While some areas have started on the re-opening of services and production, others have not or are doing a “gentle reawakening”. Most of us are pretty antsy to get back at it and to start the long recovery process.
The key to successfully navigating the “new normal” seems to be flexibility. Lots of things are not going to be the same.
Rules and Regulations:
Your governing bodies are all coming out with their regulations and guidelines and they will keep you abreast of those and you will do your best to comply with the necessary changes. Your staff, yourself and your patients do all need to stay safe and keep well. We are sure that you will do your due diligence in this arena.
Staffing Changes:
Other changes may be with respect to your staff. Due to the changes in scheduling of patients further apart for physical distancing, you may be seeing fewer patients per day and therefore require fewer staff. Or you may lengthen your days to spread out the patients and therefore shifts may need to be worked out with the team. This may require some negotiations and flexibility on the part of everyone, keeping in mind that the purpose of the practice is to service patients and keep them well and healthy.
And then again, some of your staff may choose not to return to work at all or for a while for personal reasons, or they may wish to be part time. You may have to consult your lawyer for direction in some cases. If you do need to rehire, it is a good time to start on it now as there are quite a few practices who have closed permanently and there are some good staff on the loose that you should interview and hire.
Building Your Practice Back Up Again:
You may find that your patient base has shrunk as it is anticipated that 30% of small businesses will be completely closed as a result of the pandemic and so those folks, and many others who have suffered severely income-wise, may not be returning to your practice for a while. This is another reason you may need to re-examine the number of staff that you need going forward for now.
Marketing:
Or, in the alternative, you can get super busy right away with marketing your practice to fill it back up. This option is a lot more pro-active and a win-win for you and your team. There is definitely not a shortage of effective marketing options and ideas, especially on social media which prospects are using in much greater amounts than ever before right now. Hire a company to do it for you to get the biggest bang for your buck. But, don’t rule out that you have some geniuses on your team who do know how to place Google and Facebook ads properly and use Instagram and all the other possible platforms to put your message out there.
The Best Part of All
Most of us are done with being quarantined away from friends and family (except for immediate family, and maybe you are over that too LOL), and are ready to get back to being able to be the truly social people we are. Phones, Facetime, Zoom, WhatsApp and Skype have been better than nothing, but it is going to be wonderful seeing all our friends, clients, and patients in person again.
When you start working face to face with your patients again, really make sure that you bend over backwards to make them feel welcomed and safe. Re-establish relationships and forge new ones. Throw away any and all negativity we may have been expressing during quarantine. Instead, splurge on spreading positivity and happiness at being together again!
