What happens when something your podiatry business relies on suddenly stops working?
That question has inspired this video. The screen on my iMac decided to shit the bed, so to keep working, I had to change my setup: connect an external monitor and, because of its position, use a different microphone.
Fortunately, I had considered this backup plan some time ago, just in case there was ever an issue, which there was.
Future Thinking
It reminded me of an important principle every podiatry business owner should consider: if something is essential to your business, you need to know what you’ll do when it is no longer available.
A saying often used in the military is: “Two is one, and one is none.”
In other words, if you only have one option and it fails, you suddenly have no options.
This is not negative thinking; it’s the exact opposite- it’s thinking positively about the future.
Think about your own podiatry business
What happens if your main computer stops working? What if your internet or phone system goes down? What if an important piece of clinical equipment breaks? What happens if a key team member calls in sick or unexpectedly resigns?
And what about your suppliers? If you rely heavily on one supplier for an important product and they suddenly discontinue it, what’s Plan B?
When I owned my podiatry clinics, I tried to think about these problems before they happened. We even had a disaster folder containing information and plans for different scenarios.
The goal was simple: When this happens, do this.
You Can Relax On Holidays
Your team shouldn’t need to call you every time something goes wrong. If you’re lying on a beach in Hawaii enjoying a Mai Tai, the last thing you want is your phone ringing because nobody knows what to do.
That’s what we call a bottleneck. Don’t be the bottleneck.
A well-run business isn’t one where nothing ever goes wrong; that’s a mythical business you only see in Hallmark movies.
Things Will Go Wrong
Trust me when I say that things will go wrong, but a well-run business is one that’s prepared when they do.
So here’s a simple exercise: identify the people, equipment, systems, or suppliers your business relies on most.
Then ask yourself:
“If this disappeared tomorrow, what’s my backup plan?”
If you don’t have an answer, you’ve just identified something in your business that deserves your attention today.
Because the best time to create a backup plan is long before you need to use it.
Upcoming Workshops
If you want help improving your business structure, marketing and most importantly, systems, I’d suggest coming along to one of my upcoming workshops.
Check out my Events Page. If there’s nothing there right now, email me to get on the waitlist for the next one and get a heads-up on everyone else.
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Podiatry Legends Podcast
Available on ALL Podcast platforms or directly from the Podiatry Legends Podcast Website.