Accounting & Bookkeeping & Small Business Forum

[Guest]

I want to focus my practice around doctors; I want to be the exclusive accounting professional geared toward MD's. I am having problems getting in contact with the doctors to inform them about my practice. Can someone offer me some suggestion on how to reach this people so I may offer them my service? I want to cater to the elite, I got a few small clients that don't seem to appreciate paying for the quality of my service, the degree of professionalism I bring to the table, my years of experience. I am highly qualified and has three designation, CPA, CIA, CFP, most small business owners don't know what my designation means to them, so they cannot appreciate them. So I got to go after the upper mentally clients.

[Guest]

Get off your high horse. Likely the reason they don't appreciate you is because you don't appreciate them. And, if you were giving them the service that a person with your credentials should give, they would think you're the greatest. As far as specializing with doctors, you simply need to go where they hang out -- become an associate member of their organizations. However, if you go in too cocky even doctors won't show you the appreciation you think you deserve.

[Guest]

Most physician offices will only use an account/bookeeping service for their personal expenses not their practice expenses. The could possibly use a service for employee and other related payroll and expense issues. However, physicians uses billing services and in-house billing to take care of their accounting needs of the revenue they bring in to their practice. Most offices has a practice management system that keeps track of their revenue and expenses. Marketing your services to doctors is very, very, challenging. They are extremely busy, and it is difficult to get past the gatekeepers(receptionist, office manager, etc...). It is very difficult to get to the decision maker (doctors). Not to discourage you, but most physicians has an outsource service or in-house procedure that tracks their revenue and expenses. Alrighty!!

[April S]

Whew...tough crowd! :D

I agree with the advice that you need to join the associations and attend the events where your potential clients will be attending.

For example, I am targeting restaurants since I have been doing this type of accounting for several years. I joinded the restaurant associations and go to the events.

Just make sure to bring some promotional material, business cards and be very professional (dress well) and polite. I do not bring up my business in many conversations. I wait for the right time and sometimes, the time is never right. Just do your best. Nobody wants you to force your business on them but if you get along well on a personal side, then it usually comes up when they as what you do.

Good luck!

April

[0cdd3b75]

I do accounting for many physician practices as well as have years of experience managing only a practices a/r. I hate to burst your bubble but the majority of doctors are CHEAP! However, they may be great doctors but most are poor businessmen(women) and hire practice managers to run the business end while they work on the medicine end.

Several of my clients make SEVEN figures NET and still don't want to spend more than $25 for a fax machine or will purchase the least expensive office equipment or software even though those are the tools that help collect all the $$$ they have charged.

Oh, and one more thing, most docs have business ventures on the side that lose money but they think all business make money as easily as medicine.