Top 10 Items to Review & Build Your Business Now!

In building and runnng an independent private practice or small business, there are many items that need to be monitored closely and should be reviewed periodically. Year-end is a traditional time do this, and this week's Letter is a "Top Ten" of items to review as the year draws to a close, or whenever you decide to pause, reflect, take stock and re-assess.

1. Review your client statistics: How many clients did you have? On average, how long did they stay? How did they describe their problem? What did they need or want from you? Does tracking by gender, age, or other criteria, provide insight about your business?

2. Review your referral sources: How do clients find you? Do you have a solid mix of referral sources? Too few sources makes your business dependent on them, while too many sources is inefficient. Who refers the most desirable clients? Who refers the least desirable?

3. Review your outcome statistics: How many clients had successful outcomes? How many had unsuccessful outcomes, and why? How many left before you thought they should, and why? Which clients are you most effective with? Which do you enjoy the most?

4. Review your income, month by month: Look for patterns or relationships with marketing efforts or community events that may impact your business. Does your business go up when school starts or after holidays? Can you capitalize on any of these cyclical patterns?

5. Review environmental changes: Has the community's awareness of your skills or services been impacted by someone else's marketing, by news stories or controversy this year? Has your neighborhood changed? Have circumstances made your office more or less visible? Are other professionals moving into, or out of, your neighborhood?

6. Review office policies and procedures: Do any of your forms, brochures, or signs need to be up-dated? Is it time to add color and graphics? Can office procedures be streamlined, computerized or contracted out for better productivity?

7. Review your insurance coverage, lease agreements, partnerships and other documents that impact your business. Is this the year to incorporate? Consult a professional about making appropriate changes, and meet with your accountant for a year-end review and tax planning.

8. Review every aspect of your professional status: Review your CE requirements, renew your license(s), pay dues to your professional organizations, and be sure your liability insurance coverage is adequate and current.

9. Identify and study the 3 biggest mistakes you made relative to finances, business and marketing this year. What did you do, or not do? What did you learn? What steps can you take so that particular mistake or set of circumstances never holds you back again?

10. Be sure to acknowledge and thank everyone who has contributed to your success this year, including referral sources, advisors, colleagues, and especially your clients. Send holiday greetings, thank you notes, and where it's appropriate, send a gift or token of appreciation.

Have a great week! The holidays can be a time of stress ? please accept our best wishes that this year it be a time for peace, joy, and goodwill toward all!

? Copyright 2003 by Philip E. Humbert. All Rights Reserved. This article may be copied and used in your own newsletter or on your website as long as you include the following information: "Written by Dr. Philip E. Humbert, writer, speaker and success coach. Dr. Humbert has over 300 free articles, tools and resources for your success, including a great newsletter! It's all on his website at: http://www.philiphumbert.com

cleaning help near Northbrook ...
In The News:

Apple's iOS 27 lets you add keywords to iPhone photos, while Samsung Gallery tags and Google Photos search offer similar organization tools.
A fake Claude AI download scam uses Google ads, and Bing redirects to trick Mac users into pasting a hidden malicious command in their Terminal.
Ahold Delhaize's cybersecurity incident knocked online ordering and digital coupons offline at Stop & Shop, Food Lion, Hannaford and Giant Food stores.
The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Amazon's About You feature includes personality details from your shopping history, and some shoppers are finding hilariously awkward results.
Identity theft recovery starts with securing bank accounts, freezing credit and enabling two-factor authentication within the first 24 hours.
Apple's $299 HomeView smart display uses facial recognition to personalize screens for up to six household members and show live security camera feeds.
Domonique DuBose spotted red flags when a man on Hinge with 85,000 followers and a blue checkmark claimed to be a San Francisco 49ers player.
Your phone's location data can expose visits to doctors, pharmacies and places of worship. The FTC took action against data brokers selling this data.
Hackers targeted Danfoss refrigerator controls across French supermarkets, forcing chains like Carrefour and Monoprix to discard massive food stocks.
iOS 27 finally lets iPhone Shared Albums store photos and videos at full resolution in iCloud, but new items count toward the owner's storage.
A fake Facebook Marketplace text scam uses your real name as the seller to trick you into replying, and Malwarebytes warns even one response helps.
The Pentagon data breach exposed 2.76 million Social Security numbers and military records, raising long-term identity theft concerns for veterans.
Kodiak AI plans to haul IKEA freight on Texas highways with no one in the cab, raising urgent cybersecurity and safety questions for drivers.
Apple Intelligence in iOS 27 adds Extend and Reframe tools to Photos, letting iPhones generate new background areas beyond your original borders.
Microsoft's X account was hijacked to promote a crypto pump-and-dump scheme, exposing its more than 13 million followers to a scam campaign.
Scammers can combine your name, phone number and address with data breach details to attempt SIM swaps, phishing and even identity theft schemes.
ChatGPT Work, Meta Muse and Gemini Spark can monitor flight prices, sort your email inbox and track important deadlines, but savvy users start small.
iPhone, Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel each hide a built-in tool that turns a video frame into a separate photo without any screenshot needed.
Operation KillSwitch dismantled KillSec's ransomware infrastructure, but investigators say a 16-year-old allegedly ran the entire cybercrime operation.
The Fox News Artificial Intelligence newsletter covers where voters will decide on AI data center ballot measures and Jeff Bezos' tech vision.
Apple's Impersonation Risk Detection in iOS 27 can flag suspicious activity inside apps, but the setting is off by default and must be enabled.
Federal Election Commission records can expose your name, address, employer and donation history once contributions exceed the $200 threshold.
Cybersecurity expert Morgan Wright says human skepticism remains the strongest defense against AI-driven phishing scams and voice cloning fraud schemes.
iPhone, Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy each handle security updates differently, and one screen saying "up to date" may not tell the whole story.

10 Dos and Donts Of Customer Services

Email etiquette is the key to help calm down anxious... Read More

Never Sell Again: Get Repeat Business and Avoid the Need to Prospect

If you're a business owner, you know that repeat business... Read More

The Seven Secrets of Top Performers

Let's put to rest the fallacy that success, in sales... Read More

10 Steps for Simplifying Business Plan Financial Statements

For most business owners and entrepreneurs, preparing, and communicating the... Read More

7 Ways To Make A GREAT First Impression!

1. Focus on the other Being known as a... Read More

Top 7 Tips For Writing Your Marketing Plan

A lot of people are at a loss when it... Read More

Seven Questions to Improve Your Business, Your Relationships, and Your Life

Seven Questions to Improve Your Business, Your Relationships, and Your... Read More

7 Reasons You ARE Your Own Best Product, or Lessons From the 2004 Presidential Election

The 2004 election is over--at least in the minds of... Read More

International Shipping/Freight for Dummies

There are lots of benefits for some businesses to import... Read More

Top Ten Listening Skills for Speakers

Good Speakers need good listening skills to become Great CommunicatorsSpeakers... Read More

How to Counsel Your Non-Performing Team Members - 10 Tips

Counselling non-performing team members is a tough part of any... Read More

10 Things To Ask Your Accountant

This is a quick checklist of a few things that... Read More

Seven Ways to Improve Your Results with Follow-up

What follows is a bold statement, but sometimes it takes... Read More

Top 7 Business Tips For Small Business Starters For Online Business

1.) Brainstorming for an idea - You must select what... Read More

Wealth Building Scams

I have some good news and I have some bad... Read More

Plan Your Success In Seven Ways

Many businesses lose money yearly because they don't think creatively... Read More

Top 10 Items For A 21st Century Toolbox!

Skilled workers of every age have prized their tools. I... Read More

Top Ten Tips for Participating in Online Business Expos

Are you ready for a BASH? Have you ever been... Read More

7 Keys to Running a Successful Business

Although dentistry may appear to be different than other types... Read More

Ten Steps To Better Listening

Talking is the least important half of any conversation. Listening... Read More

Your Leadership Shopping List

'Tis the season to give. And finding the right gift... Read More

7 Tips On Getting Ready To Put Attraction Marketing Into Action

Attraction marketing is about making a customer for life not... Read More

Tips to Starting your Own Busniess

The 9-to-5 grind can make you feel like a just... Read More

I WANT IT NOW - 10 Tips for Freight & Drayage at Trade Shows

Gas prices continue to go through the roof and increased... Read More

Business Profitability - 10 Ways To Boost

10 Ways to Boost your ProfitabilitySo many business owners work... Read More

one time home cleaning Glenview ...