Stephanie Slahor, PhD, JD

You can't afford to skip this crucial step when recruiting employees.

Well-managed practices work on management issues proactively, looking for ways to improve and innovate rather than just responding to the fires that arise each day. Of course, striving for excellence isn't a one-person job. And getting your team involved in finding better ways to serve clients is a great first step to being more proactive.

Every member of your practice team can help increase security.

When you think about protecting your assets, you likely focus on securing the premises, locking up valuables, and making sure patient files are safe. But keeping your team safe is even more important. Use these tips to help you get started

Do you put your best foot forward with every client, every time? These six tips can help make sure you do—and that you build the strongest possible relationships with clients.

Of course, you use keys and locks to keep valuables secure, but you lose some of the benefits if you don't control the keys. Think about these questions to decide whether you need to tighten up security:

The last client and patient left, the phone stopped ringing, and the day's receipts are tallied. It may seem like time to go home, but first you need to make sure your practice is protected.

The Internet's an invaluable tool, but it also can pose a threat to your practice by leaking proprietary information and by opening your system to hackers and viruses, says Dr. Stephanie Slahor, JD, Ph.D. The key to protecting your practice: Make sure team members don't let sensitive information out via message boards, mass mailings, file transfer protocol sites, or chat rooms, she says. The safest bet? If it's confidential, don't say it online!