1099 OD’s make up a large portion of the Optometric population.  Older Optometrists, moms, the doctor who chooses not to be nailed down by leases and contracts, etc. make up this workforce.
 
Practices love this partnership.  For example many a sole-practitioner does not have enough patients for 2 full-time OD’s, and sometimes, the sole-practitioner just has to schedule a day off.  That’s where the 1099 partnership works.
 
But there also pitfalls.  Undoubtedly, even the most conscientious, part-time doctor is not as committed as the owner.  The overwhelming number of these doctors care greatly for their patients and provide the absolute best care that they can to the extent of their ability.  However, the nature of contract employment can cause unexpected obstacles. 
 
In my consulting, I have seen one, dominant struggle in the partnership:  the number of hours that the 1099 doctor works.  Let’s say you contract an OD to work 2 days a week at $450 a day.  How many hours must the OD work (defined as seeing patients, primarily comprehensive eye exams)? 
 
Some practices struggle because the 1099 doc doesn’t want to see exams past 4:30 so they can get home.  Perhaps they instruct the staff not to schedule comprehensive exams late in the day. 
 
Maybe the doctor comes in after the start of the business day because they work somewhere else.  Maybe they don’t get in until 130 (when they should be there at 1:00) because they were caught up seeing another patient at another practice. 
 
Do they still get their full pay?  Is that acceptable? 
 
It will be if you aren’t clear. 
 
Remember, the owner is the one who instructs the staff and the doctor as to the patient schedule.  Make a clear rule that no one is allowed to change the schedule without proper approval.  If this is not clear, you won’t get your money’s worth.  Staff will grow confused or frustrated, or worse:  lazy.  You won’t maximize the benefit of your contracted doctor.  And the list goes on and on. 
 
Usually, all that passes in a 1099 relationship is a handshake and a tax form as the partnership can be ended at any point.  Whether you decide to write a contract or not is up to you, but nothing will end a friendship or partnership quicker than expectations that are neither communicated not agreed upon.  It doesn’t take a lawyer to create a contract.  A half page document detailing your expectations singed between the two of you is all that it takes.
 
But a contracted 1099 doctor understands the expectations and the owner understands their commitment.  Protect your staff, your patients, and your professional relationships by making expectations as clear as possible.
 
Gordon Duncan is the CEO/Consultant of the Prosight Success System and advises Optometrists across the country. 
 
 
 
 
 
 

My life has been blessed, touched, and protected by the military just like yours has.  I have family members and friends who gave their life to protect our country, and I have some who have passed after years of service.
 
I’m most proud of my brother, a Gulf War vet, who served faithfully for 23 years. 
 
And while the day is full of cookouts and sales and trips to the beach, I just wanted to write to say, “Thank You”. 
 
I know that some of you served faithfully in the military.  Thank you.
I know that some of you have lost family members in the military.  I mourn with you.
I know that some of you, and many of your family members, continue in service.  I pray for you and them.
 
So, on this Memorial Day, I salute all of military, past and present.  I’m thankful for our freedom. 
 
I hope you enjoy the day.  If you are off, rest with family and have a great day.  If you are working, thank you.
 
Gordon Duncan
www.prosightsuccess.com

Taking advantage of tax breaks, write-offs, and deductions is a must for every eye care practice. Doing so will save you thousands of dollars.  And while you more than likely have a great accountant, it is still your responsibility to educate yourself.  (Note:  your accountant is the final authority in any tax advice).
 
Having said that, here is one tip that will save you thousands:
 
Wouldn’t it be great if you could write off the miles of your commute from home to work each day?  Typically you can’t because your ride is to your place of business, and the IRS does not accept that as a deduction.  But there are allowances.  Here is an approach that will not only save you money, it will also benefit your patients as well.
 
Sign up for a direct marketing business to sell your patients Omega vitamins (or some other supplement that has eye health benefits).  But for the sake of this discussion, let’s talk Omegas/Fatty Acid Supplements.  The American Optometric Association says this: 
 
Fats are a necessary part of the human diet. They maintain the integrity of the nervous system, fuel cells and boost the immune system. Research shows omega-3 fatty acids are important for proper visual development and retinal function.
 
Having established that, then you become an ambassador for a company that sells Omega supplements.  Once you do that, you become a 1099 employee of that company operating out of a home office.  The square footage of your office is written off as a percentage of your mortgage and your utilities.  That can be worth thousands of dollars to you.
 
But here is how you write off your drive.  You become the vendor for your practice’s Omega Eye Supplements.  Your practice buys them from you, and then the practice sells them to your patients.  Because of this, you can now write off your mileage to work each day.  Your going to your practice is a business expense for you.  The 2016 mileage allowance was $.53 per mile.  The best way to keep up with your miles is with an app that does it for you.  I recommend MileIQ (Pay for the upgrade.  It’s worth it).  If you live 10 miles from your office, your 20 miles each days is a tax break of $10.60 PER DAY.
 
Think of the benefits of this approach:
 
Home Office Deduction (square footage percentage of your mortgage and utilities).
Mileage Deduction on your work commute.
Potential income of selling supplements.
 
Deductions for your office are detailed and included in Book 6 of the ProSight Success System.  Learning and applying just one of the deductions included in the system would more than pay for its cost. 
 
Disclaimer:  Neither I nor Prosight Success are accountants.  Please note that any tax approach should be cleared by your accountant as they are the qualified expert in this field. 
 
Don’t wait any longer.  The government incentivizes small businesses (assets under $10 million) and claiming those deductions is up to you.  Let us know if we can ever be of help.
 
Gordon
 
P.S.  The Prosight Success System is designed, not only to help you increase revenue, but also to help you get your largest tax break.  Both are necessary for greater profits.  Get yours today.

Online frame retailer, Warby Parker, wants to take down the local eye doctor’s office.  It is not bad enough that your patients can take your eye exam and buy their frames online.  Now, it looks like they don’t need you for an exam either.
 
According to Vision Monday, Warby Parker is rolling out a mobile refraction service.  Basically, you download an app, take a 20 min eye exam, and if your RX hasn’t changed since your last one, a WP OD will write the patient a new one.  If there is a change, then the patient will have to go see their local Optometrists (Gee, thanks). 
 
Unless you want your office to go the way of JC Penny and Sears, then you are going to have to put some things immediately in place.  I offer three:
 
Recall, Recall, Recall.  Recalls, emails, and cards just became even more important.  The best way to avoid this mess is to get your patient in your office so you can at least have a chance to recapture the frame sale.  You might even think about hiring a full-time recall staff.  Think about it this way.  Let’s say your RPP (Revenue Per Patient) is $325.  That means that every time you do a comprehensive eye exam, you deposit $325 (we talk about how to best determine this number in “Prosight Success #1 Practice Progress”).  And let’s say you pay an employee $12 an hour to make recalls.  With taxes and Social Security, let’s say that employee costs you $15 an hour.  Then they work 8 hours.  What did that day of work cost you?  $120.  That means that if your employee could book at least 1 exam from phone calls, then you have a net of $205.  No brainer, right?  And a decent recall staff is going to book more than that.  If they get their exam from you, you are on the way to fighting Warby Parker.
 
Educate Your Patients:  Warby Parker qualifies their app with the admission that the test is not a comprehensive eye exam and it isn’t meant to replace visits to an eye doctor.  No duh.  Unfortunately, many patients will take their script and run.  Every eyeball in front you must be educated on the importance of a yearly eye exam.  Teach them all the conditions that can be detected.  Talk Glaucoma.  Talk Cataracts.  Make yourself indispensable to their health. 
 
Shape Up Your Frames/Frame Seller:  People don’t buy ugly frames from Warby Parker.  They buy fashionable frames from pictures of fashionable people.  Your office better be full of fashionable frames sold by fashionable people.  If you have ugly frames and frame seller who can’t project a fashion sense, you are going to lose frames to Warby Parker.  Your frame department is a fashion department.  Approach it as such.
 
Gordon Duncan is the CEO/Consultant of www.prosightsightsuccess.com.  His most recent book, “The7 Essentials of Profitable Eye Care”, is free for digital download.

 
 

Earlier this week, I published an excerpt from my upcoming book “The 7 Essentials of Profitable Eye Care” in an article on LinkedIn.  I hoped people would read it, but I couldn’t have expected this much response. 
 
It is entitled, “Doctor, Don’t Tolerate Rude Front Desk Employees”.  In less than 48 hours, nearly 1,000 people have read it.
 
I’ve included it below because patients want their doctors to listen.  Take heed of the needs and desires of your patients.  Listen.  Serve.  Grow.  Profit.
 
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I will not shop at, browse, walk through, or basically go into any store that has rude staff.
 
Very few people will.
 
I bet you don’t either.
 
And the businesses that have staff that are rude won’t last long.  They will go out of business eventually.
 
Knowing this to be true, ask yourself these things:
 
Do you have a friendly staff?
I mean, do you have a really friendly staff?
Are you putting up with average staff?
And the tough one:  Do you have staff you just need to fire?
 
Listen, you may have incredibly loyal patients.  They have been with you for years.  You may have patients continuously walking through the door.  But do you really think they are going to keep coming back if your front desk is not friendly? 
 
And you may have incredibly loyal employees, but the day and age of tolerance for poor customer care has gone.  You will eventually have to choose between your staff and the growth of your practice.
 
Don’t accept anything but the highest customer care.  Don’t communicate anything other than the highest standard.
 
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So there it is.  Not a lot of words, but patients and professionals resonated.  Ask yourself, “Do you have a phenomenal front desk staff?”  If not, why not?
 
Tips to find, train, and keep phenomenal front desk, as well as other types of resources, can be found in our Prosight Success System.  Check it out, and let us know how we can help further.
 
Gordon Duncan
ProSight Success System