For more than 20 years, I have tried to practice what Rotary teaches. To my very pleasant surprise, I heard from a good number of HomeCare readers about how they, as Rotarians, feel about the events on which I commented in this magazine's August issue. Thank you!
A few callers mentioned they were Kiwanians. I was one for many years when I worked out of Huntington, N.Y. That is a long time ago. When I was a practicing pharmacist and then left that business for medical supplies, I always felt it imperative to participate with local civic associations. I recommend that if you do not belong to a Rotary or Lions club, Kiwanis or any of the many similar organizations, please consider joining. To be a success in any community, you have to give something back.
Mrs. Prial and I love to travel. Many of our most pleasant experiences happen when we visit a local Rotary Club (and they are found almost everywhere) and discover what we might have missed if we did not attend.
In Hammondsport N.Y., for example, we were guided to visit two museums, the Glenn H. Curtiss Aviation Museum and the Bully Hill Vineyards Museum. We never appreciated what Curtiss contributed to flight (he is best remembered as a pioneer of Naval aviation) nor did we understand much about the wine industry in upstate New York. We learned a lot at these rather small museums, and it added much to the pleasure of our trip.
We have visited Rotary Clubs in Stockholm, Vienna, Brussels, Paris, London, Copenhagen and other ports of call. In Stockholm, Oslo and Brussels, they conducted the meetings in English so we would be able to participate. In the UK, they also hold their meetings in English (I think). The point I am trying to make is that Thelma and I were made to feel very welcome, we were advised where to eat, what to see and how to get around town. We made friends everywhere we went. Think about that.
Way back in the early 1950s, my first pharmacy became a part of the community. We helped build a new community center. We helped develop two Boy Scout troops, and we got to know all the politicians in town (both parties!).
Another suggestion I will make is that to help your company grow, the community has to appreciate that you are an integral part of it, not just another business operator. Find the time to attend PTA meetings and church socials, and to work with the Little League and Chamber of Commerce.
There are many places to be visible and get to be known. That recognition will bring customers to you. Offer to speak about health care and what can be done when a member of the family is ill. Show how to lift a child without hurting your back. When invited, it is not necessary to speak about your company; when the community recognizes what you do for them and how you participate, then its residents will find their way to you.
Participation for a DME/HME provider or a pharmacy, however, must be a great deal more than simply belonging to a local civic association. You have made a tremendous investment in your company. Each of your employees depends upon your success. You must also participate with your state and national associations because they speak in your interest. They are your political arms.
You must consider all of your employees as integral partners in your company. Hold regular staff meetings where employees are asked to make suggestions and proposals for the company's growth. Allow employees to share their ideas. Listen carefully. Your employees know a great deal about the company and its potential. Give them the opportunity to be heard.
As a Rotarian, I learned much about working together. For the past four years, my club has worked with the local zoo to prepare a “Tastes of the City” fundraiser. We convinced 36 local restaurants to take a display space and allow everyone to have a taste of their goodies. This year, close to 1,500 people attended, and we netted more than $30,000 for both the Rotary and the zoo. I mention this because it was a community activity developed by a small Rotary Club. You, too, can do the same.
Think about the many things your company can do in your hometown. Consider holding an open house. Invite your patrons and local citizens. Have their blood pressure monitored. Hold a “Test for Diabetes” day. Set aside a day to check and wash wheelchairs.
Invite the police and fire departments and the local EMT squads to learn about your company. Ask your preferred vendors to participate. Think of ways to build over-the-counter cash sales. Stop depending on third-party business. You don't have to walk away from Medicare or Medicaid, but build new sales away from that.
There will always be opportunities, but you have to recognize them. I would like tot hear from all of you. Tell me some of the ideas you have instituted that worked.
Sheldon “Shelly” Prial is based in Melbourne, Fla., with Prial Consulting and also serves as the director of government relations for Atlanta-based Graham-Field Health Products. In 1987, he founded the Homecare Providers Co-Op, now part of The VGM Group. He can be reached by e-mail at shelly.prial@att.net or by phone at 877/553-5127.
