Woodside Family Practice

Archive for the ‘private practice’ Category

As an alternative to the state supported healthcare system expats in Germany have the option of signing up to a private health care plan. The prerequisite is a salary over 47,700 Euros. Those working in Germany on an independent basis (i.e. self employed) would also be eligible.

Employees would have to demonstrate that they had earned more than the threshold amount for 3 years. Otherwise they will automatically be enrolled in the government scheme (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung of GKV). It is always prudent to address this with employers as soon as possible since when staff are registered for the state insurance there is no option to change for three years. This draconian seeming measure is a result of recent reforms and is designed to compel higher earners to stick with the state system. The private option is attractive for expats because although standards are high with the standard program it is reassuring to have access to medical staff whose competency in their patients mother tongue can be guaranteed.

German hospitals depend increasingly on their private practice for funding and so receive new patients with open arms. The private Krankenversicherung (PKV) market is covered by around 50 firms and there is a good palette of products available to meet most requirements. As might be expected cost is determined by such variables as the patient’s medical history, age and gender.

Its is important to bear in mind that while the GKV covers family and non working dependents the PKV only covers the paying customer. On the plus side private providers are not allowed to cancel policies on the basis of claims made. They are legally required, furthermore, to set aside 10% of contributions against health care provision to be rendered in retirement.

Self employed German residents who are covered by the policy of an international (i.e. non German) provider should check the small print and make sure it is acceptable in Germany. Even if the existing policy is applicable, long term Pflegeversicherung (nursing care) must be acquired as well.

private Krankenversicherung (PKV) regulations stipulate that all self employed persons must now purchase private health insurance (even if they had no cover previously). The German providers are legally obliged to accept applicants regardless of their health situation. Finally, the cost will be capped by 1st January 2009. This government of the Federal Republic has introduced these measures to ensure that ultimately all residents have cover.

Jan sat alone at her kitchen table, surrounded by paperwork and feeling very overwhelmed. In all her years of adult counseling and raising her own children, Jan had never really paid attention to her own finances. She trusted her husband and his accountant to handle the details, and they did. Jan and the children never wanted for anything, and when her husband, a successful oncologist, passed away, Jan found herself left with years’ worth of savings.

Jan had no idea where to begin. She was an intelligent woman, but completely inexperienced. Friends encouraged her to invest, but the

stock market seemed too risky. Jan disliked gambling with her savings, and was very skeptical about using a The last

thing Jan wanted to do was squander her late husband’s wealth.

When her granddaughter mentioned private mortgage lending, Jan started thinking maybe there were more options than she realized.

Jan contacted a real estate foreclosure  firm and found that private mortgage lending was a safe, easy way to make a return.

The man on the phone at the firm explained the advantages of lending her money to a real estate foreclosure investment firm:

*Limited leverage

*Depreciation decreases

*No accounting problems

*No executives

*Risk not associated with market demand

*Investment is insured against accidents

*Evaluation is simple

*Low costs

*Able to close loans as often as monthly

*High rate of return

*More control over funds

*No real estate management hassles

Even with this information, Jan was still cautious. The benefits seemed surreal. So she started with a small step. She made an investment of $25,000 to this private real estate foreclosure investment firm after consulting her legal and tax advisors.

Today Jan is a successful private mortgage lender. In fact, she has doubled her savings with private mortgage loans. Her intention had

been to safely grow her savings, but with the expertise of a real estate foreclosure investment firm, Jan has learned how to make her money work for her, with very little risk.

The stock market can truly be a gamble. While brokers may advertise their prediction skills, too often the market is a guessing game. Private mortgage lending is secured. There’s no guessing or gambling, and no complications.

Jan learned that secret, and she used the knowledge to change her life. Of course every investment involves risks, but because she

sought out an experienced and reputable private real estate foreclosure , she felt that her husband’s final gift was safe and secure. Jan was able to save enough money for

her grandchildren’s education and to begin taking the vacations she had always dreamed of. She knows life is short, and feels confident that her loans will yield enough profit to sustain her extended family long after she is gone. Jan started with almost nothing, and so can you.

Most private practice owners believe that if they are well educated and skilled in their particular field of therapy that clients will automatically flock to their practice when the doors are opened. This is simply not the case. A practitioner may have three doctorate degrees and twenty years of experience, but if that therapist is not successfully marketing his or her services, very few clients will appear. The marketing strategy in this dissertation focuses on two primary areas of private practice: (1) getting new clientele, and (2) training the mind for a successful practice. No matter how well qualified a therapist is, he or she cannot practice without clients. Successful marketing must come before successful practicing. The following strategy is a 100-day challenge, and should be the complete focus of the practitioner during that period.

Market and Niche

The first phase of successful marketing is determining the target market and the specific practitioner niche: in other words, the “who” and “what” focus of your private practice. Marketing alone is useless. Successful marketing must be focused marketing. The second phase of successful marketing is promoting “two-for-one” sessions. This strategy will significantly increase your client base rapidly. “Two-for-one” sessions is not necessarily to be taken literally. This strategy can include many ways to hook a potential client. The variety of ways to use this strategy will be discussed in detail a bit later. The third phase of successful marketing is to stay in action. Do not let one of the one hundred days pass without adhering to your strategy. Each day should bring new opportunities to implement the strategy. The fourth phase of successful marketing is to feel good about your future. The power of the mind plays a large role in how successful you will be. Chanting mantras and doing other focused activities will direct the power of your mind into the realization of a successful private practice.

Phase one in creating a successful private practice marketing strategy is defining your target market and your therapy niche. Your target market is those people who are most likely to already need your services, and are willing to pay for your services. Your therapy niche is the alternative modality you wish to practice the most (i.e. hypnotherapy, reiki, reflexology, etc). In determining these two factors, it is necessary to remember two important points: (1) People care more about their problems than they do about your treatments, and (2) most practitioners are not concrete enough in what modality they offer. It is absolutely imperative to put the client’s needs first and to be able to clearly define what it is you offer to the client. Vague marketing will bring scant results. If you take a look at very successful companies the world over, you will find one defining characteristic tying them together: they all have a crystal clear focus. They know what they offer, and they are clear in their marketing materials about their services and products. In marketing your service to your target audience, remember that passion sells better than expertise. If you love what you do, and others see that you love what you do, they are more likely to purchase whatever you are selling. Passion is contagious.

In deciding what your specific niche will be, you should choose an area based on (1) something you have passion for, (2) something you excel in or are able to learn about, and (3) something people have an existing need for and are willing to buy. Your niche should be as clearly defined as possible. Rather than marketing yourself as a hypnotherapist, a reiki master, and a feng shui expert, choose one and market that specific modality. People want to buy into something they feel certain about. If your prospective customer feels you have stretched yourself too thin, he or she will look elsewhere. Prospective customers are looking for an expert in which they can be confident. As an alternative therapist, your job is not to create a need, but to fill a need. Choose a niche with waiting customers, and market your specific ability to those customers. Finding these customers is easier than most people think. This will be discussed in depth in a later section.

In determining your target market, take into consideration the following three rules: (1) be sure you can discover where your market is; (2) be very specific about who you market to; and (3) be able to get deep into your chosen market. The first thing to do is to decide where your market is. If you are marketing your services to businessmen (such as hypno-coaching), that is a very wide market, and you may feel overwhelmed by the prospect of marketing to every business in your community. However, if you narrow down certain places businessmen gather, such as chambers of commerce or rotary clubs, and reserve speaking engagements to a group of businessmen there, the marketing becomes much easier and more targeted. Go where your prospective clients are, and offer your services to them directly. The second thing to do is to be very specific about what you do. If you address the group of businessmen by introducing your service as a way to help businessmen be better at what they do, that is too vague and not very memorable. However, if you open your presentation by saying, “I specialize in motivating salespeople to exceed their quotas each month”, then that’s something people want to buy into. The first introduction is forgettable; the second is convincing and memorable. The third thing to do is to saturate your market. This will take care of itself if your service is quality, and your marketing is well targeted. For example, if you give a focused, detailed seminar about your service to a group of businesspeople, they will tell other business friends about your service in turn. If you marketing is well planned and targeted, trickle down marketing will occur in your chosen market.

Exercise

Use these questions to define your target market.

1. What is my therapeutic focus?

2. What do people say to themselves if they have a problem I can solve?

3. What kind of person wants/needs my therapeutic help (demographically)?

4. From the above questions, narrow down your target market.

One of the most important things to do before beginning your marketing campaign is to devise a mission statement. A mission statement is a clear and concise answer to the question “what do you do?” When writing this mission statement, focus on the specific problem your therapy addresses, and the results it provides for your clients. The mission statement should be no longer than two or three sentences, and should be detailed rather than vague.

Exercise

Begin working on your mission statement.

Imagine being in different situation with people asking you what you do. Answer.

When writing the mission statement, it is not necessary to make it so stiff that it is unchangeable in various situations. While keeping the basics concrete, tailor the statement to the individual you are speaking to. Also, rather than using a labeled profession in your mission statement, focus on what you actually do in the therapeutic process.