17 positive changes you can implement now — for a successful 2017!

With the start of a new year, it’s time to follow through on resolutions that every DME-focused business should seriously consider. Here’s a list of our top picks.

1. There is a new sheriff in town in Washington, D.C. It’s time to review your business plan in the light of possible politically based changes that could impact your business from the new administration. Is there anything you should add or delete to the plan that can be leveraged to your benefit?
2. Collect the money you are owed. Redouble your efforts to collect delinquent accounts.
3. Nothing good follows by hanging on to an unproductive employee. The beginning of the year is a good time to do employee pruning you may have been putting off. Your productive employees will thank you.
4. Give yourself a break. Plan a real vacation this year without a computer by your side.
5. Go back to school and learn something new.
6. Make an effort to catch employees in the act of doing something right. Let them know how much you appreciate their efforts.
7. Automate, automate, automate. Leveraging technology to handle repetitive workplace tasks is smart business.
8. Include a stuffer in your monthly invoicing that promotes a product or service that needs extra attention.
9. Teach yourself a new marketing skill and use it.
10. Weed out marketing and sales efforts to people who don’t have the money to buy from you.
11. Consider canceling the next expensive Christmas party and using the money saved as a cash bonus for employees.
12. Clear out the business clutter in your life. That might be cleaning out email inbox files, buying new file cabinets, tossing out anything that you really don’t need. The result will be greater clarity of mind.
13. Birthdays are important. Consider hand delivering a birthday card to each employee for the next 12 months.
14. Make that difficult sales call. Some account calls are more dreaded than others. Make a punch list of priority face-to-face visits you need to make and get the most difficult calls out of the way first.
15. Don’t hide behind voicemail. Answer every call you can by the third ring. Change your greeting every day or at least weekly to reflect the current time period. Let the caller know that his or her very message is very important to you and that you will return the call as soon as possible.
16. Measure it! As Peter Drucker, Business Visionary put it: “WHEN IT GETS MEASURED, IT GETS DONE!”
17. Read more! Keeping up on the latest healthcare and business trends will help you keep your competitive edge.