you think would be interested in our services, please pass one of these cards to them – and ask them to mention your name when they call to book an appointment.Thank you for supporting our business.