When a Plan Comes Together

The Simple Objective

By Tannus Quatre, PT, MBA

A plan is only as good as the objective on which it is focused. Without the presence of a clear and simple objective, a plan can lead down any path with every chance of arriving somewhere, but very little chance of arriving somewhere productive.

Every plan should start with a simple objective, or set of objectives, and these should be clearly identified before planning commences at which time valuable resources are required of you and your practice. As with objectives used in the care of our clients, each should be (1) measurable, (2) functional, (3) and time-based. Absence of any of these characteristics will result in planning objectives that are of limited business application.

Marketing

• Good: We will recognize 10 new client referrals from Oceanside Orthopedics in the month of October in order to support our practice through necessary volume growth.
• Bad: We want to increase referrals to our practice.

Financial

• Good: We will increase our revenue by 10 percent in calendar year 2014 (compared with 2013) to provide us with the financial resources necessary to compete in our community over the next two years.
• Bad: We need to increase revenue.

Competition

• Good: We will achieve and maintain a page one listing on Google® in order to position ourselves as a market leader with the online community.
• Bad: We need to implement an online marketing strategy. 

Tannus Quatre, PT, MBA, ATC, CSCS, lives at the intersection of physical therapy and entrepreneurship, spending his time helping physical therapists build and operate successful practices through his company, Vantage Clinical Solutions. He specializes in marketing, finance, and business planning, and authors and speaks regularly for the APTA and PPS. He can be reached at tannus@vantageclinicalsolutions.com.