Archive for November, 2007
« Previous EntriesMarketing and Goals for 2008
Thursday, November 29th, 2007by Daria Belov
Taking the time to prepare goals and marketing ideas is important for any business. Those that are self-employed and those that run small businesses typically have to take on these tasks themselves, as there is no one organizing corporate goal setting events or marketing strategy meetings for the upcoming year. Entrepreneurial small-business owners must remain disciplined, and take things into their own hands, in order to celebrate their victories at the end of the 2008 season.
Earlier today, Michael Dorausch posted a detailed article with 23 Surefire Business Marketing Tips, a valuable read for any small business owners seeking marketing ideas that have shown proven success. In the article he divided marketing ideas into categories of internal and external, explaining that most new businesses will focus on external marketing, with a mission to move the created momentum and energy, towards an internal focus. While the article was purely marketing focused, there are some other nonmarketing goals and plans that are beneficial to be made at this time of year.
Planning for the Holidays
I’m not talking about Christmas planning or other holiday planning for 2007, I’m suggesting you mark your business calendars for 2008 and make some plans in advance to take some time off. Taking a quick scan at the year’s calendar, there is New Year’s Day in January, Easter Sunday in April, Memorial Day in May (Monday, May 26), Independence Day in July (on a Friday in 2008), Labor Day (Monday, September 1), Thanksgiving (Thursday, November 27), and Christmas (Thursday, December 25). Depending on your line of work, you may not take time off during these holidays, but many businesses (including those in the chiropractic health care industry) will have closures on those dates.
If you’re seeking to plan some time off from the office, you could do a four-day weekend during Easter Sunday, a three or four day weekend during Memorial Day, at least a three or four day weekend for the Fourth of July, three or more days for Labor Day, four-day Thanksgiving weekend, and five or more days off at Christmas. Not counting business conferences and other time off, that’s six opportunities for holiday time outside of the office where you can unwind, recharge, and spend time with family and friends.
Places to Go
How about planning to visit some new places during those extended weekends? The recuperative energy received from visiting new places can provide some sharp and clear insights on activities in your business. Nearly every travel website has offers for short trips to places like Seattle, Washington, San Antonio, Texas, Albuquerque, New Mexico, New York City, and Los Angeles, California. Determine some places you’d like to travel to and invest a couple of hours doing some research to discover what excites you.
Other Goals
Maybe you want to read more books in 2008 than you did in 2007, that would be a productive thing to put on your goals list. Perhaps there are some restaurants you’ve been meaning to visit, those can be added as well. Is this the year you run a marathon in Los Angeles, San Francisco, or New York City? Maybe you want to take up tennis, improve your golf game, or spend more time surfing the waves in La Jolla.
Whatever your goals may be, tis’ the season to plan them out, so you can enjoy their manifestation in the upcoming year.
23 Surefire Small-Business Marketing Tips for 2008
Thursday, November 29th, 2007by Michael Dorausch, DC
Get your mind on your business and your business on your mind.
This is the time of year I recommend you lay out your small-business marketing plan for 2008. Getting these ideas organized now will free you up to enjoy the holidays and hit the ground running at the first of the year. [...]
Next Generation of Neurological Therapy
Wednesday, November 28th, 2007by Michael Dorausch, DC
Among mail I received today was an advertisement for a Total Natural Health Seminar which is scheduled for December 8 in Costa Mesa, California. According to the flyer I received it appears that the seminar is focused on selling a electronic product that looks like a balance board and hooks up to [...]
Two in the Morning and Your Daily Affirmations
Wednesday, November 28th, 2007by Michael Dorausch, DC
Going to go through a stack of mail I’ve received in the last two days and offer up some of my thoughts (even if no one’s paying attention). For those of you that are not chiropractors, you’d be amazed at the number of advertisements we receive each and every day. Everyone’s got [...]
Cracking the Motion Picture Industry
Tuesday, November 27th, 2007by Michael Dorausch, DC
The Writers Guild of America strike has affected many businesses that you wouldn’t necessarily suspect had anything to do with the film industry. A chiropractor’s office located nearby a major studio would be one of those businesses.
Two days into the writers’ strike visits from people in the motion picture and film industry increased significantly during morning hour shifts in our Los Angeles chiropractic office. The reason was a number shows had gone dark and people suddenly found themselves free to engage in other activities, rather than putting in typically superlong days, that often prevented them from making it to the office.
We didn’t see many writers during that week. However, there were caterers, property masters, hair stylists, makeup artists, camera operators, and people involved at all levels of production, and moods were mixed as to what was going on in the industry. It was a reminder for me as to how entwined our small business was with the film industry, and then I realized outside of metro areas like Los Angeles and New York City, there probably were not too many chiropractic offices that served large groups of people in the motion picture business.
Personally, I am thankful for the industry and the way we’ve been treated. Our office has been filled with many creative, talented, and hard-working folks, and I still enjoy the perks (like free craft service lunches) when I get called to stages at local studios. Those calls have decreased in the past three weeks, and even though people are making in office visits, I am looking forward to seeing everyone go back to their regular schedules.
I’ve written about LA before, but I don’t recall ever getting into any details regarding the motion picture industry, and how it relates to the health-care industry of chiropractic.
Unions and Insurance
There are currently three types of insurance typically used for coverage of chiropractic care in the film industry. These don’t include health-care plans commonly used by studio executives, office workers, and related companies that work independently of the industry’s unions. The 3 plans are…
Writers’ Guild - Industry Health Fund (based in Burbank, California)
Screen Actors Guild (based in Los Angeles, CA 90036)
Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Plans (based in Studio City, CA 91604)
Insurance policies are different for each plan, and as a result chiropractic care is reimbursed differently for each of these three major funds. For example, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) typically involves deductibles of $500-$750 per calendar year for active members, with as many as 12 chiropractic visits per quarter applied to coverage. The Motion Picture plan rarely has deductibles and services such as x-rays and examinations are likely to be covered through a members benefits. Generally, all three of the plans provide for chiropractic services to all active members of the above-mentioned groups.
Writers are those that create content for the television shows and movies we enjoy, screen actors are those working on camera (including your Hollywood celebrities), and people in the Motion Picture Industry (MPI) are most frequently those behind the scenes. One example is the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) such as the Local 44 (these folks work hard).
Studio Locations
I’m not too familiar with filming locations outside of the Los Angeles area but here are some of the more common locations that have involved calls for stage services.
Sony Picture Television Studios (Culver City, CA 90232)
Twentieth Century Fox (Los Angeles, CA 90035)
CBS Studios (Los Angeles, CA. 90036)
NBC Studios (Burbank, CA 91505)
Paramount Studios (Hollywood, CA 90038)
There is also a sprinkling of smaller filming locations in places such as Manhattan beach and adjacent to Playa Vista. I am most familiar with those since these are all within a 25 mile radius of my office. I see quite a few people that work in the Santa Clarita area and other outlying areas of Los Angeles County, but I’m grateful that they choose other chiropractors when services are required in those areas. If you don’t know, traffic in Los Angeles can be hell.
Hollywood Celebrities
Don’t think that all of us in Los Angeles and New York City are chiropractors to the stars, there are far less celebrities working in the industry than there are writers and the others that I mentioned above. That being said I do always ask celebrities I care for to consider thanking their chiropractor (after they thank their mom) when making acceptance speeches at the Academy Awards. Doesn’t hurt to ask. 
On Location
Chiropractic services for the film industry breakdown into three categories that I could think of. There are those services that are provided inside one’s chiropractic office (these are the easiest), services provided at a studio (such as a stage on a lot) or location (I’ve been to downtown LA more times than I can count), and house calls (mostly for celebrities but it’s not exclusive). If you are thinking house calls to homes of celebrities is exciting, remember the traffic factor and the situation factor (like someone wanting to be adjusted with less than an hour’s notice because they’ve got a plane to catch), and the excitement fades.
If you are a chiropractor and it comes to stage settings and location calls, it’s a good idea to check with the production office as work may be billed to the show, the studio, or even a third-party agency, rather than an insurance company. It’s also a good idea to know you have a Lot Pass so you don’t appear like a nut job at the security gate, when you get called out to the set. Also, if you’re adjusting someone while the red light is on, you’d better be very very quiet.
Spoils of War
With all the above being said I can’t express enough how much fun the whole experience can be. I’m still like a little kid with bottled up excitement when I get invited to particular sets and locations. The generosity shown from the people we serve is immense. There’s always lots of promotional schwag and other things to be shared, and I still get a kick out of those kinds of things.
For the record, not all chiropractors are fond of the term crack (or any variation of the term) when associated with one’s spine. In many cases a more appropriate term would be adjustment, relating to a specific adjustment to a spinal segment of one’s vertebral column.
Call your local chiropractor today, they’d be happy to see you’re back!
Fluoride Fanatics Beginning to Appear More Mainstream
Monday, November 26th, 2007by Michael Dorausch, DC
News over the weekend regarding fluoride in tap water is evidence that the debate regarding the safety and effectiveness of the chemical process continues to be heated discussion.
There was a news report in Friday’s Globe and Mail, the Canadian publication, regarding a nearly half-century use of water fluoridation, and growing numbers of reports for medical officials and environmentalists regarding the process that has become so commonplace in many industrialized areas.
According to the news, recent research is suggesting that fluoride may be connected to a number of serious conditions, which includes the development of a rare bone cancer (osteosarcoma) in teenage boys, reduced levels of intelligence in children, and the impairment of thyroid function.
The article mentions that those complaining about water fluoridation were often portrayed as a “kooky fringe” and not taken very seriously. That view is changing as scientists have began to look at research that suggests the main protective action from fluoride does not come from ingesting the chemical, but rather from direct absorption through topical application to the teeth. Basically, they’re saying brushing one’s teeth (with toothpaste that contains the chemical), and then rinsing, appears to be more effective than adding fluoride to municipal water supplies.
The Globe and Mail article is titled: Critics raise red flag over fluoride in tap water
Some related articles have appeared on Planet Chiropractic since August of 2000. Those articles include Fluoride in your Drinking Water which was published in March of 2006.
“An independent panel of experts commissioned by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reviewed the effect of fluoride in drinking water on public health and released a report this past week saying that the fluoride level in tap water allowed by the EPA should be lowered to protect from several health related conditions.”
Fluoride in the Fountain was published in September of 2007 and it discusses fluoride enthusiasts and California laws that stipulate all municipal water shall soon contain a form of fluoride.
“For governmental and other organizations to continue to push for more exposure in the face of current levels of over-exposure coupled with an increasing crescendo of adverse toxicity findings is irrational and irresponsible at best,” — scientists at the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)
Also from March of 2006 was an article titled: California state law now requires fluoridation of municipal water.
From the article… California state law now requires fluoridation of municipal water. A large portion of San Diego County will begin receiving fluoridated water within a year or two, in spite of strong public opposition. The scientific and ethical arguments against fluoridation are so overwhelming, one must ask, how is it possible that fluoridation retains enough support that laws are enacted against popular will? The apparent answer was well stated by Upton Sinclair, “It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on not understanding it.” In order for the rest of us to understand fluoridation, let’s all go take a hike and follow the money trail!
The oldest article I could locate in the archives was from August of 2000, a report that was initially printed in the Mesa Tribune in Arizona. The article is titled Fluoridation Folly and the author asks Is it possible that we could all be nothing more than expendable guinea pigs with fewer fillings?
“To raise the natural fluoride levels of the water supply, Gilbert City Council proposes to dump in fluorosilicates, a waste by-product of the fertilizer industry. Fluoride apologists - led by dentists and 1 stray city council member - consistently fail to mention this toxic little fact. Instead they conveniently bury it under the “spit n’ rinse” category.”
Search news archives for all fluoride related articles.
101 Words That Feel Good
Sunday, November 25th, 2007by Michael Dorausch
Sticks and stones may break your bones but words can help you to feel good about yourself and those you share them with.
Imagine yourself in a situation where you wanted to say something nice about someone. It could be a person right in front of you, it could be somebody you’re introducing to [...]
Wordpress Blogging Labrador
Saturday, November 24th, 2007by Michael Dorausch (and Zoey Daisy Love)
I HAD to change the name of this post from Thoughts after Thanksgiving to Wordpress Blogging Labrador after what I caught my dog Zoey doing earlier. I had just finished eating a leftover turkey leg and was getting ready to do a blog post (about leftovers) but I had [...]
Avoiding Potential Website Optimization Disasters
Friday, November 23rd, 2007by Michael Dorausch, DC
Managing the day-to-day activities of your small business can be tough enough, without having to be worrying about what you’ll have to do to get your website online, and stressing over what steps you’ll need to take to ensure your business appears in search engine results, when people are seeking your products [...]
Historical Conference Data For Researching Future Events
Thursday, November 22nd, 2007by Michael Dorausch, DC
I was noticing an increased number of 2008 chiropractic events are beginning to populate the seminars database and I was searching to see if there was any overlap on hotels being used to host conferences. I had forgotten there was an online archive for nearly every event posted since 2001, but when [...]