"Don't buy a dog and bark yourself"
"Don't buy a dog and bark yourself" – this was the heading of a chapter in the book, The Rule Breaker's Book of Business by Roger Mavity, which I read recently. I loved Roger's take on the art of delegation. It is often assumed, like many other business skills, that as we enter private practice and we start to grow, or if we manage a service and have a team around us, that we automatically possess the skills to delegate tasks to other people. I am not great at delegation, and will be the first to put my hand up about that… something about being a perfectionist I think! How do we work out if we need to delegate?
Created on 26 Oct .
10 things to do in your allied health practice before Christmas!
How on earth is it December already?! I still had lots of things that I was going to do this year, and time is running away. I had announced at the start of the year I was going to do a three-day walk on a mountain whose name I cannot even remember, before the end of the year! Nope, that has not happened. I got a little busy!
3 quick tips for getting your team through a busy end-of-year.
Usually, at this time of year, there seems to be more patients that need seeing, less time to concentrate on getting everything wrapped up before Christmas, and less time in the day. This can make for an exhausted team. I know I like to get on top of all my admin before the Christmas break, so I can go away feeling stress-free, but I often feel this time of year is like the storm before the calm! I need to make sure I make this time of year a good lead up to Christmas for my staff. After all, we all want them back after their Christmas holiday. What specifically do I do now to keep my team motivated and keep us all sane along the way?
Created on 18 Dec .
There is a wonderful quote that I love… "If you don't change where you are going, you will end up where you are going". Now, that is a great plan if you are really happy with where you are going… but if you have hit complacent mode or are just stuck in your routine… stuck in bad habits… think about whether those are the places you want to continue to go in your practice or in your personal life. What are you going to do in 2017? I have put together some steps to help you get organised early on and make a plan for this year.
Created on 04 Jan .
Starting a practice is very rewarding but it can also be challenging and take up more time than you realised – administration time is one of those forgotten time-consuming roles that you will need to devote time to when you start up. Having some good knowledge of basic business skills will help you ensure you hit the ground running and that you are making the most of your time and resources. Here are 4 skills I think are essential when starting up a practice.
Created on 28 Jul .
If you are in the process of setting up your practice for NDIS or thinking of registering as a provider, here are 5 small but useful tips that might help you to understand how you can apply NDIS smoothly into your practice.
How are you travelling with leading your practice? Are you headed in the right direction? Are you leading with purpose? Coming up to the end of the year, what is in the diary? I hope that you have planned some time to reflect on the year and plan the coming year. If you leave this until Christmas, you might find it a bit hectic, and if you leave it 'til the New Year, you miss the opportunity to plan early so you can hit the ground running!
Created on 17 Oct .
When I first started my practice back in 2006, I used to work during the day and then do the usual home duties like cook dinner, bath the baby, talk to my husband, do some washing, put the baby to bed, and then when all was settled, go and do my practice admin – it might have been ordering, writing client notes, preparing invoices…. And I did this for a number of years. I speak to lots of practice owners who are not alone in this. It is about what suits you, and for those who DON'T like late night admin, I have some tips for you!
Everyone knows the old phrase "To fail to plan, is planning to fail", and there are numerous resources and articles out there that can guide you in the planning process and help you formulate a plan for any aspect of your business. There is, however, an important step that many people overlook in implementing their plan, meaning their carefully created plan can sit for months without any action!
Created on 10 Feb .
When I work with fellow allied health professionals, I often hear people say, "I am not sure where I am headed" or that they started a practice and are finding it hard to plan for where they might end up, having never been in practice before. I get that! Sometimes, it can be hard to work out where you are going if you have not been in that situation before. But a vision for your practice is really important. How to write a good one? Glad you asked!
Created on 16 Aug .
Do you know what you need to create your own healthy practice?
I often talk to people about having the 'ideal' practice, something that they can love and a business that can give them the things in life they like, but that doesn't just happen – you have to work at it. Just like ourselves, where a healthy body and mind gives us the energy, resilience and focus to take on life's challenges, a healthy practice also allows us to take on the ebbs and flows in health care and still benefit from the wonderful attributes that private practice brings…. without bringing in negative stress to your life. So what is a healthy practice?
Last week, I completed a TAFE Statement in HR Mentor, Difficult Conversations in the Workplace. It was a great reminder that difficult conversations are sometimes unavoidable in business but with the right approach and planning, they can achieve outcomes that are not necessarily detrimental to your practice.
Created on 01 May .
Don't lose sleep over Long Service Leave!
If you employ staff in your private practice, you would be aware that an employee is entitled to long service leave after a period of working for you. Did you know that for staff employed under a Modern Award (e.g., Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2010 [MA000027]) long service leave entitlements differ in each State and Territory?
Created on 06 Feb .
Last week we had the pleasure of catching up with Craig West, CEO of Succession Plus, Australia's largest business succession and exit planning firm who provide mentoring, advice and strategy for clients looking to prepare their business for a successful exit. I was interested in finding out more about what the term succession planning means, and why we should all have a succession plan as allied health business owners.
Created on 21 Jul .
On the weekend, I flew to Perth in Western Australia to speak to a wonderful group of Speech Pathologists in private practice. We had a great day talking about regulations in healthcare, tips for running a better business, and ways to tweak marketing so we can ensure we offer great value and customer service. It is a wonderful learning experience to get out and talk to other practitioners in healthcare about their thoughts, ideas and concerns in healthcare today. "Busy-ness" is one of the key areas that impacts on one's ability to running an effective practice – how can you do all those little things that are important when you are so busy seeing clients? Here are the five things that I think we sideline when busy in our day to day business…. Are you forgetting to focus on any of these?
Created on 01 Dec .
Coming into Christmas or holiday periods can be a quieter time for many practices. This is often when staff take leave, or you yourself may take leave. Often, clients are away as well on holidays and this means that your cash flow can be affected at this time. It is important to look for ways to improve your cash flow during the year but importantly at this time. One way is to reduce your utility bills. We have put together some ideas to reduce your electricity bill this period.
Created on 30 Nov .
I have never been the best at being a neat organiser. I have a messy desk, a messy bag, and my home computer has those great piles of paperwork beside it. Does it make me unproductive?
Created on 30 Jun .
It is very near to Christmas and I find things get so hectic around here in our therapy practice. There seems so much to do and so little time, and the lead up to Christmas gets a little frantic. But why?
Created on 15 Dec .
I don't know about anyone else, but the EOFY (end of financial year – I know, I didn't know that either when I started in the business, so don't feel silly) was a busy time at our practice. Students, stock take, reconciling accounts, and then of course I went and took a holiday right in the middle. If you are an employer like me, there are a few important things you need to ensure you do swiftly following the end of financial year. Here is a rundown of what you should take account of... now!
Created on 07 Jul .
One avenue that you can explore as an allied health business owner is looking to access grant funding to springboard your growth or transition. Before you launch into a grant application, let's look at some important considerations.
Created on 20 Feb .
Have you got a business plan for your practice?
Business plans are a written document that outlines what you are aspiring to achieve in your practice and how you might reach those aspirations. To put it very simply – it provides the direction for your practice so you don't get lost. If you are feeling lost, or haven't looked at your plan for a while, now is a great time to stop and think of where you are going.
Created on 24 Aug .
There is not a great deal of point in spending time writing your goals if you are not prepared to then spend time facilitating their achievement during the year. It is important to set some habits around goal achievement and also give yourself some motivation for this.
Created on 04 Oct .
Having started to plan the upcoming year, I spent some time today going over my to-do list and getting it organised ready for January. I love to-do lists but have had to work really hard over the last two years to contain them. Here's how I changed several to-do lists into one working to-do list…….
Created on 22 Dec .
I am looking forward to the new year. There is something each new year that happens in my brain that says – the calendar has clicked over, things will change! I will have more time to do things, be more active, and tick all those things off my to-do list. Of course, we all know that this does not happen unless we plan a way to make it happen. Here are some tips to ensure you have a great new year and that you have achieved your goals come next Christmas!
Created on 29 Dec .
If you have joined me over the past couple of weeks as we have explored why difficult conversations are sometimes necessary in the workplace and how to plan for these – today is the big one! How to actually run that conversation.
Created on 29 Apr .
Created on 23 May .
Today, I will share with you some tips on how to prepare to have a difficult conversation in your workplace - effective planning can lay a good foundation toward positive outcomes.
Created on 09 May .
A policy and procedure manual are really important component of having a successful practice. There are so many benefits going forward if you have a well-constructed manual that guides the expectations of your team's performance. If you haven't developed one, have a half-finished manual, or have an old one that might be out of date, here are some tips to get you back in the game.
Created on 20 May .
With Easter not far away, hopefully, you have started to think about what you need to do at your practice when there is a holiday period. Easter eggs have been out in force this year in the shops – for a while too – each time I grocery shop, I panic about when Easter is and if I am organised. Seems to always sneak up on me, even though the signs of Easter are in the shops for months!! The Easter period means different things to each of us, but the common thread, if you are running a private practice, is that you may have a closure period coming up. Here are 5 things to consider this Easter in your practice.
Created on 28 Mar .
Created on 14 Apr .
The night before Christmas.... to do list!
Created on 20 Dec .
Thinking About The End at The Start.
When I started in practice, I just thought about getting started; just opening up and building a name for myself. I certainly didn't start off thinking about the end, and I often wonder how many of us do that. Have you considered your exit plan?
Created on 30 Aug .