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If you’re a chiropractor, you’ve dealt with insurance companies…and you know the drill. Rejected claims, delays, and unpaid bills are just the beginning. Still, is a cash practice right for you?

JJ Chatrousse, DC says it is. Even if you don’t want to dive into a cash-only practice, says this third-generation chiropractor, developing a cash aspect is possible for any doctor of chiropractic.

“Since the late 80s, the insurance companies have been more and more difficult to deal with, and pay less and less, whether it is in the chiropractic or the medical field. I want chiropractors to get an idea of what I call diversified income,” says Chatrousse.

Chatrousse, always a firm proponent of cash practices, says there are multiple advantages to building a cash practice.

“One of the benefits is that you don’t have any accounts receivable. You don’t have to battle the insurance companies. You can have less staff, so less overhead. It’s less stressful,” he explains. “You develop a closer relationship with the patients, because they actually pay for what they’re getting. I believe they understand the value more because they have to pay for it themselves.”

Since leaving his own chiropractic practice, Dr. Chatrousse has been a consultant and international speaker, helping his clients learn how to establish fee structures for cash practices, educate patients, and determine how and when to present the cash concept.

“There is still a part that will be paid by the insurance companies,” explains Chatrousse. “But I teach how to get a patient to choose and, if he or she chooses to go into preventative care, how to make it affordable for them.”

Dr. Chatrousse says his experience consulting internationally has played a major role in helping him understand how well a cash practice can work.

“I have consulted with people in Italy, in France, in Spain. The issue there is that, up until a few years ago, chiropractic was still illegal in most of the countries in Europe. So, obviously, they were all dealing with cash practices,” says Chatrousse. “It gave me insight into how to get people to understand the value of chiropractic, which is what we have to convey. Education is the key–and to make it affordable for them to come to the practice.”

He also says there are more than enough patients willing to pay cash to support any chiropractic practice.

“A few years ago, people in [America] spent about 40 billion dollars on alternative healthcare…out of their own pockets!” Chatrousse exclaims. “I know the money is there. It’s just a matter of communicating with the public and educating them so they can make a more informed decision about how chiropractic could fit into their health and their life.”

You can hear Dr. Patrick Porter’s interviews with Dr. Chatrousse and other industry greats by going to iTunes. In-depth information on the ICAME event mentioned in this article can be found at http://www.parkervegas.com. Dr. Porter’s chiropractic support program can be viewed at www.newreality.com.

If you’re a small business owner, medium-sized business, or marketing professional who realizes that you can’t be an expert in everything, then finding a Marketing Services Provider to meet your growing needs is essential. However, not all marketing service providers are the same. In fact, there are thousands of providers who promise everything from Advertising to Tradeshow Management. But how can you tell who will deliver for your business and who will not? There are a few things to look for before choosing the right Marketing Services provider who cares as much about your business as you do.

1. Screening Questions. Depending on what type of marketing service provider you’re looking for, take time to organize some basic questions that will help you evaluate whether or note the marketing service provider can meet your needs. You should customize these questions based on your specific marketing needs. Here are a few to get your started: a. How long have you been in business? b. What happens if I am not satisfied with the result of the project? c. Please explain the process your will follow for this project? d. Can you provide me with a list of client references for which you’ve done similar projects? e. What is your fee structure? f. On average, how long do these types of projects take to complete?

Getting answers to these very basic questions will give you’re a firm expectation of time, expense, and proposed outcomes. If they are not what you’re looking for, you can always negotiate, but keep in mind that the first answers given are usually closest to what you can expect. Don’t settle. Keep asking these questions as many times as you need to. Eventually you will find the right vendor who answers these questions to your satisfaction.

2. References. The only legitimate way to know whether or not a service provider has a solid reputation is to call references provided. Often times, individuals ask a vendor for references and never receive them. Even worse is the buyer who receives a list of references and never calls or speaks to them. Don’t feel awkward calling a vendor’s references. These individuals have agreed to be contacted by future clients. If a vendor is unable to give you a list of references, then you must question why no one is willing to vouch for the vendor’s previous work. Finding satisfied clients is one of the most important cues to selecting a vendor that you’ll be satisfied with.

3. Shop Around. Be sure to acquire at least three quotes (one each from 3 separate vendors) before making a final selection. You’ll be surprised how much money you can save by getting multiple quotes for the same project. Even if you prefer a certain vendor over another, multiple quotes allow you to negotiate and make sure that each vendor is offering the same type of service. If prices vary greatly, ask your vendors why their pricing is so much higher – what are they including that the others aren’t?

4. Ask for a Detailed Project Outline. It’s very easy for projects to get started and quickly become sidetracked. Before beginning any project, make sure that your vendor provides you with a detailed outline of project dates and deliverables. This will not only set your expectations correctly, it will also detail what’s included in the proposed work. Ask your vendor, what happens if he/she misses a deliverable? How often do they complete their projects on time? The point here is to communicate with your marketing services vendor that you have expectations that must be met. This will allow for better project management throughout your marketing services engagement and ensure that all deliverables are achieved on or close to target.

5. Provide Partial Payment. Most marketing service vendors ask for part of the project payment up front. They realize that the fees you pay are partially based on satisfaction and completion of the work. If your marketing service vendor asks for the whole fee up front, tell the vendor that you will only agree to structured payments. This ensures project completion and gives you ability to manage deliverables throughout the project timeline.

If you’re going to be selecting a marketing services provider for your business, be sure to follow the steps outlined above. By shopping around and asking the right question, you can find a marketing services provider that is affordable, meets your needs, and does excellent work. If you don’t take the time to find the right vendor, don’t expect the outcome you’re looking for.

Michael Fleischner is the founder and President of MarketingScoop.com. He has appeared on major media including the TODAY Show, Bloomberg Radio, and more. To learn more, visit http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do good things happen to bad people? Why does life often seem so unfair? And what does all that have to do with your chiropractic practice?

Those, and more, are questions “street scholar” Mark Matteson seeks to answer. In a time when chiropractic income is going down, expenses are rising, and chiropractors are facing a multitude of other issues, Mattesson gives chiropractors techniques they can use to reduce worry in their lives. That’s because, according to Matteson, author of the bestselling Freedom from Fear, worry isn’t only stressful. It’s a waste of time.

“Worry is a misuse of the imagination; it’s negative goal-setting,” says Matteson. “The analogy I like to use is fog. One square mile of fog is simply 12 ounces of water. But when we hit that fog when we’re driving, we either slow down or stop. And that’s what fear does. It shifts our focus onto the wrong side of the ledger. We just need to understand that worry is an illusion.”

Matteson says fear is a roadblock to success. Fortunately, though not easy, it is possible to get rid of worry.

“Worry is imagining what you don’t want to have happen, and it’s a habit,” he says. “The good news is, I can unlearn a habit. The question I like to ask is, where’s your focus? Is it on the things you want, or is it off the things you want?”

Because of his proven and practical techniques, Matteson is in great demand as a keynote speaker, seminar leader and management consultant. He says he attempts to take the best parts of his books, Freedom from Fear and Freedom from Fear Forever, and integrate them into each presentation–much as he’s planning to do at the International Chiropractic Appreciation Mega Event (ICAME) in Las Vegas in January.

Mark says he wants to inspire every audience to “raise the bar” and achieve higher levels of personal and professional performance. And, when it comes to Matteson’s advice, you can be sure it comes from experience. One example is self-confidence. Matteson recommends a kind of journaling to boost self-worth.

“When good things happen, write them down. I’ve been doing that for 15 years, and it’s dramatically changed my self-concept. At the risk of sounding arrogant, what’s it’s done is bolstered my self-worth,” says Matteson. “It’s built my confidence, and people buy that confidence. That’s no less true for speakers than it is for chiropractors.”

In fact, Matteson says self-confidence and self-esteem have a great deal to do with getting rid of worry and experiencing success in chiropractic offices.

“I believe personally that people buy you. In the chiropractic industry, you’re developing a relationship,” Matteson explains.

“It’s a relationship business, and you can’t give away something you don’t have.”

You can hear Dr. Patrick Porter’s interviews with Mark Matteson and other great speakers by going to iTunes. In-depth information on the ICAME event mentioned in this article can be found at http://www.parkervegas.com. Dr. Porter’s chiropractic support program can be viewed at www.newreality.com.

Most people don’t value their failures…but Bill Bartmann does. In fact, when it comes to failure and success, no one knows the ropes better than he does. If that seems a little exaggerated, it’s not. Among other life changes, Bartmann pulled himself from abject poverty to become the 25th wealthiest man in America.

“I’ve had a very interesting life,” Bartmann says. “I’ve gone from being unemployed and almost unemployable, to employing more than 10,000 people. I’ve gone from being a million dollars in the hole and bankrupt to being over a billion dollars to the good.”

And that’s just the beginning. Bartmann, who has earned recognition from numerous institutions, as well as a permanent place in the Smithsonian Institute’s Museum of American History, says his mission is to share his success strategies with as many people as possible.

“I’ve seen both sides of success and failure, and I’ve seen both of them up close and personal,” says Bartmann. “It’s because I’ve seen them, and have learned some things during my journey, that I want to share the things I’ve learned with the hope that it will provide some value for the people in the audience.”

Because he’s known more than his share of hard times, Bartmann says he teaches people how to react to adversity in a way that makes their lives better.

“Most of us don’t know how to react to the things that happen to us. We go into shock,” he says. “We want to grab a bottle or grab a gun or grab a razor blade, because we fall into despair or despondency. I show people none of that stuff is necessary.”

Bartmann also says the way to dealing with adversity is deceptively simple.

“The simplest way to deal with adversity is to raise your self-confidence. If you can do that, then when things happen around you, you have the strength and the resolve to be able to deal with them honestly and straight-up,” Bartmann says.

While, Bartmann admits, he can’t fix everyone’s problems, he does want to help make their lives easier.

“I’m not a psychologist,” he stresses. “I’m not trying to cure all the ills of the world, but I do want to be able to talk to people one-on-one, to let them understand there is somebody out there who’s been through the stuff they’re going through, and there are some very simple things you can do that will make your life so much easier.”

“I’ve had more failures than anyone else I’ve met in my whole life, but I’ve also had more successes than most people, because I’ve learned how to deal with my failures,” Bartmann concludes. “That’s what I want to show people.”

You can hear Dr. Patrick Porter’s interviews with Bill Bartmann and other great speakers by going to iTunes or http://www.parkervegas.com. Dr. Porter’s chiropractic support program can be viewed at www.newreality.com.

If you would like to learn more about corporate branding and its concepts, you can learn a lot by reading related articles in any publication available. You will be able to have an idea as to what it is and what it can do for your company. It will make you appreciate the value of corporate branding and how it eventually affects your bottom line.

Books are available for your use – and these books will provide you with all the necessary information about the topic. Corporate branding books will be a good read and will prove to be worth your money & time – given the valuable information in your hands.

Here are some of the books that you may like to check:

1.) Corporate Branding: Purpose/People/Process by Majken Schultz – This book discusses 3 major factors in corporate branding. It discusses the purpose of branding, the role of the stakeholders and the processes involved in this endeavor. This corporate book also discusses the classic branding approach and the recent development of corporate branding.

2.) Corporate Reputations, Branding and People Management: A Strategic Approach to HR by Susan Hetrick – This is primarily intended for HR practitioners for better understanding of corporate-level concepts with regards to corporate marketing and branding. The readers will then be guided in coming up with better HR strategies in support of their companys drive and agenda in corporate reputation and branding.

3.) The Best of Branding: Best Practice in Corporate Branding by James R. Gregory – In this book, one will find the authors findings about branding, what works for companies and what doesnt work – and why. Interviews with executives of companies with successful brands are featured in the book. The successful strategies will be discussed here.

4.) Leveraging the Corporate Brand by James R. Gregory and Jack Wiechmann – This book discusses the need for companies to rebuild reputations and corporate brand identities. It emphasizes the value of corporate brand communications. The book involves itself in practical applications as well, aside from the in-depth theories & insights on the subject.

5.) Revealing the Corporation: Perspective on Identity, Image, Reputation and Corporate Branding by John M.T. Balmer & Stephen A. Greyser – The book talks about concepts on corporate identity, image, branding and communication. It has commentaries by editors, case study sections and links to other related works.

Corporate Branding – Learning It Well

Taking the time to read books will familiarize you with the key concepts with regards to the topic. You will have the background knowledge on what usually works in a particular setting, and relate it to the current situation your company is currently in. Books provide you with the insights and the important points that you can use & apply for your own case – equipping the readers with the know-how in dealing with issues relating to corporate branding.

T J Madigan has been established in online business since 1998 and is director of a number of successful online projects one of which is http://www.articles.net.au your best source for FREE articles and information.