At what point should I hire a marketer for my home care business?

If you’re asking this question, I’d like to say “congratulations” on your growth! To understand if it’s the right time to hire a marketer, you need to evaluate if you can accomplish the two MUSTs of building sustainable referral relationships, now and in the near future.

Strengthening Existing Relationships. Consider if you are able to adequately nurture existing referral relationships. Sure, at this point you’ve probably developed some dependable referral sources who send a somewhat steady stream of new clients your way. But keep in mind that this is a competitive industry; your competitors are knocking on the same doors as you. Don’t take your current referral sources for granted; they require ongoing communication and continued nurturing. If you aren’t able to invest time in strengthening these relationships yourself, it’s time to hire a marketer.
Plant Seeds for New Relationships. Don’t kid yourself; revenue streams do not come with a high degree of reliability. There is a natural ebb and flow to business. Unforeseen circumstances can dry up existing revenue streams, leaving you with not enough fruit to harvest. Looking out for new target opportunities is always a good idea. To mitigate your risk, plant seeds – identify new targets to add to your sales plan and begin fostering new relationships. If you cannot invest the time needed to research potential referral sources and execute a thoughtful sales plan, then it’s time to hire a marketer.

After you determine if you need a marketer, the next step is to evaluate if it’s the right time for your organization to invest in the expense of a marketer. Sure, extra help building relationships would be great; but is it in the budget for this year, or perhaps a stretch target for next year?

Let’s explore some financial indicators that it may be time to hire to a marketer:

· Annual revenue of $1.5M+ can usually absorb a full-time marketer.

· 1,000 billable hours per week is generally a good time to begin searching for the right candidate.

· Already at 2,000 billable hours per week? You may be late to the show and absorbing some opportunity cost. Consider fueling your momentum with a marketer to propel growth.

· By this time, you probably already have two full-time administrators, which should include a scheduler and either a nurse or care coordinator (some states require a nurse).

Of course, each organization is uniquely positioned and it’s important to explore all sides of each possible solution. Evaluate your priorities, goals, and your local market. Use the above indicators as suggestions as you analyze your unique situation.

When you do hire a marketer, reduce their risk of turnover and get them started on a path to success with a robust plan for training.

For more information about why it makes sense to train your new marketer by experts in home care sales, check out this blog.

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