Barbara Phillips
MN, GNP-BC, FNP-BC
Free
Assisting Entrepreneurial Clinicians with Business Development and Marketing Expert
Barbara Phillips Quick Facts
- Career Focus
- Business owner, Coaching and consulting, Speaker, Author
Barbara C. Phillips, NP is the founder and CEO of Nurse Practitioner Business Owner™ which provides business and marketing education, resources and support for Nurse Practitioners and other clinicians who wish to start and grow their own business and practice. Ms. Phillips has been an NP since 1988 and is certified both as a GNP and FNP. She earned her Masters in Nursing from the University of Washington in Seattle. Over the years, she has developed a special interest in business and after opening her own practice she received an overwhelming amount of requests from others asking how they could do the same. She speaks nationally, writes, and has coached hundreds of NP's on their path to entrepreneurship. Further information about Ms. Phillips and her programs is available @
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Articles by this expert
SelfGrowth articles and saved writing connected to this expert.
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Business Tip: Income Goals
Come January 1st, most people start thinking about their goals for the coming year. Goals are a big deal however... and I think waiting until the end of December or into January is a bit late to get started.
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A Website for Your Business
More and more a website is becoming essential for any practice. The big question is how do you get one. While it is possible to go out and hire someone to build you a website, it's also possible to design and create a website for those of you who want to do it yourself. Website planning is the same regardless of which method you choose. 1. Choose a domain name. In many cases this will be your practice. Attempt to purchase it as a dot-com. You can purchase your domains from various domain resellers. The one that I use is GoDaddy.
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Business Tip: Before You Market
Some Questions to ask yourself before your begin your marketing. Most businesses open up and assume people will come. This is especially true of health care practices. After all, everyone needs health care services. But don't fool yourself. Just because your shingle is up, it does not mean that people will flock to your front desk. And of those that do find their way to your door, are they the ones that you really want to see? In other words do they fit your scope of practice? Do your health care philosophies match?
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You Did Insure it Didn't You?
Shortly after we opened our office, there was a mishap. The floor above us flooded one night. The next morning, a portion of the ceiling was laying on the exam table and our exam room laptops were sitting in water. That incident brought home quickly that our business insurance was well worth the cost. Be it Mother Nature or Murphy's Law...you'll be glad you got that policy. This past week, we acquired a few pieces of equipment that totaled more than our start up cost. Naturally, we wanted it covered.
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The Face of Your Business - The Front Desk
The front desk and your receptionist can make or break your practice. Here are some tips to keep the face of your practice professional, yet refreshing and friendly. 1. Decide the atmosphere that you want in the front office. Do you want it calm and friendly, clinical and professional, or somewhere in between? 2. Consider your décor and include the colors, sounds, and smells. 3. How do you want your clients greeted when they present to the front desk or call on the phone? You may want to script out exactly how you want your staff to address and greet your clients.
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Business Tip: 7 Steps to Getting It Done
Most entrepreneurs, if they are honest, will admit they have too much to do and things sometimes get lost in the shuffle. You are wearing at least half-a-dozen hats at any given moment. There are many systems out there to help you get it done, but let's look at just 7 steps you can take without investing in and learning a system. 1. Break your projects up into tasks. If your project is to "open your office" or "expand your office", that's great, but it cannot be accomplished in one day. You want to break the projects up into small steps that you can do piece by piece. 2.
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Preparing Your Business for Your Absence
Like many of you, I am the solo provider in my office. So when I am away, there are several things I need to take care of. Here are some things for you to think about when you are away for vacation, illness, continuing education or what-have you. 1. Let your patients know of your plans well in advance. At least one month if not sooner. This allows them to plan as well. 2. Notify your pharmacies as well. Several of the ones I routinely deal with will go ahead and fill a refill if it's a chronic medication so patients don't run out.
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Business Tip: Building Your Cash Reserves
Certainly you have heard from financial experts that you should have a three month cash reserves at all times. The premise behind this is to protect you should you get sick, loose or job or have unexpected expenses crop up. This is even more important for your business. In fact, three months is not enough. You really need to look at five to six months of having a cash reserve. If you haven't done this yet, you'll need to start now. With all of the uncertainty and the economy today you will certainly want to protect your business. Here are a few suggestions to get you started. 1.
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Business Tip - Random Tips & Pearls for your Business
Marketing: Getting the word out. Not all practices and businesses have flyers and brochures. I recently met with an NP who uses Vista Prints for business cards, post cards and brochures. Her office even had a double sided sign in the window that she received for free from Vista Prints. Taking Call: I take my own call. In the past, I would just forward the office number to my cell phone. The problem was that my phone would ring day and night. It was not uncommon for patients to call at 3 or 4 am to leave a message to request or cancel an appointment for that day.
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Practice Owners Need to Know the Cost-Per-Patient
Nurse Practitioner business owners need to understand the cost of doing business, especially in terms of reimbursement in order to assess the viability of their practice. One of those metrics is determining what it cost the practice to see each patient. It is vital for you to know this information so you can assess the cost effectiveness of seeing patients under certain plans (you might find some insurers pay less than the cost of care).
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Want to improve? Ask your clients
If you're in business, chances are you looking for ways to improve your service, as well as market your business. One of the best marketing tools available is word-of-mouth. Truly nothing else beats it. We are all looking for proof from someone else. As a business owner, we want to know just what our current clients thinks about our business - what we're doing right and where we need to improve.
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Attracting New Clients to Your Business
A question that comes up frequently is about attracting new clients. This is especially true for the business that is just starting up. Most of us don't have thousands of dollars just sitting around to use for marketing. But there are several ways in which you can find those first few clients, spending little to no money. Here's a few tips: 1. Simply start by asking. If you are currently employed, ask your current clients how they found this particular practice. In most cases, you will find all the information you need to start marketing.
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Contacting Barbara Phillips
Need more info? Send us an email at:npbohelp@gmail.com
Other highlights
NPBO™ Coaching & Consultation Programs and Workshop Options
The NPBO™ Coaching Programs are designed for the serious Clinician who wishes to work on business and practice development. Several clients have used these services to:
- Explore the idea of entrepreneurship and whether it is appropriate for them.
- Work through the PPFM Analysis™ to determine if they are a true entrepreneur and if their business idea has merit.
- Explore and identify business and market venues.
- Learn how to set up a profitable business.
- Discover areas in which they can expand their business and practice.
- Identify alte
atives to the traditional clinical practice.
- Create a business from “scratch”, focusing exclusively on their individual vision, purpose and goals.
- Dive deep into what it really takes to run a business and a practice.
- Develop business and marketing plans.
- Learn how to balance business, personal, family and social life.
- And more.
All of our programs are designed to help you find quick solutions to building and running your business, saving you time, energy, frustration and money!
Different options are available to each Clinician depending on the level of need, individual goals and budget. Not all programs are appropriate for everyone. We work with each client to find a program that is appropriate for the individual’s situation. Here are some options for consideration.
Private Coaching Intensive VIP Day
If you are the type of Clinician who wants to move forward as quickly as possible, and if you are committed to implementing the plan developed during our day together, then you are the ideal candidate for the Private VIP Consultation Day.
We will spend the entire day focused on you, your business, vision and goals – whether you are just starting out, or have an established business you wish to grow. Together, we will:
- Develop (or redevelop) your “Big Vision” for your business and what it will look like when it’s created.
- Create and map out the exact strategies of what will need to happen for the business to match your vision.
- Provide you with step-by-step resources that offer a high degree of “plug and play”.
©2009-2011 NP Choice, LLC, including NPBO™ & Barbara C. Phillips, NP. All rights reserved.
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- Assist you to identify your ideal clients, the services you provide and the message you want to impart.
- Explore various revenue streams for your business.
- Identify and create systems to help you run your business.
- And so much more.
Together, and in person, we will accomplish more in ONE day than you would do in months on your own.
Our Coaching Programs
The NPBO™ Coaching programs offer something that can fit into every budget. They are appropriate for both the beginning entrepreneur as well as the seasoned business owner. One of the major benefits of these programs is the ongoing individual support that you receive while implementing the strategies that we help you develop for your business!
Gold Program
The Gold Program (our most popular program) is designed for the Clinician who wants to hit the ground running, moving forward as quickly as possible with their business development. This program offers four 30 minute phone sessions each month – that’s one session weekly to keep you moving forward in your business; plus it is the only program which includes a “Quick Start” 1-hour phone consultation to make sure you get started fast. Each phone session is recorded and you’ll receive the MP3 recordings so you can listen to them over and over again.
In addition, you’ll receive unlimited email support, a review of your marketing materials, and free access to all NPBO™ hosted teleseminars/webinars for the duration of the program. As an added bonus, Gold program members receive 9 months free access to NPBO™, our private membership site. Ongoing membership in NPBO™ will provide you with a great many benefits, including, but not limited to the opportunity to network with other entrepreneurs, participate in additional monthly learning opportunities and participate in member-only Q&A calls.
Silver Program
The Silver Program is for the Clinician who wants to move at a slower, more deliberate pace. This is good for entrepreneurs who are working for someone else while building their business. In this program, the Clinician receives three 30 minute coaching sessions per month with recordings and limited email support. Further support is added with complimentary access to NPBO™ for 6 months (see Gold Program above for member benefits).
Group Coaching Program
Our Group Coaching Program is a new option that appeals to those who work best in small group environments. Each group is limited to 5 participants in order to ensure that each individual is given adequate “floor” time. This program includes two 60 minute calls per month and a private forum for participants. This program carries with it a 6 month commitment in order to assure your success. All participants are required to sign confidentiality agreements.
©2009-2011 NP Choice, LLC, including NPBO™ & Barbara C. Phillips, NP. All rights reserved.
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Bronze Program
Our “Stay-On-Track” – Bronze Program for those who have been through any of our other programs (Gold, Silver, Group), or the Private Consulting Day. This program includes two 30 minute calls per month and is an excellent way to keep you on track with the work done in prior programs.
Workshop Options
This option was added at the request of several Nurse Practitioners and organizations. It is best for clinicians wish to experience an intensive workshop option of 1-3 days, essentially condensing our Business Startup System into an intensive program. Participants can expect to leave with the tools, forms, plans and more that are needed to move forward immediately with business startup. Workshops can be tailored to the need of the group as well and can occur at your location or mine. Focused Coaching: What can you do in an hour? Plenty! You'll be surprised what we can achieve together in just an hour. With our focused coaching program you receive a questionnaire designed to help us target your exact needs and goals so you get the most out of your session.
Have questions? Not sure what you need? No worries, just email me at our Help Desk and we will work with you to find the best program based on your needs, goals and budget.