His Blog - Kris Nickerson

Winter Park, FL (PRWE June 18, 2008 -- In response to consumer demand, on June 2, 2008, Advocate Auto Claims ramped up personnel and expanded its daily hours of operation. The company, which opened its doors to the public in April 2008, can now be reached Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EDT, and around the clock at www.advocateautoclaims.com. "Through our affiliate company, we had been providing services exclusively to fleet owners and car rental companies, but we recognized the need to educate consumers about their rights and expand our operations," said Omar Quddus, President and Co-Founder of Advocate Auto Claims, LLC. "Consumer response to this service has been phenomenal."

Advocate Auto Claims specializes in what are called diminished value claims. "If you've ever sold a car that's been in an accident, you know from experience that it's simply not worth as much as the same car with an accident-free history," said Quddus. This phenomenon is called "diminished value," and the at-fault or third party's insurance company has an obligation to compensate the driver who was not at fault for this difference in market price. "Unfortunately, most consumers aren't aware that they are entitled to diminished value compensation - and insurance companies don't volunteer that information," said Quddus.

Few would argue that the concept of diminished value is intuitive. "It's commonplace - and common sense - for used car buyers to check a vehicle's accident and repair history using an online service like CARFAX or AutoCheck," said Quddus.

Yet insurance companies fight tooth and nail to keep from paying these diminished value claims, often putting even knowledgeable consumers in an untenable position. "Each insurance company has its own internal procedures, and there is a maze of regulations and legal loopholes that vary from state to state," said Quddus. "The burden of proving diminished value is always on consumers, and they simply don't have the experience to get the compensation they deserve."

This is precisely why Advocate Auto Claims has opened its doors to consumers. While drivers can pay out of pocket for a vehicle inspection or a diminished value report, Quddus' company specializes in handling every aspect of diminished value claims - and does so on a contingency basis. Advocate Auto Claims is able to do this because their affiliate company has a 10-year track record of success in working with diminished value claims on behalf of fleet owners and rental car agencies.

It's likely that, each year, millions of consumers don't file the diminished value claims to which they're entitled. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that police officers reported close to six million traffic crashes in 2006 (the latest year for which statistics are available). "Although car owners routinely file insurance claims for car repairs and injuries, they almost always overlook the long-term impact that an accident will have on their vehicle's value," said Quddus.

Although drivers not at fault are usually in the dark about their rights, Quddus is determined to shine a light on diminished value claims, and Advocate Auto Claims stands ready to insist that consumers get the compensation they deserve. "The process of establishing diminished value and then negotiating the proper compensation is both an art and a science," Quddus says. "We're committed to supporting each and every consumer whose vehicle suffers from diminished value after an accident."

About Advocate Auto Claims, LLC:
Advocate Auto Claims, LLC is the industry leader in processing diminished value claims on behalf of the public. With expert knowledge of state-by-state and federal caselaw, legislation, and regulatory rulings - as well as insurance company procedures - Advocate Auto Claims is uniquely positioned to successfully pursue diminished value claims throughout the U.S. For more information, please visit http://www.advocateautoclaims.com.

For more information, contact:
Laura Betterly
Media Spokesperson
(866) 596-6011

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Advocate Auto Claims
Laura Betterly
866-596-6011
E-mail Information: r@advocateautoclaims.com">pr@advocateautoclaims.com

Laura Betterly, CEO of Yada Yada Marketing was recently interviewed for an article that appeared in TheStreet. The article covered ways to market to parents.

You can find the full article here:
http://www.thestreet.com/story/10417905/2/six-tips-for-marketing-to-parents.html

Dunedin, FL (PRWE April 21, 2008 -- Parkbridge Capital Group, Inc. (www.parkbridgecapital.com) has established a new Division that focuses on investing in larger real estate projects that are distressed or in foreclosure. Lee Meekcoms, President of Parkbridge Capital, states, "Because of the crisis in the credit markets, there are a number of opportunities around the country at this time. Our new Division will focus on larger real estate deals that fit specific criteria."

As part of this focus, Parkbridge Capital is currently negotiating two multi-million dollar raw land projects (one is commercial and the other residential) in the Orlando, Florida market. The company is also in discussions to establish a land investment fund to take advantage of opportunities in select markets in the US. "Our 20 years experience in selecting properties to purchase across the US adds great value to this endeavor," states Meekcoms.

Parkbridge Capital Group (www.parkbridgecapital.com) has been involved with the purchase, sale or management of more than 100 properties worth in excess of one billion dollars. For submission criteria or for investor relations contact:

Lee Meekcoms
President
Parkbridge Capital Group, Inc.
727-458-3882
Lee @ parkbridgecapital.com

If you work for a publicly traded company, there are simple yet effective steps that you and your investor relations director can take now to dramatically increase your company's exposure and attractiveness to investors thus bolstering share value and shareholder support. These are simple, yet proven strategies for gaining and maintaining a loyal and ever-increasing investor following. Read 'em and reap.

[1] Stay One Step Ahead of your Investors – Provide accurate and timely information about your Company

How do most investors tell a good stock from a bad one? They don't, it tells them. It tells them by its trading activity, volume, chart history, etc. But most importantly, it tells them at the click of a button: "View Latest Headlines."

In fact, do that right now. Go online (where most investors conduct their due diligence and make their trading decisions) and view your company's last five press releases just as an average investor would. Based on what you see, is your company's stock a buy?

If you recently repainted the building, that's great! Brag about it at the next office party. But if your company just signed a multi-million dollar global distribution deal--spend the few hundred dollars on the press release. Better yet, try dividing that one big PR into three or four smaller PR's. When it comes to substantive positive news, quantity is better than quality, also known as the Shotgun Effect. When the news is not particularly flattering or general housekeeping stuff, the reverse is true: keep those announcements few and far between if possible.

Also keep your company's website current. Be sure all recent press releases are reflected on your company's website and the information is updated quarterly. If your company is not growing or changing enough quarter by quarter, somebody is not doing their job. (For help with your website IR section or shareholder awareness campaigns, try contacting the people at http://www.EvergreenMarketingInc.com.)

[2] The Whispers of Happy Shareholders can be Deafening

Word of mouth is still the best advertising there is. If you get the chance to speak directly to any of your shareholders try asking them how they first heard about your company. The answer will most likely be, "from a fellow investor." There are people out there right now who know enough about your company to recommend it to everyone they know, or not. They're called shareholders. The key is keeping that army of voices well supplied with a steady stream of good news to spread.

Remember, your shareholders can promote and discuss your company and its investment potential in ways and places that you legally cannot. In this Internet / information age, you, as an executive of a publicly traded company, are one of the few who do not have total freedom of speech. Those shareholders are your not-so-silent majority out there for (or against) you on the World Wide Web, 24/7 in places you probably don't even know exist.

If you really want shareholders to get excited enough about your company to tell everyone they know about it, try getting one of them on the phone sometime or sending a personal email, even if it's just to say hello and thank them for their support. Speaking directly to the CEO of a company they own stock in is like talking to the Governor to some investors. I've seen it. More importantly, I've heard about it.

[3] The Hungry Cat Makes the Best Hunter

If a tree falls in the woods and there's no one there to hear it, does it still make a sound? Who cares! But if your company releases positive news and there's no one there to hear it, someone will care: your shareholders.

Nothing discourages current shareholders (as well as potential future ones) more than seeing a stock end the session with little or no increase in share price or volume on a day when positive news is released. Sure, the wire services are global, but more than likely, it will only be your existing shareholders who will be watching for and (hopefully) reading your company's press releases.

As we discussed earlier, the best way to attract future shareholders is by utilizing current shareholders to help do the "hunting." Think about this, if every one of your shareholders fully understood and believed that if there were twice as many of them, the share price might be twice the price it is now. You must keep your army of shareholders constantly growing if for no other reason than the fact that all of your current shareholders will eventually sell your stock and move on, it's only a question of when.

[4] Get Organized. Get Ready. Get Going!

All eyes in the room are on you. "Okay Boss, what's the plan?" And then you answer....

Your corporate plan to increase shareholder support and awareness is like a roadmap that details the fastest and shortest route to your destination. Planning the trip is the easy part. Getting everyone else on board for the ride may take some work. That "work" starts with everyone knowing what their specific duties are and the most effective way of carrying them out.

This leads us to: "Get Going!" Activity creates productivity and productivity creates new shareholders, as well as helps keep existing ones. You should put together a 30 to 60 day calendar that outlines your shareholder awareness program. You should be able to identify specific developments that should take place during each week.

In the beginning, be sure to avoid the getting ready to get ready trap. Once you have the bulk of your operation and team in place, get them started. Don't get too discouraged if your early results are less than hoped for. This type of undertaking is more like running a marathon than a sprint. It may take a few small steps at first to get your operation up and running for the long haul.

[5] You Cannot Expect What You Are Not Willing to Inspect

Delegation does not equal leadership. You need to stay updated from those actually implementing your shareholder awareness and support programs. What they do right and what they do wrong will determine the success of your program. Your management (and inspection) of the program and those implementing it are key factors in achieving your goals.

I'm sorry to say the bulk of investor relations duties are often viewed as a necessary evil. However, if you want your stock to reflect a strong market capitalization you need to be willing to go the extra mile. On behalf of your shareholders, take charge of your investor relations program then let everyone involved know exactly what is expected of them.

These simple yet effective steps will have a huge impact on how current shareholders as well as future investors view your efforts to gain their support by first supporting them. Leadership is easy, if you're willing to assume it.

Phil Kreider and Matthew Chipman are Co-Founders of Evergreen Marketing, Inc., TheGreenBaron.com and StrictlyStocks.com, home to the more than 700,000 members of The Green Baron Investors Society. For more information about shareholder support and awareness campaigns that actually work and to receive their free newsletter, visit EvergreenMarketingInc.com and TheGreenBaron.com or email them at info@thegreenbaron.com.

This is "Part II" of a two-part article on the subject of Dental Associates. (Part I is available at: http://www.gregwinteregg.com)

Perhaps now or some time in the future, you'll think about adding an associate. Whether that time is today or ten years from now, it is best to be informed on the subject. Part one of this article offered guidelines to help determine the need for an associate in your practice.

In this article, we'll pick up with questions you should ask once the decision is made to hire an associate. Specifically:

1. Do you want an associate or a partner?
2. What type of work do you expect the associate to do – i.e. what would be his or her job description?
3. How should you pay an associate?
4. How do you find the right associate?
5. How does the associate's treatment philosophy match up with yours?
6. How can you tell if the associate "fits in" with your office, staff and patients

Let's start with the first one: "Do you want an associate or partner?"

You should never enter a relationship saying "Well – come on board and we'll see how it goes and work out the details later." If agreements are not clearly delineated, each party has their own "idea" of what the agreement is and they seldom match! The associate starts with the idea he or she will be offered a partnership and eventually buy the owner/doctor out. The owner/doctor is entertaining the thought but is ambivalent. The associate makes the schedule easier so the owner/doctor, who originally planned on retiring in three to five years, has more time off, feels better, and decides to work another fifteen years. The associate feels abused and taken advantage of and decides to leave. The owner/doctor finds himself back at square one. What happened? In this case the doctor failed on both the communication and leadership fronts.

Had good communication existed from the get go, with a clear reality of where the relationship was headed, things might have turned out different. You don't have to offer a partnership right up front. If partnership is a possibility though, at least have some benchmarks in place and get these agreed upon by both parties beforehand – and stick to the agreement. For example, you both agree that you will work together for a set evaluation period before talking partnership, etc. One excellent example I saw was a doctor who had his new associate (potential partner) sign three agreements: a) associate, b) buy-in and c) buy-out. If the associate met certain guidelines and the relationship was good, he could buy in. If the owner then wanted to sell the remainder the associate could buy him out, etc. Either way – you might not want a partner – ever. This should also be made clear. Talk it over with your accountant or other advisors and decide what you are shopping for before you start on this journey.

The next question is: "What type of work do you expect the associate to do – i.e. what would be his or her job description?"

Do you expect them to take all operative and root canals off your schedule and see all the children that come in? Will they treatment plan and present their own cases? Determine issues like this prior to interviewing, much less hiring. Keep in mind that the associate is there for you and your office. They either fit or they don't. Imagine you were selling your house. If the realtor brought in a potential buyer that asked you to add a pool and two more bedrooms, you wouldn't do that to make it work. The realtor would find another buyer. Same concept with an associate. For example: You want an associate to free up your schedule by taking all of the fillings, kids and root canals. The prospect you are interviewing refuses to do root canals and doesn't really like kids. Next… You get the idea. While some things are of course open to negotiation – don't go crazy attempting to accommodate. If you needed a full time receptionist and you interview someone who can't work Mondays and Wednesdays– why hire them? You eventually will find someone who can.

The third question is "What should you pay an associate?"

This depends on what you expect the associate to do. If they are to find their own new patients, present their own cases, etc. the percentage would be higher. Conversely, if you handle all of the treatment planning and fill their schedule for them, the percentage would be lower. Sit down and do the math. If you had an associate producing X amount at Y percentage – what would that equate to and how would that impact your bottom line? Also consider how this would impact your schedule. If you are booked out for several weeks and you give an associate all of the operative, root canals, single unit crowns, etc. you would be able to move all of the major work on your schedule forward making you more productive. For a GP associate, anything over 35% of collections in compensation is too high in my opinion (specialists are an exception). I've seen some doctors who pay their associates 25% if all they do is work on patients with no treatment planning responsibilities. You can also mix a per diem and percentage. If you are going to do this, you have to ensure it is viable for the office.

For example:

You guarantee a doctor $450 per day. He works 16 days per month, making the guaranteed salary $7,200 per month. You decide you don't want to exceed, let's say, 30% in compensation for the associate. So we take that $7,200 and divide it by 30 and multiply by 100. We do this to determine what $7,200 is 30% of.

Here's how the example works out:
1. Associate Monthly Base = $7,200
2. $7,200 Divided by 30 equals 240.
3. 240 multiplied by 100 equals $24,000.
4. $7,200 is 30% of $24,000.

So, if we are going to give a percentage on top of the base, we tell the associate that they get 30% of anything they collect over $24,000 in a given month and distribute that amount at the end of the month.

On the other side of this, what happens if this associate who you are paying $7,200 a month and, after ramping up, their average collections are only $15,000? In that case, you had better do something as they are costing you more than they are worth – in this case 48%!

In my experience, if an associate can't do $40,000 per month, no one is going to be happy. They won't be making enough money and below that level of production you aren't making enough of a profit to keep them around. You must have enough business to make it worth everyone's while and they must be confident enough clinically to produce it.

The next question is: "How do you find the right associate?"

You've filled in the blanks and decided what you want and what you have to offer. If no prospects are immediately to hand, you need to go out and find someone. The question is: where to look? The answer: Everywhere! Here are some ideas:

1. Advertise in the paper.
2. Ask various sales reps (i.e. your supplier, etc.)
3. Call your friends and colleagues.
4. Advertise in local and state dental journals and newsletters.
5. Advertise online.
6. Have your office manager help you contact doctors in your immediate area to see if they know anyone.
7. Sign up for an associate "headhunting" service (these can be pricey).
8. Contact residency programs in your state. Dental schools are also an option, but if you need someone who can hit the ground running from a production standpoint, this may not be the best option as you may have to deal with a learning curve.

Just keep in mind that if you outflow enough, you'll eventually find someone who will be a good fit.

The fifth question is: "How does the associate's treatment philosophy match up with yours?"

Let's say you've worked out the need for an associate, what the level of compensation is, the job description and the hours that he or she will work. You also searched for an associate and are now interviewing an associate prospect. He or she seems like a nice person but what is his or her treatment philosophy? Divergent treatment philosophies between a senior doctor and his or her associate is the cause of more turmoil than you'd suspect.

How can you prevent this in lieu of having to work together for six or more months? Try this approach: During the interview with your prospective associate, take ten charts, along with accompanying x-rays, models (if there are any) and temporarily remove the treatment plans. Now, ask the associate to draw up a treatment plan based on the information to hand. Match up the associate's treatment plan with the treatment plan you made for the case. If they are relatively the same, you may have a good match. You could also describe a number of clinical scenarios and see what course of action he or she would take and see how that agrees with what you might do.

Ultimately, the MOST important thing to consider with an associate is their level of clinical competence.

You may not be able to establish this for yourself without working with him or her. There are a couple of things you can do to get an idea of where they are at clinically.

1. They could treat you. (Even if it is a prophy, you'll see their chairside manner and the like.)
2. You could have them bring in models and pictures for cases they have completed.

Other than that, you'll have to check up on their work with your patients.

If you feel you have found the right candidate, you could possible have them treat you and some of your staff. If the team isn't sold on them as a clinician they'll be reluctant to have patients see the 'new guy/girl'. You'll end up just as busy as you are now while paying the associate to sit around because "none of the patients wants to see the associate." It may be a great ego-trip to a have an associate but if it doesn't move you in the direction of lightening your load or expanding the practice, it's not worth it.

I once had a doctor tell me that there was no way he would let his associate work on him. Excuse me?! They represent your office. Their treatment is your treatment! You are responsible for their work. And no one wants to be re-doing dentistry for free after a sub par clinician leaves the practice, not to mention the effect this has on your patients and practice.

These are a few of my thoughts on a subject that could easily fill a book. Try these simple guidelines and get good advice from your advisors. In the end, the decision ultimately is YOURS. Choose wisely. If you would like to get more information on this subject, or on how to get more fee-for-service new patients to keep your practice healthy, to expand or to make it possible to add an associate the "New Patient Workshop" from MGE (http://www.mgeonline.com) is the solution.