Some doctors don’t think of themselves as business owners, and that’s fine.

They might think it’s too risky to start a medical practice when they’re quite happy working as a hospital employee. However, there are some physicians who think otherwise. Even if they’re aware of the challenges, they still want to go ahead and launch their practice.

Does that sound like you? If yes, then reading this guide would be a good starting point. Read on to learn about what you need to prepare for when launching your own practice.

How to Start a Medical Practice: 4 Things to Remember

In some ways, a medical practice is like any other business. You need money to put it up, choose a legal business structure, and obtain licenses to operate it. Unlike other businesses, however, you have to undergo “credentialing,” which allows you to accept health insurance from patients.

Here’s a closer look at those 4 requirements.

1. Money

There are different ways to finance your practice. You can get loans, use some of your savings, look for investors, etc.

Just remember that aside from renting office space, there are also equipment and other expenses like medical records software to consider. Your startup costs will also include fees for an accountant and a business attorney. In most cases, it’s also recommended that you hire a consultant before opening a medical business.

Of course, these will all add up, which is why it’s advisable to work with a consultant who can help you plan accordingly.

2. Legal Business Structure

This is where hiring a business attorney helps a lot. He or she can advise you on which legal structure (e.g. S-corp, LLC, C-corp, or general partnership) suits your medical practice best.

This is because each legal structure or entity comes with certain tax benefits, which your attorney will discuss with you in detail. Your lawyer will also help you prepare the documents needed for the structure you’ve chosen.

3. Licenses

When you start your own medical practice, it has to follow the regulations set by your state and the federal government. These include being licensed by your state’s medical board, obtaining a national provider identifier number, and so on.

There are also extra rules to take note of depending on the type of medicine you practice. For example, you have to have the right certification before you can offer laboratory services.

Do your homework before offering such services so you remain in compliance with all legal regulations.

4. Credentialing

Before getting credentialed, insurers will want to make sure you have the proper licenses and that you have malpractice insurance. Now, this process doesn’t only involve Medicare and Medicaid. It also applies to private insurance providers.

For private insurers, you don’t have to contract with all of them. You can choose those whose terms are reasonable (and hopefully favorable) to your practice.

Other Things to Consider When Starting Your Own Practice

Aside from financing, credentialing, etc., you also have to think about staffing and marketing.

There are tons of online resources to help you hire the best people for your practice. For the latter, you can check out these tips for online healthcare marketing.

Ready to Start Your Own Practice?

Now that you know the basics of how to start a medical practice, don’t stop here.

The more you know about the requirements for launching your medical business, the better. For more business tips and advice, feel free to check out our other articles.

Although it is always better to use your own money for running your business or manage your expenses. Yet invariably you need to arrange extra amount to meet extra expenses due to expansion of business or venturing into a new business etc. Generally, people take extra amount as a loan from bank or some other financial institution putting you under debt.

The forms of debts can be your personal debts, corporate or government debts. Usually, personal debts are categorized as Secured debt, Unsecured Debt, Revolving Debt as well as Mortgages.

Debts may be stressful but are almost integral part of running businesses. As such there is no harm in taking loan till you keep on paying your re-payment installments on time. Failure in clearing your debt as committed by you can put you in trouble. This narrative driven blog explores the creditors option for debt collection.

For the collection of debt, the creditors have options like:

• Using creditor’s internal collector

This is precisely done by deputing an employee from creditor’s office staff who directly deals with the debtors. They do not involve anyone else i.e. a middleman for the collection

• Collection through debt recovery agency

When lender finds it difficult to collect the debt, a third party is hired by the lender i.e. debt recovery agency which is assigned to collect recovering the debt. In lieu of debt recovery, lender pays commission to the agency as fees or some decided percentage of collection.

All through the process the ownership of debt remains with the creditor. In many cases, the debt is sold to the debt collection agency after writing off the debt by original creditors and finishing their involvement.

• By appointing a law firm

In many unmanageable old and delinquent dent accounts, the creditors are constrained to seek legal support in recovering their debts and accordingly appoint a law firm for collection of debt.

Sending a communication through a law firm has been found to be better and more successful as it leaves a greater impression on mind of debtor and results in the increased possibility of recovery of debt.

However, debt collectors are permitted to contact or communicate with debtors through all available means such as phone, letters, and email or text message but without violating the norms laid by Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).

Which one to choose; Debt Collection agency or Collection Law Firm?

By and large, both debt collection agency and debt collection law firms are hired to pursue the recovery of delayed or unpaid debts. Both are regulated by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and are required to perform within framework of rules set in under the act.

However, their processes and manners employed for the collection of debt may differ for collecting or recovering debts.

When it comes to choosing between Debt Collection agency and Collection Law Firm, you must ponder over few important factors that include:

• Size of Debt

Usually, the specially trained agents of debt collection agencies can collect even smaller balances and pursue larger sums as well. Whereas, debt collection law firms employ specifically qualified law specialists for pursuing the collection of mostly old and unmanageable debt accounts involving larger sum.

• Charges for collection

Debt collection agencies usually charge fees in the form of commission based on the response to their recovery. The Debt collection law firms often charge a set fee usually based on the size of the debt. The fees charged for collection of debt is also influenced by the age of the debt account and the debt balance.

• Speed for clearing the debt

Debt collection agency may continue making efforts for collection of debt accounts for months or even years. Their efforts for recovery of debts often yield low and unsatisfactory results.

On the other hand, debt collection law firms can quickly sue the debtors for the unpaid debt which often results in faster collection of debt than a debt collection agency.

• Complexity of debt

For more complex cases where debt collector or debt collection agency that has purchased the debt from the original creditor and other personal loans are not easy to recover are usually turned toward debt collection law firms. These debt collection law firms can be more effective in collecting the debt from delinquent borrowers.

Why prefer Debt Collection Law Firms for debt collection?

Both, debt collection agency and debt collection law firms are governed by Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and accordingly, both are legal entities.

Yet often people have shown preference for debt collection law firms as they are:

• Better equipped with legal knowledge
• Able to resolve dispute while maintain good relations with debtors
• Better option of suing the client
• Capable of Navigating you through lawsuit process
• Taken more seriously by debt defaulters
• In position to improve your cash flow

Above all, Debt collection law firms are trained attorneys who can beat debtors at their own game and without issuing threats or using harsh language they can force errant debtor to pay the balance to clear the debt.

When you consider all of the challenges that come with running a start-up, it can be quite easy to feel a bit helpless when trying to deal with all of the problems as a start-up owner. Instead of feeling like you can set a course and set sail, it can often feel like you are at the mercy of the fickle business landscape. After all, not only do you have to deal with the everyday problems that come with business management, you also have to deal with the threat of obscurity.

Fortunately, even in the most competitive industry, there are ways to avoid many of the beginner’s pitfalls that come with start-up management. Here are just a few ways you can set your company up for success and future-proof your start-up!

On the topic of outsourcing aspects of your company

It might seem like a strange idea to consider outsourcing aspects as a start-up, but there are few situations that match a start-up company in terms of overall usefulness when it comes to utilising third-party services. As a matter of fact, there is no better time to outsource than when you are too busy with the most pressing matters to deal with every issue on your own.

For example, a company in the IT industry will likely be unable to develop its own in-house team as a start-up due to the substantial amount necessary to get the job done. On the other hand, third-party services are available to get the job done at reasonable prices.

Dealing with marketing matters

In a similar vein to outsourcing services, you can take advantage of the marketing situation by hiring a digital marketing agency to help increase brand recognition and exposure. That said, it is not the only way to take advantage of marketing as a start-up. While it is true that traditional methods can be challenging and expensive, there are many alternatives. The best is making use of a social media account to help keep people up to date with company events and news. It can also act as a support hub where you can respond to the feedback of supporters – the best place to start a marketing campaign.

A flexible mindset can help a variety of start-ups in multiple industries

It would be a good idea to find a niche that caters to your strengths, but it can often be challenging to find in a competitive industry. It is the reason why being flexible with your goals is a great mindset to have, as it can help you make big decisions that could very well shape the future of your company. On a simple level, a start-up restaurant might have a quality menu, but if there are no healthier alternatives, families with members that have food allergies will likely not choose your establishment. It can be amazing what being open-minded with your services can do for a company.

The tips above will help you edge out the rest of the competition as you strive to prepare your company for the future. With enough preparation, you can set your business up for success before you begin!

As a result of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, many business owners around the world are worried about the future of their businesses. If you’re interested in learning about some inspiring businesses which have overcome monumental challenges such as the recent pandemic, simply continue reading.

Brands That Survived and Thrived After a Crisis: How to Come up With a Business Survival Plan

Cadbury:

Cadbury lost the majority of their workforce as a result of WW1. As Cadbury’s workforce was male dominated and the vast majority of able bodied men were recruited to join the military, Cadbury’s chocolate manufacturing business faced a huge challenge. However, Cadbury survived the economic depression which was brought on by WW1 by hiring women to work at Cadburys for the first time.

Apple:

While Apple is a household name today, in the early 2000s Apple was struggling to bring in a profit. After enjoying continued success in the 80s and 90s. However Apple managed to turn their situation around by focusing on developing innovative new products that would appeal to consumers. In 2001 Apple released its first generation iPod, which turned around Apple’s finances.

So if you’re trying to find ways to help your business bounce back after the COVID-19 lockdown, it’s a great idea to develop and launch brand new innovative products. Which will attract new customers to your brand.

Boohoo:

Boohoo which is an online clothing brand, managed to increase their sales during the recent pandemic by changing their marketing strategy. While Boohoo’s marketing campaigns typically draw attention to Boohoo’s party wear, Boohoo decided to market lounge wear such as fashionable sweatpants and hoodies, instead. As Boohoo knew that their customers would be spending a lot more time lounging around their homes.If you want your business to thrive through difficult times, make sure that your business is able to adapt to market trends and needs. Just like Boohoo.

Boohoo was also able to flourish during tough times as they exist primarily online and have low production costs. So if you want to ensure that your business will thrive even through pandemics, it’s a great idea to offer your goods and services online.

Proctor & Gamble:

P&G or Proctor & Gamble are another example of a business which survived harrowing, uncertain financial times. During the great depression, which was caused by the infamous Wall Street crash of 1929, Proctor & Gamble, which was a soap company at the time, refused to lay off their employees. The company continued to manufacture its products knowing that individuals would still buy soap, even in a recession. Proctor & Gamble simply changed their marketing campaign, in order to attract new customers to their brand.

P&G are a great example, that it’s not a good idea to start laying off your staff and cutting down on your production runs, in the event of a challenging event. Such as pandemic or a recession as if you want your business to survive, you have to think long term. Not short term.

So if you’re worried about the future of your business, especially in the first few months that follow the Coronavirus pandemic, it’s well worth learning from some of the successes of the brands which are listed above.

The SEO industry has its own language consisting of acronyms and terms outsiders do not understand. One such term is ‘content gap’. Type it into Google and you will find no shortage of articles discussing it at length. This post will add to the discussion by explaining content gaps in simple English. What are they and why do they matter? Keep reading to find out.

Content gaps can be viewed in one of two ways. Both views are legitimate and, in the long run, interrelated. The first view sees content gaps strictly as keywords that a given site is not ranking for despite the fact that competing sites do rank for them. The second view sees content gaps more broadly as missing content that could otherwise help a website rank better in SERPs.

Gaps as Untapped Keywords

Any strong, relevant keywords a site is not utilizing are essentially untapped keywords. They are like the untapped potential of an oil well. Leave them buried and they don’t do you much good. Release them and they will gush forth with abundant results.

Those who view content gaps strictly through the lens of keywords understand that not competing in the keyword game ultimately means not competing in organic searches. This is obviously not good for business. As Salt Lake City’s Webtek explains, a site that does not perform organically will not generate as much traffic as the competition.

So how do you identify these untapped keywords? By using a keyword search tool capable of scraping competitor sites. Such a tool will quickly tell you what keywords your competition is ranking well for. You can scan that list to identify any that your site ignores. Every keyword represents a gap to be filled – which leads us to the broader view of content gaps.

Gaps as Missing Content

Taking the broader view of content gaps forces you to think about the information on your site. For all intents and purposes, the web is a repository of content. Everything on your site is content, whether it is customer-facing or only for search engine consumption. Thus, your website is the content it presents.

Scraping competitor sites to identify untapped keywords also identifies missing content. How? By telling you what keywords your current content is not focusing on. An untapped keyword represents the need to create new content around that keyword.

Why It All Matters

All of this matters because content is still king on the internet. Google only exists because there is content to analyze and rank. People use search engines, not because they need something to do with their time, but because they want a shortcut for finding the content they are after.

If your website is lacking the content your customers need and want, those customers have no reason to visit your site. So it is in your best interests to find content gaps and fill them. It is in your best interest to learn what search terms your customers rely on and create content around them.

The fewer content gaps found on your site, the more relevant your site is to customers. It should also rank better in SERPs for a longer list of keywords. This is what you want. Excellent SERP performance combined with quality content is ultimately that which will separate your site from the competition. To succeed though, you have to close the gaps.

Fortunately, identifying and closing content gaps is not hard. However, it does take some time and effort. It is time and effort well spent once you see the results of your work.

Building a website is crucial for every entrepreneur and digital brand. But the thing is, building a desktop-forward website isn’t enough in today’s digital landscape. The priority now is on mobile-forward websites, and unfortunately, many businesses are not up-to-speed on this necessity. And the numbers show how true this is: websites which are not well optimized for mobile can lose up to half of their traffic. When designing a mobile responsive website, there are certain tips and tricks you can keep in mind, to help maximize your success. Amped Local is an internet marketing agency based in San Diego, California, which helps entrepreneurs and businesses grow their ventures using SEO techniques. The experts behind Amped Local are sharing five mobile responsive design practices you need to know in 2020.

1. Think with your hands

When you’re designing a mobile responsive website, you want to think with your hands. What this means is that most of your users will be using their thumbs in order to use your website, so you want it to be designed in a way that is thumb-friendly. This may mean eliminating some things you have in the desktop version, in order to make it more user-friendly.

Related Article: 21 of the Best Examples of Mobile Website Design

2. Less is more

When designing for mobile, less is more, meaning minimal design features will take you further. In general, there’s less space to work with, and you don’t want to cram so much into the space. When content shifts from desktop to mobile, it needs to reorganize effectively on its own. The less you have on the page, the better this will look.

3. Make your key functions easy to find

What is the purpose of your website, what is the call-to-action? Whatever it is, these features and functions on your website should be easy to find. This may mean placing a button in an obvious spot, and having these links be some of the first things your customers see. Making your actions easy to find will mean more customers will be able to use your services with ease.

4. Use responsive images

Images for desktops need to be much greater resolution than images for mobile. To optimize your user experience and loading times, you can use two different versions of the image, one for your mobile sites, and one for your desktop sites. Some website content management systems do this for you automatically, but it depends on what your service is.

5. Start with mobile-first

It’s much easier to scale a website up, than it is to scale it down. What this means is that you should be designing your website with mobile in mind, instead of designing it for a desktop experience. Then, you can add on features and make designs more complex slowly and see how this impacts your mobile experience.

More about Amped Local

Amped Local helps businesses grow their revenue using digital marketing techniques such as SEO, FacebookAds, and website mobile optimization. Amped Local was founded by Douglas James, a digital marketing expert and serial entrepreneur.

Marketing your business is an essential part of the big picture for operations in every industry. Business requires that you draw the attention of your targeted consumer population, and the methods of gathering such interest will directly affect your effectiveness as an organization.

Working in the industrial sector of business doesn’t commonly draw the mind to marketing, so it’s a good idea to reach out for more information. If you’re looking to upgrade your marketing investments, make sure you are placing your efforts in the right areas.

Take a moment to read through a brief look at some business marketing tips for industrial suppliers, and consider where your business can improve today.

Create a well-crafted business website

You can begin molding a digital presence for your industrial business operation by crafting a website that has all the proper bells and whistles weaved into its design. If you already have a business website, run some checks.

Make sure your business website has a homepage that is sure to grab the attention of passing users. Create pages on your website that explain what your business has to offer. For example, this page by PumpWorks features pump packages clients can choose to research for future purchases.

Log into social media channels

Social media is a great outlet for business, and many industries have already caught on to the popularity of its pages. Make sure your business gets a piece of the pie, and invest in building your own pages on social media.

Choose a couple social media platforms that are more likely to be utilized by people who can benefit from your operation, so you have a greater chance of connecting with your target consumer.

Target your digital efforts towards mobile

Mobile access to the internet is the primary form of access in 2020. If you want to make an impact online, you’ll have to make sure mobile users can access and manipulate your pages. Focus on mobile optimization, so you can provide services to a larger base of consumers online.

Learn to properly target your content

Your digital content doesn’t do your business much good if it doesn’t draw the right sets of eyes. You have to learn to properly target consumers, so someone looking for a new pair of shoes doesn’t happen upon your site offering sales on industrial machine parts.

Create blog entries to forward your cause

Blog posts can be very helpful for boosting your operation’s visibility online, but you can’t just post any old blog. Steer your blog posts towards information that is relevant to your industry.

Post blog entries that expand upon general relevant concepts, and you can even post company updates for followers to stay in the know.

Importance of social media marketing

Social media marketing is important for any business. Whether the business is online or resides at a physical address, it is wise for business owners to jump onboard social media marketing. Social media marketing can enhance a business’s outreach and relatability to its customers and consumers. Social media platforms like Facebook use the enhanced and detailed form of marketing. Marketing can be organic but it can also be enhanced with paid marketing by using ads and videos. Social media can bring life to a business and give it a personality. Being able to relate to the customers the business is trying to is a priority when it comes to proper social media marketing. Online marketing businesses such as Houston social media agencies are a company that has been around for quite a while. These teams of social media marketing professionals know the ropes when it comes to online marketing. These professionals will use their client’s outreach budget wisely and ensure a proper targeting method.

Social media ads

Facebook business is a valuable advertising platform that allows its users to market efficiently to their targeted audiences. Other platforms such as Instagram is the perfect tool to use when marketing to potential customers. Facebook uses a marketing method called “pixels”. Pixels is a conversion tracker for any landing page. A landing page is a goal to which a consumer will land on if they were interested in the advertisement. Teaming up with the best marketing company can make any business owner’s job easier. Houston social media agency is a company that understands social media advertising. They will ensure excellent conversions for any business. Whether or not the business’s specialty is a product or service. This company can create video ads and banners. Furthermore, creating social media campaigns that are properly research in order to create the proper reach. As a result, creating an excellent conversion for the business.

Why hire a social media marketing company?

When business owners try to dip into online marketing, it can get fairly messy. Business owners are excellent when it comes to their goods and services. However, when it comes to social media marketing and outreach they usually fall flat. Failure occurs when not enough energy or knowledge is quickly put into marketing. Incorrect marketing can bring forth negative conversions to a business if handled incorrectly. The lack of knowledge and information about the customer case online can result in a wasted budget. When hiring a social media marketing company, a business owner can rest easy knowing they are in good hands. Additionally, social media marketing experts are familiar with social media tools and current updates on the latest marketing trends. Social media marketing needs attention daily. If unchecked, the business’s social media can become messy or even worse, no presence. Experts know what customers are looking for and they know what exactly gets clicks and conversions. Social media marketing teams are aware of how to handle customers on social media platforms. Having an excellent response rate and daily posting can make a difference when it comes to organic social media marketing.

Keeping up with social media

As a business, it is wise to post proper content on social media daily. As a business owner who is unaware of the online world of marketing can do more harm than good when they try to apply their own skills. Unfortunately, this usually ends in a mess. Low response rates and messy posts can make any business look unprofessional and bad. When hiring a company to handle business on social media can bring professionalism and care to their customers. Being able to answer with whatever questions they may have regarding the product or service being sold. Houston social media agency is a company that knows what they are doing.

There are many people out there who believe that there are two types of websites – blogs and business sites. Of course, there is no reason why a website cannot be both; in fact, many business websites actually have a section devoted to blogging in 2020. You could be forgiven for thinking that having a blog on your business website is a waste of time, but this is not the case at all.

In this article, we are going to look at the value that a blog can add to your website when you are running a business. Keep reading if you don’t already have one on there.

Keeping Your Visitors Updated

If your business hasn’t changed much in recent years, then it is very likely that you won’t have updated your website much. Of course, just because you can’t update your product listings, doesn’t mean that you can’t update anything on your website. With a blog, you can create up to date content that informs your visitors and existing customers about your business. Perhaps you have recently been shortlisted for an award or taken on new team members – you can announce these kinds of events on your blog.

SEO Boost

Another way that a blog can add value to your website is through SEO. You have probably already invested some time and money into creating content on your website that is optimised for Google search. However, you need to be constantly working at this to have any real effect. With a blog, you can create new content each month that includes relevant keywords. As a result, potential customers will more easily find your website through an organic search with your blog driving the traffic. NetBet UK is a great example of a website using their blog to target keywords and drive traffic in 2020.

Creating Shareable Content

Finally, you will find that creating a blog for your company’s website can help you to create content that is shareable. It is unlikely that customers are going to share certain product listings or your contact page on their social channels, but would they share a blog about something they care about? If you can create content that is interesting and engaging, you can expect others to share. To achieve this, you need to make sure to post regular items, share these on your own social media channels; you’ll find drives traffic to the site where visitors can read the full blogs.

Final Verdict

As you can see, there are many benefits to adding a blog to your website. Whether you are hoping to create more up to date content, or you are looking for something to drive traffic from social media, a blog can be the solution. If you don’t already have a blog, it might be time to think about adding one. If you use WordPress or a similar site to run your business, you should find this process pretty straightforward. Use our tips and this should lead you to success in the future.