Your Practice Made Perfect – Laying the Keel

May 21, 2009

The two most celebrated moments in the life of a new sailboat are the “laying of the keel” and the “christening.”  You’ve probably seen the christening – a bottle of champagne ceremoniously broken on the bow and glasses are raised to the newly named ship – but equally important is the laying of the keel.  The keel, which provides greater directional control and stability, is generally the first part of the ship’s hull to be constructed.  Without a keel, sailboats are unable to follow the course set by the rudder when the winds pick up.

What happens to your practice when the winds begin to blow?  Do shifts in the economy, staffing changes or the daily fires make you feel like you’re not keeping to the course you had set?  If so, you need a keel for your practice.  You need something that provides stability in all weather (beyond your own superpowers) for you, your staff and most importantly, your patients.

In our experience, the practices that we’ve worked with that have a thoughtfully and carefully prepared business plan tend to be the most sustainable.  They aren’t pushed to and fro by the winds of external forces beyond their control; in fact, they tend to thrive when the going gets tough.

Your business plan provides a weighty reminder of your plans made when the seas weren’t so rough.  You may have to take extra measures during times of significant change or crisis, yet having identified your core business, the basic systems needed to support that core, how you plan to get there, etc., gives you extra stability and directional control when the winds pick up.  It outlines what you thought during a “saner” time and provides you with something to lean on to help you see you and your practice through the challenges at hand.

If you haven’t developed a plan, start today!  It’s easier than you think,though it does require organized thought!  Blueprints for a business plan are available to Energetix clients.  Feel free to call for help.