Spring Cleaning

Happy Spring — we made it! Another winter behind us, and the promise of blue skies, sunny weather, and warm temperatures are on the horizon. Many of us take a deep breath at this point and get ready for the busy season. This is also a great time to pause and take a good look at our practices. We often feel the urge to purge and spring clean at our homes, but what can we do in our practices?

1. Clean House. This is the perfect time to rid your practices of all of the old POP, displays, pamphlets, etc. that have been shoved in drawers or socked away for another day. Many companies refresh their POP quarterly to time with new releases, so this is a perfect time to make sure you have the newest and best displayed in your office. Consider using a QR code for patients to scan for more information instead of handing out pamphlets that often get left behind or discarded. Is anyone in your office a Marie Kondo fan? Empty all the drawers and cabinets out in one pile, and only keep what is useful —discard the rest!
2. Fees and Pricing. When was the last time you increased your exam fees? Have you noticed that your lab and contact lens bills have gone up, but you haven’t increased the cost to patients? Unfortunately, the costs of our supplies continue to rise, but we should also be mindful of how that affects our profitability and bottom line. If it has been months since you last raised any pricing, consider the spring the best time to turn over a new leaf. Afraid to make big leaps? Start with a small increase in your pricing, and put a date on the calendar (three to six months from now) to reassess.  
3. Make a Plan. At the start of the new year, we talked about SMART goals. Did you set a goal for yourself and your team? If not, this is the perfect time to start fresh. Write your goal(s) down, share with your team, post them in the office, and communicate often. The energy of spring can be contagious and serve as a great time to shake off cobwebs and make progress!
4. Do Something New. Is there a frame or sunglass line that caught your eye at Vision Expo East?  The excitement of a new line can translate to increased positivity and sales, and spring can be a great time to launch a trunk show. Throw open the doors, add some food and music, and showcase a new line to your patients and community. Make it fun!

As for me, what are my springtime goals? As a cold start, we haven’t built up a lot of clutter (yet!), but we have asked our vendors for new POP to refresh our displays. We are carefully assessing our pricing structure and will make changes this spring if needed. We are looking at adding an edger to provide our patients with even better service and increase our profitability. Lastly, we are starting to plan a grand opening party for May. What a perfect time to celebrate! We are excited to open our doors (literally), have increased foot traffic, and start to welcome the community into our practice — and celebrate the start of spring!

What changes are you thinking of making this spring, or how do you plan to improve your practice for the rest of the year? I look forward to hearing from you!

Yours in success,
Jennifer L. Stewart, OD