If you’ve been around me for any amount of time, you know that I love to support local businesses. Todays shout out goes to Dr. Haskett, my kids orthodontist. I saw Dr. Haskett for the first time in 2017, the summer I was home from Mexico with braces and wanted a second opinion to make sure they were working correctly (and find out how much it would cost to continue service in the US if I still needed them on when it was time to move home. Turns out it would’ve been cheaper to fly back to Mexico a few times to have them adjusted and eventually removed then it would to have the same services done here, so I just had the braces taken off before we left Mexico in 2018.)
Dr. Haskett came highly recommended in our local community. He started keeping an eye on the kids’ teeth around the same time, when we moved back from Mexico, monitoring how many baby teeth they had left to lose and progress as new teeth grew in. None of those visits ever cost anything. What they did do was established relationship.
The girls got something from the ice cream cooler every visit. They got free swag, and then points if they wore the t-shirt or brought their club card to the the appointment. They had already earned enough points to buy Dutch Bros gift cards before they even got braces!
Plus he’s just super fun to meet with and makes the kids feel at ease, important and cared for. He is an excellent example of not only a skilled orthodontist, but also a smart business owner, and positive role model in his community.
One thing I’ve been struggling with lately in my own business is how I can serve more people with my same high level of 1:1 service, expertise, and experience in the industry, without compromising my “brand” or my reputation.
His business model has been an eye opening example to me. How many kids could he provide braces to if he was the only one that worked in his business? If he not only had to do the actual orthodontic work and evaluation, but also had to answer the phones, book appointments, bill insurance, manage his customer database, sign financial contracts for payment plans, file paperwork, sterilize equipment…I could go on and on. The point is, that would not be good for business. It wouldn’t be a good use of his time and it wouldn’t create the best client experience. He does what he is trained and skilled at, and hires people that excel in the other areas to handle things like admin, appointments, billing and office management.
That is what I need to do in my business. And I don’t understand why I feel guilty about it. It’s a normal part of growth to get to a point in your career where your time and expertise are worth expanding. I know that lots of other people could benefit from my 20 years of experience working with the IRS. But in order to help more people, in order to advise more people and educate more people, in order to save more people money on taxes, I need help! Now that doesn’t mean I’m passing your file off to someone else or that you are going to be getting a lower level of service. In fact, I believe the opposite. I believe that by bringing on an executive assistant/office manager to my practice, I will be able to become more organized, provide better follow up, and have greater availability to proactively provide advise and tax education.
I also have the opportunity to hire a few CPA’s on a contract basis that could prepare complicated S-Corp and Partnership Tax Returns that I either don’t have the time or the experience to complete.
Tax professionals are hard to find right now. There is a severe shortage in the industry. If I can create a team and provide the necessary services to accurately and competently prepare the returns, should I expand in that direction also?
I think about Dr. Haskett providing Invisalign as an option. He contracts with them and their services to provide aligners. He did not need to go to school and become an expert in how to make aligners. His expertise still lies in braces and straightening clients teeth. If he can turn some of that over to another company and still be the face of the business, interacting with the clients on a day-to-day basis, and achieving the same end result of straight teeth, isn’t that just an added benefit to his clients?
That’s what I’m aiming to provide in my business. Thanks for coming along with me on this journey of growth and expansion, as I strive to continue to provide an excellent client experience.
My middle daughter Tenley is getting ready to have braces put on this summer. I’m sure no kid looks forward to braces or gets excited about having them put on. But Dr. Hasketts reward system of points each time you visit, follow instructions and take good care of your equipment, helped her to turn an unpleasant situation (having to get braces) into something to look forward to (and maybe, just maybe, be a tad bit excited about.)
Your reward with me is saving money on your taxes. Maybe not quite as exciting as Dutch Bros gift cards, but in the world of adulting, it might be the next best thing.
If you are looking for tax advice, or are in the market for a new tax professional to take over preparation of your business and/or personal tax returns, I would love the opportunity to speak with you. I am accepting new clients (and on boarding during the off-season is recommended.) Comment here or reach out directly to shay@caslerfinancial.com if you would like more information.
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