I’m not a big fan of resolutions . . . at least not the ones made for the new year.  My thinking is that if you’re serious about making a change or making a commitment, you’ll make it when it is needed . . . not on December 31st. And, you won’t need some day on the calendar to remind you that it’s important.

However, in my opinion, your business will benefit from an annual review.  So, after waiting a week or two to let you resolution-friendly folks have your say, I’m here with a quick review of my accomplishments in 2009 . . . .

1. Boosted my web presence with my counseling website
2. Because I track my client numbers I know that after a painfully slow start to 20009 (and with a nod to the economic crisis), the last 6 months of 2009 have resulted in my counseling practice seeing a 100% increase in clients
3. The 5th Annual Series of Private Practice from the Inside Out is almost halfway complete
4. Got this blogsite up and running
5. Maintained a schedule of actually blogging — something that I was afraid I might commit to and then fail to follow through
6. Qualified for Colorado Volunteer Mobilizer for Medical and Public Health Professionals
7. Completed 27.5 hours of continuing education
8. Solidified my branding for Private Practice from the Inside Out
9. Began attending a monthly consultation group
10. Significantly expanded my contact list
11. Increased social networking efforts
12. Read business-building blogs on a regular basis
13. Read at least 6 books related to building my business
14. Initiated discussions for several new projects
15. Created 2 new business cards and promotional materials for both sides of my business
16. Updated my resume
17. Proposal was accepted to teach Lessons from the Margins:  Exploring Difference through the Lens of Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed at 2010 Teacher Institute at Western State College (in Gunnison, CO)
18. Was asked (and agreed) to present Business Planning for Your Private Practice at 2010 Colorado Counseling Association’s Spring Workshop

If you haven’t taken time to review your accomplishments in 2009, take time to do that right now.  What is it you have you done for your business in the last 12 months?

Tags: Calendar, December, PPIO Annual Series, Resolutions

If you are looking at your marketing calendar and trying to decide where to focus your energy for the month of October, how about Breast Cancer Awareness Month?

According to the American Cancer Society, almost 200,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in 2009.  Over 40,000 women are expected to die from this disease this year.  It is the second leading cause of death (lung cancer is the first) in women in the United States so you have plenty of good reasons to get involved.

Here are some ways to make a difference

"Ducks for the Cure" by Kim Baker

AND get your practice noticed . . . .

• Invite a physician into your practice to discuss breast cancer with your clients.
• Send a letter to health care providers letting them know that you will be providing extended hours or reduced fees for referrals breast cancer patients during the month of October.
• Provide a free breast cancer support group.  Hold it at the local library and let the local newspaper know the details.
• Join one of the many fund raising opportunities like the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in New York.
• If you’ve had a personal experience with breast cancer, consider writing / speaking about the experience to women’s groups around your area.
• Create your own fundraiser.  Ask other therapists to help you.  Get the media involved.

You can find a list of additional ways to help promote National Breast Cancer Awareness Month here.

Tags: Calendar, Fee, Media, Physician, Public Speaking, Support Group

If you’ve been following AllThingsPrivatePractice from the beginning, then you know that a marketing calendar is one of my secret weapons.    Here are a few ideas for your September marketing calendar . . . .

September 16 is Working Parents Day.  How about partnering with a drop-in childcare facility.  You can offer a free workshop for the most overlooked of working parents . . . stay-at-home parents while the childcare facility offers free or low cost childcare!  Consider topics that might be of interest to stay-at-home parents like Finding Time for Self Care, Holding on to Your Dreams While Holding on to Your Little Ones, and Raising Feminist Boys.

Another marketing opportunity is International Day of Peace on September 21.  This is a day set aside to promote

"Islamic Peace" by Trey Ratcliff / Stuck in Customs

peace and non-violence.  Offer to facilitate a book study for other therapists based on Marshall Rosenberg’s book, Nonviolent Communication:  A Language of Life.

Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, begins at sundown on Sunday, September 27 and ends at nightfall on Monday, September 28, 2009.  This is the most important of all Jewish holidays.  It is traditionally spent worshiping and fasting.  If you are not Jewish, consider offering to take call or cover other work-related duties for you Jewish colleagues in mental health.

Can you come up with other ideas to market your private practice in September?  Drop me a note here to share them.

Tags: Book Study, Calendar, Dreams, Free, On Call, Partner, Self Care, Workshop

Since it’s almost Independence Day, today seems like a really good day to share with you my favorite secret weapon for getting unstuck with my marketing.  It’s calendars!  Yes, I said calendars. . . and here’s the reason why. . . .

I collect special days, holidays, civic and religious days of observance, days that others (like the greeting card industry) have created and I place all of these on a single marketing calendar or list of days.  When I find my marketing is becoming a bit predictable or stale, I pull out my marketing calendar and get a jumpstart!

Dog Days of Summer

"Dog Days of Summer" by Flyway Photo

For example, how could you use the Dog Days of Summer? I’m thinking I could hold an open house for my business with Dog Days as the theme . . . or I could take ice cream to my best referral sources in the community. . . or I could send out a newsletter with tips for coping during the Dog Days of Summer.

National Therapeutic Recreation Week

Here’s another example. July 12-19, 2009 is National Therapeutic Recreation Week.  If you are interested in building reciprocal referring relationships with recreational therapists, this is the perfect week to reach out to them!  You might want to make a few cold calls to their places of employment — nursing homes, hospitals, mental health treatment centers, day treatment programs, etc.  This is the ideal time to take them to lunch, send them informational materials about your practice, or recognize them in the community via letters to the editor, awards, etc.

Sneak Some Zucchini on Your Neighbor’s Porch Day

"Family of Zucchini" by Ellie Van Houtte

And, here’s a third example.  August 8th is Sneak Some Zucchini on Your Neighbor’s Porch Day.  No, I’m not kidding!  (But it did make me snicker a little.)  So, what can you do with a day like this?  Think about it!  You could drop off a basket of zucchini (with marketing info)  to your local food bank as a community service; you could take a handful of zucchini to your next door business neighbors; you could leave a big basket of zucchini in your lobby with a note for clients to “help themselves”; or you could write a guest column in your local newspaper underscoring the needs of families during this difficult economic time (and, in the process, encourage your community to share their zucchini or whatever else they might have with others).

What an inexpensive way to let people know that you are . . . a little bit different . . . that you think in a different way . . . .  And, what an inexpensive way to be remembered!

Calendars to Get You Started

Here’s a few calendars to help you get started on your own marketing calendar:

• Gone-ta-Pott Holiday Directory
• Today in History
• Earth Calendar

Let me know how you end up using calendars in your practice to energize your marketing and if you found this post helpful!

Tags: Calendar