Medical Billing Forum
Starting a Medical Billing Business => Starting Your Own Medical Billing Business => : jyoung65 May 28, 2011, 09:07:44 PM
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I just want to encourage new business owners, marketing is a challenge, but you have to try created and innovated ideas.
My first client was acquired from my Craigslist ad. My second client was acquired through me reaching out to another billing company.
Networking is a powerful tool you have to get out of your office once a week and go to seminars, workshops, join your local area association groups. Let people know what you are doing, that you come in contact with.
Last week I had a doctor's appointment, I told my doctor what I am doing. He told me about a clinic, where the medical biller was retiring at the end of that week. That same clinic I dropped off some of my marketing material last month and left a message for the doctors wife. I emailed my brochure and capability statement again, and will fellow-up next week. I said all that to say let people know what you are doing. It could lead you a client.
Last week I attended a health fair where doctors and practice managers were. I was able to meet and talk to a lot of doctors and practice managers. This one clinic I had been trying to reach the administrator which is the doctors wife, she would not return my calls.
Guest what she was at the health fair, I introduced myself and told her that I was trying to contact her. She was very cordial, we laughed and talked, I told her that I will call her to schedule a meeting with her. I called her and left a message she returned my call. I will be meeting with her next month. This doctor has 2 clinics. Again if I didn't get out and attend events and network, I would not have this big opportunity!
On my website I have a box to subscribe to my newsletter, I received a email from someone who requested a newsletter. I emailed them my newsletter, brochure and capability statement. I received a email that same day, stating that she is sold and she want to meet with me Tuesday. She found me on yellow pages online. Make sure that your business can be found on the internet and that you are on the 1st or 2nd page. If you are not on the 1st or 2nd page when someone do a search for your business, I suggest you get your website SEO.
On your website offer something that is attractive to medical practices and something they can use to capture their email address. Then send them your marketing material.
I am very excited and a little nervous my doors are finally opening. When starting a business from ground zero, it is a lot of work and requires patience. The end is very rewarding! What you put in your business is what you get out!
It is normal to get discouraged in the beginning, when you have worked hard on your marketing and you don't get immediate responses. Keep marketing it is the key to your business and will determine if you will succeed.
You will get a lot of no's before you get 1 yes. If one marketing strategy is not working, stop and try something else.
Try your community colleges they may have free seminars on marketing and entrepreneurship. (Ours do)
I hope this helps!
I wish you all the best!Smile
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Congrats! You are absolutely correct. I put a lot more focus on my marketing and getting myself "out there" personally to talk up my company. People know who I am and that's a good thing now. The online search info. is good advice also. I received a call today from a practice that googled billing services and found me. I'll be meeting with them on Thursday. Wishing you much success!
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Thanks for all the advice! I am currently marketing really heavy now.
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To jyoung65 your advice on marketing was a slam dunk I read what you said about how you got your first client by placing a ad on craiglist so I did the same thing yesterday and got a response the same day with a potiential client they sent me a email and asked me to come in on June 17th at 1pm. Thank you so much for sharing your story. And to Michele and Alice you guys are a true blessing in disguise if it wasnt for you two for putting this billing forum together it would be so many billers out here lost and trying to figure out what our next step would be when it comes to marketing. Keep doing what you do helping and pushing us Billing Services in the right direction
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Under which categories did you guys post your ads? Did you post under resumes wanter or jobs wanted?
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I posted mine under resumes/job wanted in the state I live in but keep in mind I already have a billing service established been in business since 2002 I am just looking for new clients so I thought I would market on the craigslist.
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I've been entertaining the idea for a few months now. I finally posted on craigslist in the resumes/jobs wanted area. I was just trying to see where areas others have had success in.
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I posted under services, financial services and small biz. I acquired my 1st client there.
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I posted under services, financial services and small biz. I acquired my 1st client there.
Thanks! ;D
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A lot of people now don't even use the phone book when looking for a service or business - they just "Google" it - myself included. We've gotten several calls from local practices finding our business on Google.
You can get your business listed on Google Places for free - here's the URL:
https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?service=lbc&passive=true&continue=http://www.google.com/local/add%3Futm_campaign%3Dgbl%26utm_medium%3Det%26utm_source%3Det-gbl-places_bizownr%3Dutm_source%3Det-gbl-places_bizownr
or you can just search for "google places" in your browser. If you have an advertising budget you can also use Google Adwords and set it up for just your local area. I think Facebook also has a similar advertising feature.
I think it's important - especially when starting a medical billing service - to use some of the new technology tools available.
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Thanks for sharing that info with everyone. Google places is a great resource for businesses!
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Conrad,
Thanks for the great advice. This is a topic I am writing about this month in our newsletter. It is little known and very valuable. Appreciate your input!
Alice
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I have had to dive back into marketing lately. We bill for home birth midwives, but they are out-of-network (not welcome into most insurance networks), alternative providers. Which means that it is getting harder and harder for us to get claims paid, and our profit margin has taken a hit. So we made the decision to add another provider-type to our business. I responded to four ads on Craigslist last week and today one of them called. Their biller is going on a three-month maternity leave and they are looking for someone to fill in for her--a perfect opportunity for us to get our feet wet! I have never used Craiglist before for anything, but I will definitely be back!
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I have google places although it takes a while to get verified even after they send you the PIN in the mail. However I have heard on several occasions so it works and I will stick with it.
I've had some bites from craigslist as well.
If the website that you use to build your website provides Ad words or Ad Sense that is also a great way to get traffic. Sometimes the web site builder gives key word assistance to help out.
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When you see ads on Craigslist for a biller, do you reply to that post? If so how do you let them know that you are a billing company versus someone who is just looking for a job? Any advise would be nice.
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I have my company name listed on my resume along with my previous jobs I have worked at.
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@ TammyL, thank you for that advise. So when you send them your resume with your company on it. Do you have a cover letter that states that you are an outsourcing company?
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Yes but I have been getting alot of calls from me just sending out brochures I just took on a family practice but that was a referral but sometime in Oct they are going to be using Athena who going to do the billing for them like sending claims correcting denied claims and working any denials that come thru and posting payments but I did not see anything about follow-up on unpaid claims so we will see how that goes so right now I doing alot of clean up work there biller walked out and boy she left it a mess a huge mess.
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TammyL.. I wish you the best with that doctors office. Sounds like you got your hands full with that practice. Good luck. I send out brochures with a letter attached and a post card for them to choose which service they are interested in or if they are satisfied with their current service. I also include a self addressed stamped envelope for them to return the post card to me. I have received a few back, but they are happy with the way their billing is being done. I saw someone post something about the post card and I tried it. I will keep moving forward, I don't want to give up on my dream. Again, good luck!!
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Thank you and things are coming along smoothly with the new FP they finally got someone money in thanks to me she was happy to get a deposit of $4600.00 and everything was paid the way it should be I have worked day and night on this account and still working on the new stuff to stay on top of billing so money can come in and the old where alot of claims was not found by the insurance companies and they also informed me they still want me to stay on board once they go emr to make sure the money is coming in and i stay on top of there aging reports to see what hasnt been paid. Sometimes you have to take on accounts that are just a mess and do the cleanup work to show the doc's what you made of it's well worth it in the end.
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I agree..some of your best client's will start out a complete mess, but that's half the satisfaction. The only thing I would recommend is that if you are working on a %, to move away from it. Once you send client's the message that you are not worth the "time", it tends to stick with you. I moved from a % years ago and it was a hard lesson with all the messy accounts I took on, my time is valuable and when a practice has a mess on their hands, the last thing they should worry about is your fees, you can't and shouldn't work for free which is what you do when you take on those accounts billing a percentage.
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Good for you Tammy!
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Great Job Tammy!
I agree, the client that I have system is a complete mess. She stopped keeping track of certain insurance carriers way back in Jan/Feb and now I have to hunt everything down. Not complaining though.
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@ jyoung65, what did you say to the billing company when you reached out to them?