Monday, June 25, 2012
Concordia Open House a Success
Monday, March 12, 2012
Seniors Helping Seniors Open House & Ribbon Cutting
Final Reminder: The 4th Anniversary Seniors Helping Seniors Open House and Ribbon cutting is 10 a.m. this Thursday, March 15th. Address is 119 E. Arrow Highway, San Dimas. Hosted by Chet and Kathy Sasaki, SHS Franchise Owners. Great networking, food, and a fun atmosphere.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Lot's of February Happenings
Two great events this month: Access to Seniors Meeting on 2/28 at Inland Christian Home in South Ontario on Mountain Ave, just north of 60 Fwy. This is our version of the State of the Industry panel discussion. FREE lunch.
For reservations, call 909-841-0527.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Starting the New Year off right for the Senior Industry
Attended Buddy Lieberman's (he of "The Buddy Group" networking meetings)-- 3rd Round Table luncheon on the state of our senior industry.
If you missed it, don't panic. As a writer, I took good notes!
Both speakers were from "big players", and both were operations Veeps. What they said was very enlightening--yet I don't think they can relate to the small RCFE's or in home cares--they come from the big corporations.
Never the less, here's what they said:
This will be the year of large acquisitions by the big players. Facility groundbreaking and building of new facilities is pretty much halted due to lack of resources and the economy. However, since it's cheaper to take over properties and insert new management, that's what most of the big boys will do. This is what they called regional buying.
This bodes well for you, the small RCFE's. Your comeback to this thought process should be to explain to the families and the potential residents that you are not changing management or your style. You will be the same, loving caring facility and staff you've always been. And if the client wants personalized service, you are there to provide it--unlike some big corporations.
According to the Veeps, there is still an unmet demand for residents. Either they meant the censuses are down, or residents are not getting what they ask for--that their demands are not being met. (Not sure which, but I suspect the latter).
Residents are staying home longer before they make a decision to move. While it used to take 2-3 months to move, it's now taking 8-12 months.
What does this mean for RCFEs? That you need an extensive marketing campaign that allows you to put people on a waiting list, then cooperate with other B and Cs around you to find people their homes. And don't wait until you have a death, move out to hospice, or some other reason to start to market.
THE TIME TO MARKET IS CONTINUALLY, AT LEAST FOR 4 HOURS PER WEEK!
Finally, they talked about more mental health issues among the senior population. It seems that most of the big boys are moving towards adding more dementia wings in their facilities. So if you, as an RCFE B and C do not deal with dementia--you'd better.
In a nutshell, the gist of the forum was about that, and how people now know what options there are--they're more demanding re: private pay, and what they get for their money.
AND, seniors themselves are taking to the internet as never before, to find information for themselves and other seniors about the choices they will have to make. So last question for this month:
Do you have the following:
IF NOT, WHY NOT? CALL US, WE CAN DO THIS FOR YOU!
If you missed it, don't panic. As a writer, I took good notes!
Both speakers were from "big players", and both were operations Veeps. What they said was very enlightening--yet I don't think they can relate to the small RCFE's or in home cares--they come from the big corporations.
Never the less, here's what they said:
This will be the year of large acquisitions by the big players. Facility groundbreaking and building of new facilities is pretty much halted due to lack of resources and the economy. However, since it's cheaper to take over properties and insert new management, that's what most of the big boys will do. This is what they called regional buying.
This bodes well for you, the small RCFE's. Your comeback to this thought process should be to explain to the families and the potential residents that you are not changing management or your style. You will be the same, loving caring facility and staff you've always been. And if the client wants personalized service, you are there to provide it--unlike some big corporations.
According to the Veeps, there is still an unmet demand for residents. Either they meant the censuses are down, or residents are not getting what they ask for--that their demands are not being met. (Not sure which, but I suspect the latter).
Residents are staying home longer before they make a decision to move. While it used to take 2-3 months to move, it's now taking 8-12 months.
What does this mean for RCFEs? That you need an extensive marketing campaign that allows you to put people on a waiting list, then cooperate with other B and Cs around you to find people their homes. And don't wait until you have a death, move out to hospice, or some other reason to start to market.
THE TIME TO MARKET IS CONTINUALLY, AT LEAST FOR 4 HOURS PER WEEK!
Finally, they talked about more mental health issues among the senior population. It seems that most of the big boys are moving towards adding more dementia wings in their facilities. So if you, as an RCFE B and C do not deal with dementia--you'd better.
In a nutshell, the gist of the forum was about that, and how people now know what options there are--they're more demanding re: private pay, and what they get for their money.
AND, seniors themselves are taking to the internet as never before, to find information for themselves and other seniors about the choices they will have to make. So last question for this month:
Do you have the following:
- Web site (With interaction, not static)
- Blog
- Facebook Page
- Linked In account
- Twitter account
IF NOT, WHY NOT? CALL US, WE CAN DO THIS FOR YOU!
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to All my friends and clients
Just wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your great support and friendship this past year. Nadine and I are very grateful we have friends and clients like yourselves.
Four new clients this past month I especially want to single out:
Bob Cullen, my old friends at LPL Financial and Saving Mom and Dad. If you haven't read the book, and you are in the senior industry, go get it now for Christmas.
Chet and Kathy Sasaki - new clients at Seniors Helping Seniors San Dimas office. Greatest couple who really care about the senior market.
Maria and Danica Pilares - owners of Pilarville Garden. Very homey and comfy atmosphere where your parents or friends can live with full attention to their needs.
And finally, Carol Rock - owner of RCFC, Inc. If your facility is on the brink of a major audit, or you want to avoid one, you need to call her ASAP.
Again, thanks to everyone who makes helping seniors a worthwhile occupation.
Best in 2012.
Reece and Nadine Franklin
Four new clients this past month I especially want to single out:
Bob Cullen, my old friends at LPL Financial and Saving Mom and Dad. If you haven't read the book, and you are in the senior industry, go get it now for Christmas.
Chet and Kathy Sasaki - new clients at Seniors Helping Seniors San Dimas office. Greatest couple who really care about the senior market.
Maria and Danica Pilares - owners of Pilarville Garden. Very homey and comfy atmosphere where your parents or friends can live with full attention to their needs.
And finally, Carol Rock - owner of RCFC, Inc. If your facility is on the brink of a major audit, or you want to avoid one, you need to call her ASAP.
Again, thanks to everyone who makes helping seniors a worthwhile occupation.
Best in 2012.
Reece and Nadine Franklin
Monday, March 15, 2010
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Top 10 Resolutions for 2010 in Business
© 2009, Reece Franklin, Market Smarts Communications
The end of the year is fast approaching. Don’t wait until after January 1 to plan for 2010, you’re already in it then. Why not get started now and really get going for 2010? Here are 10 ways:
Resolution 1: Know what business you’re really in:
you’re not a service business or a retail business; you’re a marketer of services or products. You’re not a community, per se. You are a “marketer” of “the best (insert your business type) for the money”. Marketing is what you do if you’re a business owner; the product or service is what you deliver. This is the attitude you MUST have.
Resolution 2: Know your customers.
Make sure your database is correctly segmented:
“A” customers – those who’ve bought one or more products or services within the last year.
“B” customers – those who’ve bought within two years.
C Customers – those in the past (over 2 years with no recent purchase history).
D Customers – longer than 3 years. Immediately drop your “D’s”.
Resolution 3: Do a sequential series of direct mailings to your A and B customers.
They’ll receive 3 letters, 14 days apart.
Create a special report that explains something they can use to help them.
A board & care might send a free report on “How to Pick the Best Place for Mom or Dad”.
Letter 1: they call or email you and ask for the Special Report; you send it out with a follow up special letter with a discounted offer.
Letter 2 goes out 14 days later; it alludes to letter 1 and asks them where they’d like you to send that special report.
Letter 3 goes out 14 days after that, so you’ve touched them 3 times in less than 30 days.
Letter 3 tells them you’ll bring it by or mail it right away, they’ve probably been busy. By doing this sequence, you’ll get more than the normal response.
Resolution 4: Target Your Market.
If you’re looking for new prospects and customers, don’t do a shotgun approach—target your market.
Rent a list of people who are prone to buy from you. (When you write your ideal client profile, find a list that mirrors that.
Example: You have clients that regularly pay $500 per service or product—find more of those) You might check with a local or national industry magazine to rent their mailing list in your zip codes.
Resolution 5: Know Your Company.
Before you write that special report, you’d better know what makes you special, so you can put that in the report and sell it to your ideal customers and prospects.
The end of the year is fast approaching. Don’t wait until after January 1 to plan for 2010, you’re already in it then. Why not get started now and really get going for 2010? Here are 10 ways:
Resolution 1: Know what business you’re really in:
you’re not a service business or a retail business; you’re a marketer of services or products. You’re not a community, per se. You are a “marketer” of “the best (insert your business type) for the money”. Marketing is what you do if you’re a business owner; the product or service is what you deliver. This is the attitude you MUST have.
Resolution 2: Know your customers.
Make sure your database is correctly segmented:
“A” customers – those who’ve bought one or more products or services within the last year.
“B” customers – those who’ve bought within two years.
C Customers – those in the past (over 2 years with no recent purchase history).
D Customers – longer than 3 years. Immediately drop your “D’s”.
Resolution 3: Do a sequential series of direct mailings to your A and B customers.
They’ll receive 3 letters, 14 days apart.
Create a special report that explains something they can use to help them.
A board & care might send a free report on “How to Pick the Best Place for Mom or Dad”.
Letter 1: they call or email you and ask for the Special Report; you send it out with a follow up special letter with a discounted offer.
Letter 2 goes out 14 days later; it alludes to letter 1 and asks them where they’d like you to send that special report.
Letter 3 goes out 14 days after that, so you’ve touched them 3 times in less than 30 days.
Letter 3 tells them you’ll bring it by or mail it right away, they’ve probably been busy. By doing this sequence, you’ll get more than the normal response.
Resolution 4: Target Your Market.
If you’re looking for new prospects and customers, don’t do a shotgun approach—target your market.
Rent a list of people who are prone to buy from you. (When you write your ideal client profile, find a list that mirrors that.
Example: You have clients that regularly pay $500 per service or product—find more of those) You might check with a local or national industry magazine to rent their mailing list in your zip codes.
Resolution 5: Know Your Company.
Before you write that special report, you’d better know what makes you special, so you can put that in the report and sell it to your ideal customers and prospects.
- Make a list of all your products or services.
- Then take 3 x 5 cards, and for each separate product or service, right down one feature of that particular product or service on a card.
- On the back, put the benefit to the customer. (Features are what you do; benefits are what you do for the customers.)
Resolution 6: Find Your USP.
Often called the Unique Selling Proposition, by using the cards in Resolution 5, you should be able to find out what you do that is unique, that your competitors don’t.
It might be you pick up and deliver something unusual. Or it might be you are the only facility with 24-hour van drivers. Now that’s unique.
Resolution 7: Know your competition.
There are two types of competition: direct and indirect.
Direct competitors are those that “do what you do, to the market you do it to.” You own a 6 bed board and care, they do also. Your market niche is small businesses less than 10 employees, they target the same. Those are your direct competitors. And you probably know who they are already.
The indirect competitors: those that don’t necessarily target your buyers directly, but can also offer your services if asked. (Anyone that says “oh, we do that also”. Watch out for these cats!)
Resolution 8: Create a competitor analysis grid.
Using the competitions’ Yellow Pages ads, brochures, sales letters, print ads, and other media, check to see what the competition is offering. Then make an analysis grid like this:
Competitor [Hours Open [Days Open [Guarantees [USP
A -
B -
Make a column for every thing in their ads that they say they offer. You want to find what you can do or offer that they won’t or can’t.
Resolution 9: Create a real powerful Yellow Page and coupon ad
you can use over and over; one that doesn’t look like you copied it from the competition. Have you ever look at the YP ads? They all look the same.
Why not create an ad that truly educates the potential customer? This article is an example.
For a retail store, headline the ad “10 Things you need to know about ….” With the blanks being what it is that will educate the prospect about your business.
Then the ad expanded becomes your special report. For example: 7 things you MUST know before you hire your next termite control company. And you tell them in the ad.
That is so totally different from what you see in the YP, that they’ll beat a path (the customers, not the termites) to your door.
Resolution 10: Really work the room at the Chamber meetings and other networking groups.
For every meeting, target three new companies you currently don’t do business with, then strike up a conversation about what they do. After the meeting, send a thank you card to them, mentioning something you talked about. Then follow up with a call later in the week. You’ll stand out.
Reece Franklin, President of Market Smarts Communications, is the author of 8 books on small business marketing. For a free copy of his special report “73 Ways to Market Your Business”, email him at seniorexpo@roadrunner.com. PO Box 2920, Chino Hills, CA 91709.
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