The Business of Your Business CURRENT PEDORTHICS Volume 41, Issue 1 www.pedorthics.org Under the Business End of the Microscope Office Accreditation Efforts Eased with Help From PFA Tips for Surviving the Down Economy Business plans Pedorthic Footwear Association (PFA), 2025 M St., NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20036 The Business of Your Business CURRENT PEDORTHICS Volume 41, Issue 1 www.pedorthics.org Is Your Office Ready for its Closeup? Office Accreditation Efforts Eased with Help From PFA Tips for Surviving the Down Economy Business Plans Pedorthic Footwear Association (PFA) 2025 M St., NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20036 CURRENT PEDORTHICS VOLUME 41, ISSUE 1 Feature Copy FEATURES DepaRTMENTS 12 PFA Helps You Write the Book 4 From the Editor New Tool Eases Your Office Accreditation Efforts 6 Letter to the Editor By Author 8 Ask the PFA Board of Directors 17 Lead Through Adversity: How to Succeed in Greatest Challenges Facing Today’s Economy Pedorthic Profession By Author 28 Industry News 36 Vendor News 20 Write It Down: How to Create a Successful Business Plan 38 Pedorthic Industry Events By Author 40 Resource Center 24 13 Tips for Small Businesses to Thrive 43 Pedorthic Educators Directory By Author 44 Product Reference Guide New! PFA Current Pedorthcs Advertiser Logos 48 Web Resources CURRENT PEDORTHICS • Volume 41, Issue 1 1 CURRENT PEDORTHICS Pedorthic Footwear Association Board of Directors Executive Committee Headquarters Staff President: Dane LaFontsee, C. Ped. Vice President: Kristi Hayes, C. Ped. Executive Director Treasurer: Liz Chiles, C. Ped. Secretary: Jamie Dick, C. Ped., PT Brian K. Lagana Immediate Past President: Randy Stevens, C. Ped. Directors Membership Services Coordinator John T. Hooper, C. Ped. Caroline Stainback Stuart L. Pressman, C. Ped., CO Arthur Smuckler, C. Ped. Director of Education Michael D. Veder, C. Ped., CO, BOCO Faith Ballard, C. Ped., CO Al Baggett Harlon Compton, C. Ped., CO Tamara A. Daulton, C. Ped. Education Associate Pedorthic Educators Liaison: Rick E. Sevier, C. Ped. Lauren Kemp Vendor/Manufacturer Liaison: Stephen O’Hare Legal Counsel: Allan J. Weiner Director of Meetings and Conventions Medical Advisors John Rubsamen Raymond L. Fritz, DPM, C. Ped. Allan B. Grossman, DPM, FACFAS Exhibits and Sponsorship Coordinator Craig Young, MD Wayne Horton Editorial Staff Director of Marketing Jay Strother. .Publisher and Editor William Wargo. .Art Director Gina Spear Patrick Williams. .Design/Production Marketing Coordinator Advertising & Services Kevin Hurley Caroline Stainback. Membership Tracey Aaron . .Current Pedorthics Government Relations Director Wayne Horton. PFA Symposium William H. Applegate Current Pedorthics (ISSN 1552-8111) is published bimonthly by the Pedorthic Footwear Association (PFA), 2025 M St., NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20036. Telephone: 202-367-1145 or 800-673-8447, Fax: 202-367-2145, Web site: www.pedorthics.org, E-mail: [email protected]. Copyright© 2009, PFA. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without written permission. Letters to the Editor and other unsolicited material are assumed intended for publication and are subject to editing. Articles in CP do not necessarily reflect the opinion of PFA, its Board of Directors or its employees. CP’s use of trademarked names is done in an editorial fashion intended to benefit the trademark owner, with no intention of trademark infringement. Subscriptions are available for $45 per year in the United States ($65 outside USA). Back copies, if available, may be purchased for $5 U.S. If you have any questions regarding display advertising or classified ads, please e-mail Tracey Aaron at [email protected]. Please send all product- and industry-related press releases to [email protected]. 2 CURRENT PEDORTHICS • Volume 40, Issue 6 Our customer service reps told us we should change our pedorthic ad to tell practitioners Pedorthist about the products that they get requests for day after day. Some of these have been around for awhile and are proven winners. And some of them are new products that everyone seems excited Preferences about. But all of them are worth taking a look at if you haven’t tried them before. So call your friendly, knowledgeable PEL customer service rep today and order an old friend — or a new favorite. Waterhouse Leather Silipos® Leather Hides Achilles Heel Pad™ Darco SoleTech® Wound Care Shoe Advance™ Orthopedic System Footwear UCO International Becker Orthopedic Plaster Sculpting Tool Kit Tamarack Shearban® Anatomical Sheets Concepts PRAFO® Bauerfeind® GloboPed® Heel Relief Shoe ® Aetrex Acor Orthopedic PEL Focus Comfort Street Footwear Styles Renia with Tandem Closure Colle de Cologne All Purpose Cement Keeping Pace Pediatric Brown Casual Shoe Experience the Power of One.® One warehouse. One order. One shipment. One invoice. One less thing to worry about. Phone: 800-321-1264 Fax: 800-222-6176 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.pelsupply.com Pedorthic Ad_C.indd 1 9/21/07 11:58:22 AM FROM THE EDITOR Dear PFA Members, Reflecting back on the past year we hope you have • Volume 41, Issue 3: Government Affairs and enjoyed watching your professional publication, Coding (all you ever needed to know but didn’t Current Pedorthics change and grow. The PFA understand) Editorial Staff in conjunction with the Marketing, • Volume 41, Issue 4: Pathologies (for Advanced, Communications and Editorial Committee, technical Pedorthists) comprised of PFA Board Members and volunteers, • Volume 41, Issue 5: Materials and Techniques have been working closely to bring you a more comprehensive look at pedorthics today. In 2009, Your comments, suggestions and other you will see several more changes and additions, contributions are valued, needed and appreciated! along with themed issues that will run the entire gamut of pedorthics. I request that if you have a topic you’d like to read or write about or you’d like to volunteer to assist We need your stories, professional experience and information to continue to put out a top-quality the committee, please contact me immediately: magazine. We may not all be great writers, but [email protected]. each of us have unique practices, points of view, On behalf of the PFA Editorial Staff and my techniques and cases that can be shared, compared, committee, we thank you for your continued researched and written about. support and urge you to get involved with the only Here’s the Current Pedorthics line-up for 2009. professional publication dedicated to pedorthics Please choose the issue(s) that best suit your and your businesses. expertise and get in contact with us! Sincerely, • Volume 41, Issue 2: Green Issue (green footwear companies, materials, orthotics, etc) Kristi Hayes, C. Ped. 4 CURRENT PEDORTHICS • Volume 41, Issue 1 CurrentPedorthicsAd_March08:ABC 5/13/08 6:48 PM Page 1 The American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics & Pedorthics Our mission is to establish and promote the highest standards of professionalism and patient care in the delivery of orthotics, prosthetics and pedorthic services. We’re proud of this mission, and proud to serve the pedorthic community. Stand tall with fellow Certified Pedorthists by having your pedorthic practice ABC accredited. ABC Accreditation COMPREHENSIVE PEDORTHICS 330 John Carlyle St., Suite 210, Alexandria, VA 22314 T: 703-836-7114 F: 703-836-0838 www.abcop.org LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Current Pedorthics, I wanted to take a few minutes to first of all thank the There are companies, some with C.Peds. on staff, that take Pedorthic Footwear Association for the efforts you are putting this practice to even further. They NEVER see the patient. forth on behalf of all of us and to also let you know what They mail a foam box and shoe catalog to them, tell them to I am facing and feeling out here on the front lines. step in the box and send it back with the choice of shoe they want. This kind of practice is not being scrutinized. My wife Tami and I, both C.Peds., own a small retail and therapeutic shoe store in Sherman, Texas. It is the ONLY Just like in any profession, we have our bad C.Peds. and facility like this in the area. We have one other employee who these folks should be weeded out when they are found out. helps us with office work and retail sales. Our main source However, I believe the vast majority of pedorthists are honest, of income is Medicare’s TSD program. We have been working hard-working individuals who take their profession very extremely hard to promote and build our retail sales but the seriously. last couple of months, sales have dropped considerably. I have my application for accreditation in to ABC. I have my I spend three or four days a week out on the road seeing procedures manual sitting here next to my desk. I have made patients in their homes while Tami handles things in the it through about 5 percent of it. I just can’t seem to find the store. I not only see patients but I also handle all of the time to get it all done. I guess I could quit seeing patients for accounting and required governmental issues related to a few weeks. WE LOVE PEDORTHICS! WE LOVE HELPING OUR PATIENTS AND CUSTOMERS! It is very rewarding to help folks with their foot problems and we are VERY good at it, but sometimes I wonder if it’s all worth it anymore. running a business. This leaves very little time in my It is hard enough to make a living providing diabetic shoes schedule for anything else. I work 10-11 hour days – and now, with all the extra dollar and time costs, it’s looking sometimes seven days a week. We love what we do and take almost impossible.