End of Year Financial Checklist: Essential Steps to Close 2025 Successfully

by Dr. Kelley Mulhern

As December approaches, it’s easy to get caught up in holiday preparations and let financial planning slip to the back of your mind. Taking time now to review your finances before year’s end can help you start the new year with confidence and clarity.

A comprehensive financial checkup allows you to identify opportunities, address potential issues, and make adjustments that could benefit your financial health.

A desk with a calculator, pen, and paper. A laptop displaying financial graphs. A calendar with December 31 circled

The final months of the year offer a unique opportunity to evaluate where you stand financially and make strategic moves before tax deadlines and other year-end cutoffs.

Whether you need to adjust retirement contributions, review insurance coverage, or plan for upcoming expenses, now is the ideal time to tackle your financial to-do list.

Key Takeaways

Creating a year-end financial checklist helps prioritize important financial tasks before December 31st deadlines arrive.
Reviewing your emergency fund, insurance coverage, and spending patterns can reveal opportunities for improvement in your financial position.
Setting aside time to evaluate retirement contributions, employee benefits, and future financial goals establishes a strong foundation for the coming year.

Meet with Your Financial Experts

A desk with a laptop, calculator, and financial documents. A calendar showing December. A whiteboard with a checklist and sticky notes

As the year winds down, schedule appointments with your accountant and financial advisor. They can help implement important strategies before year-end deadlines.

Share life changes with your team:

Marriage or divorce
Home purchase
New children
Career changes

These events significantly impact your financial situation. Your plans need adjusting when these changes occur.

If you don’t currently work with a financial advisor, consider finding one. Look for professionals who understand your specific needs.

Some advisors specialize in particular professions and can offer more targeted advice about:

Retirement plan optimization
Tax efficiency strategies
Investment allocation
Estate planning updates

Your financial team helps ensure you’re making the most of your resources. Regular check-ins, especially at year-end, keep your financial plan aligned with your current situation and future goals.

Build Your Emergency Fund

Having a strong emergency fund is essential for financial security. You should aim to save six months of expenses in a liquid account that you can access quickly when needed.

Many high earners mistakenly believe they don’t need this safety net, but unexpected situations can affect anyone. Your emergency fund provides protection against:

Sudden job loss
Medical emergencies
Major home repairs
Vehicle breakdowns
Unexpected travel needs

Start building your emergency fund today if you haven’t already. Even small regular contributions will grow over time into a robust financial safety net.

Review Your Insurance

A desk with a calculator, pen, and paper surrounded by various insurance documents and financial statements

As the year comes to a close, it’s important to check if your insurance policies still meet your needs. Life changes quickly, and your coverage should keep pace.

Key insurance policies to review:

Life insurance
Health insurance
Auto insurance
Homeowner’s or renter’s insurance
Professional insurance

Ask yourself these questions:

Has your family situation changed?
Did you make home improvements or purchase property?
Are there new drivers in your household?
Has your business or practice expanded?

Your life insurance should provide adequate protection for your loved ones. Consider if recent life events warrant increasing your coverage amounts. This is also a good time to review any charitable giving designations in your policies.

Save for College

College costs continue to rise each year. Planning ahead is essential if you have children who may attend college.

One smart approach is opening a 529 education savings plan, which works similarly to retirement accounts.

When you invest in a 529 plan, your money has growth potential far beyond regular savings accounts.

Key benefits include:

Tax-free growth on all earnings
Funds can be used for:
- Tuition payments
- Required textbooks
- Room and board
- Required equipment and supplies

As part of your year-end financial checklist, consider maximizing your 529 contributions. These accounts can also play a role in your estate planning strategy, as contributions may provide tax advantages while securing your child’s educational future.

Track Your Money Habits

A desk with a calculator, pen, and paper. A laptop displaying financial charts. A stack of receipts and bills. A calendar showing the end of the year

Take time to examine your financial records for the year. Find where your money is going and identify spending leaks – areas where funds disappear without notice. Look for:

Unused subscriptions
Frequent small purchases
Impulse buys

Create a plan to address these problem areas. This review also helps with tax planning by spotting potential capital losses for tax-loss harvesting opportunities.

Reviewing spending patterns may also reveal ways to reduce debt more effectively.

Check and Update Staff Benefits

Keeping your team happy costs less than hiring new staff. Review your benefit offerings to ensure they meet employee needs. Consider these steps:

Evaluate current benefits package
Ask staff about benefit preferences
Compare offerings to industry standards

Benefit Type	Action Items
Retirement	Review 401k matching rates
Health	Assess insurance options and HSA contributions
Time Off	Consider increasing paid vacation days
Compensation	Evaluate salary competitiveness

When you invest in your team’s well-being, they invest in your business success. Don’t forget to update beneficiaries on all relevant accounts during this review.

Consider a Direct Care Approach

Now might be the ideal time to explore transitioning from an insurance-based practice to a direct care model.

With healthcare costs becoming increasingly unpredictable, patients are more receptive to alternative payment arrangements that offer consistency.

A direct cash-based practice offers several advantages:

Predictable income for your practice
Simplified billing processes with fewer administrative costs
Greater flexibility in how you serve patients

Many practitioners find that direct care allows them to focus more on patient needs rather than insurance requirements.

You can also consider creative financial options for patients, such as:

Option	Potential Benefit
Sliding scale payments	Accessibility for more patients
Membership models	Steady revenue stream
Package services	Predictable costs for patients

When planning this transition, evaluate your investment portfolio to ensure you have sufficient reserves during the changeover period.

Some practitioners use investment losses strategically or consider Roth conversions to optimize their tax situation during this business model shift.

Plan for Your Financial Future

A desk with a laptop, calculator, and financial documents. A calendar with December 31 circled. A vision board with future goals and a checklist

As you approach the end of the first quarter of 2025, now is an excellent time to review and adjust your financial goals.

Looking ahead helps you stay on track with your monetary aims and adjust as needed.

Start by examining your investment portfolio for any necessary rebalancing.

Markets change constantly, and your investments should align with your risk tolerance and timeline.

Consider these important financial activities:

Reassess your budget – Does it still match your priorities?
Review retirement contributions – Are you maximizing these opportunities?
Check insurance coverage – Do you have adequate protection?
Evaluate debt repayment strategies – Can you accelerate paying down high-interest debt?

Your financial goals should be specific, measurable, and time-bound.

Rather than thinking “I want to save more,” aim for “I will save $10,000 by December 31, 2025.”

Remember to review your financial plan quarterly to stay aligned with changing circumstances and priorities.

Frequently Asked Questions

A desk with a calendar, calculator, and financial documents. A checklist with items ticked off

What should you include in your end-of-year financial assessment?

A thorough year-end financial review requires several key steps:

Review income and spending patterns
- Compare actual spending to your budget
- Identify unexpected expenses from the past year
- Look for spending categories that consistently exceeded expectations
Organize financial documents
- Gather tax-related documents
- Update your filing system (physical or digital)
- Create backups of important financial records
Check your retirement contributions
- Verify if you’ve maximized your retirement contributions for 2024
- Review employer matching to ensure you’re not leaving money on the table
- Consider catch-up contributions if you’re over 50
Assess debt reduction progress
- Calculate how much debt you’ve paid off this year
- Determine if your debt reduction strategy needs adjustment
- Prioritize high-interest debt for the coming year

How can you refresh your financial checklist for 2025?

Updating your financial planning checklist involves:

Review last year’s goals
- Mark which goals you achieved
- Determine which unmet goals should carry forward
- Assess if any goals need modification based on new circumstances
Incorporate life changes
- Account for family changes (marriages, births, etc.)
- Address career developments (new job, promotion, retirement)
- Adjust for major purchases or relocations
Update emergency fund targets
- Reassess if your emergency fund is adequately funded
- Adjust savings goals based on current monthly expenses
- Consider increasing emergency reserves during economic uncertainty
Schedule periodic reviews
- Set calendar reminders for quarterly financial check-ins
- Plan for mid-year tax planning
- Establish automated savings increases to align with any expected income increases

Which tax optimization strategies deserve your attention before year-end?

Consider these critical year-end tax strategies:

Strategy	Action	Potential Benefit
Tax-loss harvesting	Sell investments with losses to offset capital gains	Reduce taxable income
Charitable giving	Donate to qualified organizations before December 31	Tax deductions
Retirement contributions	Max out 401(k), IRA contributions	Lower taxable income
Required Minimum Distributions	Take RMDs if you’re over 73	Avoid substantial tax penalties
FSA funds	Use remaining Flexible Spending Account funds	Prevent forfeiture of pre-tax dollars

Additionally:

Consider bunching deductions if it helps you exceed the standard deduction threshold
Review potential tax credit eligibility
Consult with a tax professional about year-end strategies specific to your situation

What investment changes should you consider before December 31st?

Before year-end, consider these investment adjustments:

Portfolio rebalancing
- Return your asset allocation to target percentages
- Maintain your desired risk level by selling high and buying low
- Consider tax implications of rebalancing in taxable accounts
Review investment performance
- Compare your returns against appropriate benchmarks
- Assess if underperforming investments should be replaced
- Determine if your overall strategy remains appropriate
Check fee structures
- Review expense ratios on mutual funds and ETFs
- Evaluate if lower-cost alternatives exist
- Calculate the impact of fees on long-term performance
Consider tax-efficient moves
- Hold tax-efficient investments in taxable accounts
- Place tax-inefficient investments in tax-advantaged accounts
- Prepare for upcoming tax season by organizing investment documents

How can you establish effective financial goals for 2025?

When setting financial goals for the new year:

Be SMART with your goals

Specific: “Save $6,000 for IRA” instead of “Save more”
Measurable: Track progress with specific numbers
Achievable: Set challenging but realistic targets
Relevant: Align with your larger financial vision
Time-bound: Establish clear deadlines

Prioritize your goals

Categorize as short-term, medium-term, and long-term
Focus on debt reduction, emergency savings, and retirement fundamentals first
Limit yourself to 3-5 major financial goals to maintain focus

Create accountability systems

Use automated transfers for savings goals
Schedule regular check-ins with yourself or a partner
Consider working with a financial planner for complex goals

How should you review your budget using the 50/30/20 guideline?

To assess and adjust your budget using the 50/30/20 rule, follow these steps:

Review Essential Spending (50%)

Housing, utilities, groceries, transportation, insurance, minimum debt payments
Calculate if these necessities exceed 50% of your after-tax income.
Identify potential areas for reduction if this category is over-allocated.

Evaluate Discretionary Spending (30%)

Entertainment, dining out, hobbies, subscriptions, non-essential shopping
Determine if lifestyle choices are within the 30% guideline.
Look for subscription services or purchases that didn’t provide good value.

Analyze Financial Goals (20%)

Debt payments beyond minimums, retirement contributions, other savings
Check if you’re allocating at least 20% to financial progress.
Consider increasing this percentage to accelerate progress toward long-term financial goals.

Make adjustments based on actual spending patterns from the past year. Remember that the 50/30/20 rule is a guideline, not a rigid requirement. Your personal situation may require different allocations.

The BEST Healthcare Practice Building Advice I Can Give

by Dr. Kelley Mulhern Leave a Comment

Meet Dr. Kelley

I’m going to break a cardinal rule of online content marketing today. What rule is that, you ask? I’m going to share – in my very first blog – the single best piece of small business marketing advice I could give to a healthcare professional. I’m not going to make you pay for it. I’m not even going to make you wait for it. Are you ready? Here it is: The absolute best piece of relationship marketing advice I can give to a healthcare professional looking to grow their practice is to connect with your community. Sound simple enough? Let me explain. Best Practice Blue

Chances are, if you’ve found your way to my website, you’re a healthcare professional who’s looking to build their practice. Perhaps you’re about to graduate or are new in practice. Maybe you’ve been in practice for years but continue to struggle. Or, perhaps you’ve had a successful practice but you’re getting bored with your same old marketing events. No matter which category describes you, connecting with your community can help to ramp up and reinvigorate your practice. But what does connecting with your community mean?

The best way to build a successful private healthcare practice is to become involved in the local community, build genuine relationships, and leverage those relationships to the benefit of all involved. In other words, connect with your community, and allow those community connections to help you build the practice and life of your dreams.

Community building is a key component of success. The health and well-being of your community should be in the forefront every day, which means that you need to connect with them on all levels: physically (through office hours), emotionally (by caring for their needs) and intellectually as they are not just patients but friends too. Connecting with those who support my healthcare practice has been one invaluable resource I’ve used to grow my business!

Dr. Kelley 5k Community Event

When I was new in practice, I had lots of time on my hands. I decided to give back to my community by hosting free health workshops for the local Fire Department. I donated thousands of hours to participate in ride-alongs, to create and deliver the workshops, and to create and sponsor 5 K runs to benefit specific Fire Fighters. The 9 workshops became part of a “curriculum” which all First Responders had to go through and covered physical health, nutrition, and stress management. I created a lasting relationship with this Fire Department focused on their needs. But guess what? Over time, as they got to know and trust me, when they required the services of a chiropractor, many of them turned to me.

Dr. Kelley Pendleton Connecting with her Community

Dr. Kelley Mulhern Connecting with her Community

Connecting with your community doesn’t need to take a lot of time, nor does it need to cost you a lot of money. Find a cause or a population you’re passionate about and figure out a way you can make a meaningful difference for them. Remember – it’s not about you…it’s about your community. But if you take care of them, they’ll take care of you! How can you connect with your community?

Membership Practices, Concierge Practices, and Direct Primary Care: Similarities and Differences

by Dr. Kelley Mulhern Leave a Comment

The terms “membership practice”,”concierge medicine,” and “direct primary care” are sometimes used interchangeably. While they have similarities, they have distinct differences too. It’s important to be familiar with the differences so you can help your patients understand them and be more comfortable with your new practice model.

If you’re among the many doctors seeking a better way to serve your patients, you may be considering a membership, concierge, or direct primary care practice model. To help you make the best decision for you and your patients, this post will outline what these practice models have in common and how they differ.

Membership Practice Model

A “membership practice” refers to any practice model that charges an annual or monthly fee or retainer to its’ patients. This umbrella term can be used to refer to several different practice models, including direct primary care, concierge, or boutique practices. The membership fee frequently covers a variety of services, procedures, or treatments, delineated by each office. Thus, a membership model is highly flexible and can be structured to suit the needs of the doctor, patients, and community.

Concierge Care Model

concierge medicine dr kelley pendleton The mid-1990’s saw a rise of wealthy patients who wanted VIP care without the interference of insurance companies, and “Concierge Medicine” was born. The defining feature of concierge medicine is that it gives the patient nearly limitless access to the doctor, often including same day appointments, round the clock telephone access, and even house calls in some practices. While many concierge practices do accept insurance to pay for services or procedures not covered by the retainer fee, they’ve often negotiated better pricing, further reducing patient expense.

Direct Primary Care Model

In the mid-2000’s, the frustrations of patients and providers converged to create a “new” model of practice. Direct Primary Care, or DPC, seems to be a throwback to the bygone era of small town doctors who developed direct relationships with their patients without the involvement of a third party. DPC practices offer primary, preventative, urgent, and wellness care in addition to disease management. The defining feature of the DPC model is that the provider does not accept nor bill insurance. Payment is arranged solely between the doctor and his or her patient. Eliminating insurance allows doctors to spend more time caring for patients, and less time dealing with the hassles of insurance.

The Similarities

Both concierge and direct primary care practices charge a membership or retainer fee.

Each practice model has much smaller patient loads than a traditional practice, thus allowing for longer patient visits and a higher level of care. These types of practices typically limit their patient panel to several hundred while a traditional practice can have as many as 2,500 patients.

Both models provide greater access to doctors, including telephone and e-mail consultations.

Concierge and DPC practices provide much faster access to the doctor including same or next day appointments, and little to no wait time upon arriving for an appointment.

In a traditional model, doctors are only paid for office visits. Because membership practices don’t rely entirely (or at all) on insurance payments, follow up care can often be handled via telephone or e-mail. (How convenient is that?)

Another thing both models have in common is how little they are understood by patients. That’s why patient education is so vital to making either model a success.

The Differences

The major difference is that while direct primary care practices don’t bill insurance at all, many concierge practices do.

Direct primary care practices tend to attract younger patients, those in their 20’s-40’s who are middle class. Concierge practices attract an older and wealthier clientele, those in their 50’s-80’s who are considered upper middle class.

Overhead between the two models is another key difference. Because DPC cuts out insurance companies, there’s less need for billing staff, software, EMR, and the other expenses typically incurred when a practice accepts insurance. Concierge practices often have higher overhead because they still bill insurance and because the patients may expect fancy extras for their annual fee like plush offices and private waiting rooms.

DPC’s charge a lower fee, on average, $50-150 per month. While the average concierge practice’s monthly fee is higher, it’s surprisingly not that much higher, at $200 per month.

While DPC offers faster access to doctors than traditional practices, many concierge practices offer 24/7 access every day of the year via the doctor’s personal cell phone number.

Which Model Is Best?

The answer will heavily rely on your patient demographic. Younger, middle-class, Gen X and millennials will favor the DPC model. Even with the advent of the Affordable Care Act, many people’s medical coverage is still tied to their employer, and it’s comforting for patients to know they can remain under your care with or without insurance.

If your patients are older and more affluent, they may be willing and able to pay for concierge medicine. For those in this demographic, health has become a matter of prime importance and they want to build a close relationship with a doctor they can trust.

Whichever model you choose, you can look forward to better serving your patients, improving their quality of life and your own, while reducing your own insurance-related frustrations.

For more information on building community connections, I encourage you to read my new book Community Connections! Relationship Marketing for Healthcare Professionals. If you want more valuable information about how to Connect with YOUR Community, you can find FREE healthcare practice marketing content, PowerPoint Presentation Jumpstart Kits, workbooks, blog articles, and my FREE “Practice Marketing Planner” Now!

Marketing a Membership, Direct Primary Care (DPC), or Concierge Practice

by Dr. Kelley Mulhern Leave a Comment

More and more physicians are transitioning from a traditional practice to a membership, DPC, or concierge practice. The three terms are often (mistakenly) used interchangeably. (The various ways to structure this type of practice will be discussed in future blogs, so stay tuned!)

If you’re thinking about making the leap, you’ve probably done enough research to know that one of the biggest issues for these practices is marketing.

Perhaps “marketing” is the wrong thing to focus on. Focus, instead, on patient education to help your current patients become comfortable and excited about the new practice model. This can smooth the transition and alleviate some of your patient-retention fears. (Plus it can also save you time and money since you won’t have to focus so much effort on constantly attracting new patients.)

Advantage #1: Affordability

When your patients hear the terms “membership, DPC, or concierge practice,” often the first thing they think is that it’ll be expensive.

For example, concierge medicine didn’t start in small towns populated by middle-class people; it started in large urban areas populated by high earners who were willing and able to pay top dollar for private medical care. That’s the way many people still view it.

Help your patients to understand they won’t be paying hundreds of dollars more for visits with you than they pay now. A membership, DPC, or concierge practice can be an especially great deal for patients who have HSA and FSA programs through their insurance providers.

Patient education and clarity are the best ways to overcome this misconception. Communicate to your patients that your transition has nothing to do with money, but a desire to deliver a higher quality of care. (Research has shown that traditional providers make about the same as concierge providers1.) For clarity, show them your new fee structure, as well as their potential financial obligations under a few common scenarios.

Advantage #2: Time

Patients are tired of waiting hours for an appointment or being told to schedule different appointments for every health concern. And they don’t appreciate being rushed through an office visit any more than you like being rushed.

1 Pearson, D. 2015. ‘Direct primary care’ shown to please patients and reduce costs, including for imaging. Available at: http://www.imagingbiz.com/topics/healthcare-economics/‘direct- primary-care’-shown-please-patients-and-reduce-costs-including-imaging.

The average medical appointment lasts just over 15 minutes. Describe how an office visit under the new model is different than what they’re used to. The reality is that by transitioning to a membership, DPC, or concierge practice, you’ll be able to devote much more time and attention to their care.

Advantage #3: Service

Membership, DPC, and concierge practices can provide better service than the traditional model. It’s frustrating for patients when they have to wait days or weeks for an appointment or when they arrive on time for an appointment only to be kept waiting because you’re running behind.

Outline the new customer service patients can expect from your office. Will they have access to the doctor via E-mail or cell phone? Will they be guaranteed same-day appointments? What tests, procedures, or services are included in their monthly or annual fee?

Don’t Forget:

You and your patients often share the same frustrations. Things like long wait times, short or rushed appointment times, and insurance companies refusing to pay for needed care top the list. Those aggravations may be due to the “middle-man” (insurance companies) standing between the doctor and patient. By removing this obstacle, you’ll be removing these frustrations. For more information on how to explain the membership, DPC, or concierge model to patients, watch this brief video of me in a recent panel discussion! (See my entire DPC Panel discussion here.)

One Last Tip:

Take the time to ask patients what they want (and don’t want) from a membership, DPC, or concierge practice before making the change. For example, do they expect unlimited phone access, same day appointments, house calls, or a fancy waiting area that serves tea? This way, when you make the transition, you’ll know where to spend time and money so you can provide the services people want and are willing to pay for.

Educating patients about what your membership, DPC, or concierge practice will and won’t be can help you retain patients so your primary focus remains providing high-quality care. This is a key reason you want to become a membership, DPC, or concierge provider!

Healthcare Marketing Mastermind Group

by Dr. Kelley Mulhern Leave a Comment

Mastermind groups have been around for several decades, but have you ever thought of creating or joining a healthcare marketing mastermind group? A mastermind is a group that meets on a regular basis (typically monthly or quarterly) to share challenges, successes, and ask for feedback. The participants can be from the same profession or from a variety of professions. For a healthcare marketing mastermind, I’d recommend working with practitioners from various healthcare disciplines.

In its simplest form, the mastermind meeting allows each participant to introduce themselves, share a win, and share a challenge. The group is then able to offer advice or feedback regarding the challenges. However, the meeting format can be changed to suit the needs of the people involved. For example, the content discussed can be very general, concerning anything to do with business. Or, the discussion content can be narrowed down to a specific area such as goals/goal-setting, practice marketing, leadership, or practice procedures.

Topics for discussion in a healthcare marketing mastermind group could include wins, challenges, collaborative opportunities to educate the local community, evaluation of prospective marketing events, evaluation of completed marketing efforts, development of marketing plans (marketing calendars, “Connections CalendarsTM”), and so on.

One key piece to the success of such a mastermind group is the intent of the people involved. Each person must approach the group in a spirit of helpfulness and cooperation. This is not about competition. It’s about helping each healthcare practice to showcase itself in the community. This enhances local health awareness and increases the potential success of everyone involved. It’s been said that “a rising tide raises all ships in the harbor.”

Think of the local market as a pie. Each slice of the pie represents a “market share.” The bigger your slice of pie, the more patients you have and the more successful your practice becomes. A healthcare marketing mastermind group could help all healthcare providers. As the community becomes more educated about health and their healthcare options, the metaphorical pie (and your slice) gets bigger. As you help your peers, you also help yourself!

If the term “mastermind” doesn’t appeal to you, try another such as “Healthcare Marketing Forum,” or have the members collaborate on a name during the first meeting. A new meeting type that is gaining in popularity is the “accountability group.” These groups may be smaller than a mastermind group and meet more frequently as their goal is to help hold each member accountable to reach their goals.

What do you think? Would you be interested in creating or joining a healthcare marketing mastermind group? How have masterminds worked for you in the past? Leave your comments in the section below and help us create our own virtual mastermind group!

External Marketing for Healthcare Practices [Easy Definition]

by Dr. Kelley Mulhern Leave a Comment

We examined the concept of internal marketing for healthcare practices in a previous blog. Let’s turn our attention now to the concept of external marketing for healthcare practices. Simply stated, [external marketing] for healthcare practices is any activity or event done outside the walls of your office to promote your practice. The most effective marketing strategies utilize a combination of internal and external marketing for practice success.

What are some examples of external marketing for healthcare practices? Effective and attractive business cards and brochures you give to prospective patients at events…a healthcare talk or series of healthcare talks hosted off-site…providing services at an athletic event…sponsoring a 5K…and so on. (Remember, don’t get caught up in the labeling because it is possible for an item or activity to be used for internal and external marketing.)

When establishing your marketing calendar each year, start by scheduling one external and one internal marketing event or activity each month. You may be tempted to schedule more than one of each, but resist the temptation. Consequently, you may overwhelm yourself, your staff, or your available resources. Then when the event occurs, you’ll likely be exhausted and unable to project the best image of your practice. You can always add more activities and events to your calendar throughout the year as your resources and energy permit.

Once the events are scheduled you can begin the planning process. Create a system to organize all your event information and materials. Try a 3-ring binder or a digital folder structure, depending on your preference. This way, the next time you host the same (or similar) event, you don’t have to start from scratch! Establish reasonable goals for what you hope to accomplish with your marketing activity (i.e.: New patients, increased awareness, raise money for a charity, etc.). Determine how you’ll track the progress of those goals. Research, collaborate, delegate, and modify as needed.

Finally, with proper preparation, you can relax and enjoy the event when the day arrives. Afterwards, debrief with staff and volunteers. (If you can get feedback from participants that’s even better!) Discuss what went well, what could have gone better, and what to change for next time.

I’d love to hear from you! What types of events and activities does your practice do for external marketing? Share your most creative and successful ideas in the comments section below!