Today, 80% of small business owners are not taking full advantage of available technology.
This is not an overly surprising statistic. It’s not because small business and clinic owners aren’t tech-savvy. Most are. The issue is the number of software options available. It’s easy for anyone to feel overwhelmed.
Smiledog has been in business for over 15 years, and we believe that a software solution should be about helping your team deliver better for your clients. It should be a compliment to your people. It should help to create cohesiveness between them, and that should lead to happier clients.
There is no such thing as an all-in-one software solution that will solve everything. It is about combining different platforms that best fit your workflow, and constantly working to improve processes.
Here are 5 tools we have found that can help bring more cohesion to your team—which can lead to improved communication, and ultimately, more growth within your clinic.
Slack
What is it?
Slack, in essence, is a collaborative communication tool. Slack allows you and your team to seamlessly discuss ongoing projects, client issues, or internal news.
How it helps:
The most attractive part of Slack for a clinic is the asynchronous work model. Many practices have different practitioners working different schedules, and Slack allows the whole team to monitor the day-to-day when it is most convenient for them.
Features and integrations:
In terms of features, one of the most prominent is its ability to be used as an email replacement. Additionally, it offers text & chat messaging, as well as video calling. And the list for integrations is seemingly endless—Slack syncs with over 2,200 different applications.
Pricing:
Pricing varies based on your needs, and they offer plans for clinics of any size. What’s even better is that they have an intro plan that’s free to dip your toes into, and it lets you familiarize yourself with what Slack can do. Check out the details here.
Jane
What is it?
Jane is one of the best all-in-one practice management software solutions on the market, especially from a user experience standpoint.
How it helps:
Jane allows a clinic of any size to schedule, bill and chart their entire client base. Whether you are a solo practitioner or a multidisciplinary clinic with 10 people on staff, there is an option that will help you improve your day-to-day.
Features and integrations:
One of the best features of Jane is the online scheduling option that can be built directly into your website, with the ability to customize different schedules based on practitioner or location. You can also link payment info directly to each client’s profile. Jane also offers automation for appointment reminders and intake forms.
Pricing:
Pricing is easy to understand, and there are three intro plans, with customizations available for each to best fit your needs. Take a look here.
Mailchimp
What is it?
Mailchimp is an email-based, all-in-one marketing platform. It can be used for outbound and inbound email marketing, as well as developing newsletters and special promotion campaigns. It really is a great tool to engage your clients through email.
How it helps:
With its user-friendly, easy-to-navigate platform, it can help you structure your daily communication workflows with your clients.
Features and integrations:
Mailchimp offers email and social automation, landing page development, and even customized digital ad creation. And in terms of integrations, they provide every option under the sun.
Pricing:
Mailchimp is currently the frontrunner catering to small businesses as that is their niche). So in terms of pricing, they have three very cost-effective options for any new clinic. And if you’re a larger clinic looking to push growth, they have a plan for your clinic, too! Check out the details here.
Sprout Social
What is it?
Sprout Social is social management software that allows you to post, manage and report on all of your social media accounts seamlessly.
How it helps:
Housing your social media management all in one platform is extremely helpful, especially for busy clinic owners. Sprout Social also has the added advantage of giving you the ability to see all performance and engagement metrics, providing the insight you need to be able to prioritize more efficiently.
Features and integrations:
With Sprout Social, you get everything from conversation history to comment moderation, and automation workflows to account analytics and task assignment—and these are just the baseline features. The more premium the plan, the more features you’ll get.
Pricing:
The pricing model offers fairly standard SaaS (Service as a Subscription) tiers, and they have 3 entry points for each level of business. You can find out more here.
Smiledog
What is it?
A virtual receptionist (VR) that specializes in customer service and booking appointments over the phone.
How it helps:
A VR appointment setting service will help your clinic provide more consistent customer service via phone. It will also increase new and existing booking opportunities because you’ll always have reliable front desk staff to schedule appointments while you’re with patients.
Features and integrations:
An appointment setting service provides you with a full customer service team that has the ability to help clients with FAQs. Smiledog also features full calendar integration to ensure your schedule is properly managed.
Pricing:
Pricing starts at $129/month with an average monthly cost of around $300-500. (Pricing is dependent on your clinic’s call volume.) Find out more here and book a free consultation.
Wrapping up
These are some of the available tools at your disposal that can help you grow your clinic. The choices are endless, but the main question to ask is: What is the main obstacle my clinic’s office is facing right now? Addressing this question will help you focus your search and prioritize your time.
Once you know the problem, finding the solution is considerably easier. Running your business online with digital tools allows you to better take care of the two things that matter most: your practice and your patients. Choosing the right platforms for your needs will help you grow your clinic.
If keeping reliable and consistent front desk staff seems to be a continuing struggle for you and your clinic, check out our appointment setting service here and schedule a consultation to see if we can help!