One area where many of the most successful franchise businesses excel is in replicating customer experience (we’re looking at you McDonalds). To do this, they have a particular set of rules that are typically followed. These allow the business to be clarified and refined to the point where it is easy to franchise out from.
While you might not want to franchise out, the process of clarifying your business through considering how to replicate customer experience is useful. By working through these rules, you’ll be able to ensure a consistent experience for your patients, as well as set up a model for operations that is effective. The E-Myth Revisited sets out these rules clearly: 1. The business model should provide consistent value to customers, employees, suppliers and lenders, beyond what they would expect. This is about exceeding the expectations of everyone who comes into contact with your business. Every business owner should be assessing how they can do this, to remain competitive. 2. The model will be operated by people with the lowest possible level of skill. While there may be some areas of your business where only people with particular qualifications can work (such as seeing patients), this is about making the business function so that these people are supported to give their best. Streamline all business processes so that they are quick and simple to navigate. 3. The model will stand out as a place of impeccable order. People crave order. This goes for employees and customers. A business that appears to know exactly what they’re doing gives a good impression. Environments that have been well planned, increase the satisfaction of those within them. 4. All work in the model will be documented in operations manuals. Having business models well documented provides structure for employees new and old. It provides confidence that there is a logic to what they are being asked to do, and that it has been thought out. This is the ‘How-to-do-it’ guide that lets people understand the why, and how of your business operations. It should be clear and communicated meaningfully to those in the business. 5. The model will provide a uniformly predictable service to the customer. A business shouldn’t just appear orderly, it should also conduct itself in an orderly manner. It matters to patients to have an expectation of what the process will be each time they visit. For many people visiting health and wellness businesses, anxiety can already be high so maintaining consistency is extra important. It doesn’t matter what it is you’re doing, but each time a patient visits you should guide them through the same process each time. This is reassuring. 6. The model will utilise a uniform colour, dress and facilities code. Psychology tells us that images, colours and other aspects of the physical environment of consumers and patients has an impact on them. The appearance of your business when it comes to decor, and employee dress code is significant. Research what has been proven to be the most effective for your ideal client and package your business accordingly.
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Developing your business is an ongoing process that requires intentional effort. There are three stages worth considering if you’re wanting to see your business grow.
1. Innovation Wondering what the difference is between creativity and innovation? As Theodore Levitt is quoted as saying ‘Creativity thinks up new things. Innovation does new things.’ Innovation keeps asking ‘what is getting in the way of my patients getting what they came to my business for?’ Innovation takes the point of view of your patient, or clients. It seeks to solve their problems and make accessing your service easier. Easier for yourself, your employees and the patient. In a world with plenty of competition, innovation can mean the difference between a patient choosing your services, over another. When it’s easier to access your service, you’re automatically above the competition. It’s easier for patients to visit your business and receive care. Which ultimately means more money in your pocket at the end of the day. Developing innovation takes effort, but it’s worth it. Keep asking ‘What’s the best way to do this?’. Consider how you can simplify processes in your business, and/or establish your individuality as a business. If you can build a culture of innovation in your small business you’ll be on your way to producing the results you’ve been looking for. But innovation cannot exist by itself. 2. Quantification Quantification makes innovation effective. It’s how you can see if the changes you’re making are effective, or if your time and resources could be better spent elsewhere. This is about taking stock of the facts of your business before, and after you implement changes. But where do you start? A great place to start is to quantify your business. That is, put numbers to every aspect of your business.
These are just a few examples of questions that can be helpful to ask. It can feel like a bit of a waste of time writing these figures down. But by having an accurate read on your business you’ll be able to notice changes, even if they’re small, and attribute them to the change you’ve made. This can help you figure out if it was worth it to make your online booking system more efficient, for example. It may be helpful to do a regular audit of the quantifiable aspects of your business. This can help you to keep an eye on the way your business is trending and consider what is most effective for your situation. 3. Orchestration Once you’ve brought innovation into your business, and quantified the effect it’s had, it’s time to ‘orchestrate’. That is, if you know that what you’ve begun trialling is having a positive effect, it’s time to make it standard across your business. The E-Myth Revisited gives the example of salespeople having greater sales when they wear a blue suit, as opposed to a brown. Once they know that this is effective, there’s no point continuing on with wearing a brown suit. Wear blue for every sale. In the above example, we see that once we’re aware of a positive impact from our innovation, it’s time to eliminate the option of choosing the less effective way of doing things. This is how you establish the way your business does things. By having a ‘set way’ that things are done, your patients can expect that they will have the same experience each time. This may mean offering training to your staff on your welcoming process or shifting to an online booking system completely. Having established processes provides staff and patients with reassurance each time they come into contact with your business. Does orchestration mean that you stick with your innovation forever? No. It doesn’t. This process is one that places emphasis on development. Only stick with what you’ve put in place for as long as it’s working. If it begins to not have the results you’d like (which you’ll be able to see early on, because of quantification), it’s time to start this three-step process over.
With these three steps, you’ll be able to put in place a dynamic attitude towards doing business. One that will hold you in good stead to continue to review the best ways of doing business, see their results, and implement them more broadly. Imagine your business is being sold, but only if it works. Imagine if your business worked without a lot of effort, and worked without you personally needing to put in that effort. It’d be a pretty cool situation, right?
That situation is possibly what attracted you to starting your own business. The freedom, the ability to have your own business and be your own boss. Any prospective seller would be impressed. Sounds like a pipe dream? It’s not. With a business development strategy, this dream could be your business reality. Here are the seven steps involved:
Have you thought about the 7 steps before? Which do you find the most challenging? Medical and allied health practitioners are often reluctant to work with alternative health practitioners because traditionally they stem from different world views and many of the practices that are offered by alternative health practitioners don’t meet the evidence threshold.
That being said, more and more of these practices are beginning to be validated by the literature and often the consumer places a high value on the experience of their practice, even if the benefit is a placebo. If you're considering working with alternative health practitioners, here are some of the benefits. 1. Referrals - more work! It shouldn't come as a surprise, but working with other professionals in the health and wellness industry can lead to more work. How? Working alongside others, or referring to other practitioners strengthens your connection to those professionals. When you have a strong connection between your business and other health practitioners, mutual benefit is often the result. You may find that you gain an increase in referral to your own service from those professionals you have gotten to know. Take advantage of opportunities to meet others in different fields from your own. Attend conferences, engage with others on LinkedIn and other online platforms. Get to know the other healthcare services located around you, and learn where they might fit in the services you currently offer. Introduce yourself. A little can go a long way! 2. Increased marketing opportunities Give your business increased exposure by establishing a connection with a like-minded business. Oftentimes, these connections will allow you to have a marketing presence alongside their own. It might be a flyer in a waiting room, or a link to your website. Regardless of form, this is a new opportunity for clients to discover your business through one they already have trust in. That trust will be extended to yourself as a result of the endorsement of who you’re connected to. Expand who your business is reaching by working alongside those who share your vision within the industry. You’ll both reap the benefits! 3. Add to your services to meet demand Consumer demand for alternative and complementary health services is at a high. Thanks to the internet, consumers now have greater awareness of what services and treatment are available to them. While it’s impossible to meet the demands of all clients, you have the opportunity to assist your client. Help them to identify a practitioner who can offer a service you don’t currently offer. This meets the needs of clients who otherwise may become dissatisfied. 4. Focus on your businesses value There is no need to feel as though you need to offer every service yourself. By collaborating with other professionals, you are able to focus on what you do offer. By specializing you are able to offer value to your clients. You don’t have to be a jack of all trades. It’s often better to focus on what you want to offer and excel in that area. Become an expert on your service and consumers will recognize your value and trust your business. Use your network of alternative health practitioners to cover those services that clients would like. Even if you can’t perform the service for them personally, your client will appreciate your knowledge and helpfulness in directing them to someone who can. 5. Develop a holistic approach to health and wellness Working with other health and wellness professionals recognises the complexity of human health and wellness. Clients now, more than ever, are interested in exploring what alternative health has to offer them. Through collaborating with alternative health professionals you are able to assist consumers in exploring the diverse range of treatment available. Guide them as they attempt to discern from the wealth of information online, what is most appropriate for their needs. 6. Shared goals across healthcare Regardless of the method, all health practitioners aim to treat the range of health and wellbeing needs of their patients. While the method may change between healthcare professionals, the goal is the same.Collaborating with alternative health practitioners fosters a sense of unity and collaboration in patient care. It also enables a broader conversation between parties that have traditionally been opposed.Support the education and care of patients by engaging with a broad range of health professionals. 7. Learn new skills Working with others is an opportunity for growth. Expose yourself, and your business, to new ideas and practices. You never know what you might learn! Whether its a new technique, or an invoicing program - being on good terms with those in your industry allows you growth on a personal and professional level. 8. Complementary medicine - using the benefits of all methods There may be advantages to the combined use of different healthcare approaches. Your clients may benefit from an alternative health care service that you do not offer. Identify these areas and find professionals you trust to assist you in providing the best care possible to your clients. 9. Be in the loop There may not yet be evidence for some treatments, but that’s not to say it will be developed. Referring cautiously can be great advantage. Consumers will appreciate your openness to new ideas and methods of promoting health that will benefit them. By engaging with alternative health practitioners you have access to a broad range of ideas and research. While it’s important to still evaluate carefully, you have the opportunity to talk with professionals and develop new approaches to healthcare. Engage in a meaningful conversation and grow the reputation of your business as one that is on the cutting edge of healthcare. 10. Save yourself time. Trying to offer every service your clients are interested in is exhausting, and time-consuming. There will always be something new, or something different you could be offering. Save yourself the time and effort needed to deliver some services by utilizing the professional expertise of others. You’ll save time, as well as your money, by focusing your efforts into the core services of your business. 11. Be a part of a community Working with a diverse range of health and wellness practitioners offers the opportunity to be a part of a community. Engage with others who are just as excited about health and wellness as you are. Have a voice in the alternative health space by working alongside those who work in the industry. Your business, practice, and clients will thank you. A study of health service managers has confirmed the benefits of including alternative and complementary health practices within your business. The study found that integrating alternative health practices is believed to broaden patient access to services, fill gaps in existing healthcare, and treat the patient as a whole person. Alternative health practitioners who focus on chronic pain, psychological trauma, and chronic disease management, in particular, have been working alongside traditional health professionals for some time. It is well worth considering how alternative health practitioners can assist your business to grow! Building an alternative health empire can be a challenge. Everyone seems to have advice on how you can best succeed. It can be overwhelming and exhausting trawling through all that info. So we’ve done the hard work for you. Here’s some of the best advice we’ve found online for building your health empire.
Use Your Online Platforms Don’t know what we mean by online platform? That’s okay, all empires start somewhere. Let’s run over the basics.
When it comes to online platforms, the sheer number of potential strategies you could implement can feel overwhelming. Rather than feeling like it’s all too hard, consider what you already have in place and focus there. Maybe you already have a website - consider updating it or looking at new ways you could use the site. Tackle one area at a time, and focus on getting it right - rather than doing everything. If you have the money, some businesses find it worthwhile investing in a social media manager. But even if that’s not an option there are some great apps available to help you manage your businesses online presence. Tailwind and Preview are two options to consider. Consider your existing client base Growing your practice into an alternative health empire starts small. Look at the clients you have already attracted thus far. Consider ways you can further assist these clients. Increase loyalty and value for consumers who are already invested in accessing your services and or products.
Streamline where possible Don’t get weighed down by marketing and administrative duties. Wherever possible, streamline these activities. Though they’re necessary for your business, they take up valuable time. You could spend that time strategising and exploring options for growth.
Build a community around your business Alternative health businesses that have a flourishing community around them are well-positioned for success. Why? Greater access to support, referrals and the ability to retain customers.
Educate yourself Building an empire in alternative health isn’t easy. It’s an industry that is developing quickly. Therefore, it’s important that you stay on top of the latest technology and practice developments in your field. Stay connected to what’s happening in your industry. This will help you to respond and adapt to changes as they arise. Continuing to educate yourself will also allow you to become an expert in your field, as your knowledge base continues to grow. Here are some of our suggestions to help you educate yourself on an ongoing basis. You can also educate yourself when it comes to developing your business and practice. Evaluate and attempt advice from other successful people in the alternative health/CAM field.
Want to read more on this topic? https://healthtransformer.co/seven-strategies-for-health-entrepreneurs-to-adapt-to-a-covid-world-ca17e48452c6 |