brudenell-ga:
I'm happy that you found my posting helpful. Best wishes with the
launch of your new business!
=================================
Original post, from http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=328687#comments
brudenell-ga:
With all the excellent ideas already suggested by my colleagues above,
I'm not sure that I can add much more. So, rather than straining my
brain to come up with additional ideas for the dispensary part of your
business, please allow me to ramble on a bit about the rest of the
business.
First, please let me say that my all-too-short opportunity to visit
PEI while on a road trip through the Maritimes a couple of years ago
left me with an everlasting impression of a peaceful, resourceful, and
independent population. So, as the first truly-independent pharmacy to
open in Atlantic Canada for almost a whole generation, I would suggest
trying to find a good balance between emphasizing your
uniqueness/independence, and trumpeting your affinity for the PEI
lifestyle.
Your description of the store evokes images of a state-of-the-art,
multi-purpose facility with a youthful atmosphere. A meeting place,
with healing energy delivered through medication as well as activity.
All of this points towards an image that your business cares about
your customers all the time, not just when they are ill.
You can communicate this caring attitude through action. Given the
Island folk's tradition sense of independence when dealing with folks
from away, you can adopt a position of stewardship, both social and
environmental. Environmental stewardship in your line(s) of business
is easy: have a simple 'deposit' program for plastic medication
containers to ensure that left-over drugs are returned for proper
disposal (the deposit can and should be symbolic, such as a penny
charge with returned containers netting back a penny plus a discount
coupon for the café). It probably goes without saying (ok, maybe not
to the Tim Horton's crowd, but certainly to everyone else!) that the
café should use recycled paper based containers for carry-out
purchases, etc.
Social stewardship is harder, but aided by your prominent location in
a landmark building by the water. If you, along with the doctors in
the building, start up a program with the local council to help
promote the 'health' of the waterfront district, through litter
collections campaigns (seeing as how your café will generate litter
unavoidably, anyway), promotion of Island boutique suppliers, and
eventually sponsorship of Island cultural events (yes, even those Anne
events). The sub-text behind the message is, who understands Islanders
better... a 'national' chain headquartered in T.O., or your friendly,
Island-borne-and-bred, neighbour down at <insert store name here>?
Sigh... now it's time for me to pull up all my digital pictures from
my road trip again, and relive the memories of those glorious few days
I spent exploring PEI...
------
Oops, left out one thing.
Several Researchers have mentioned pill organizers and info sheets
already, to help your elderly clients remember when to take their
medication.
As part of your social stewardship program, I suggest having
medication reminders (electronic devices) available as 'loaners' for
home-alone elderly patients whose families would otherwise be
constantly worried whether grandma/pa has remembered to take their
medicine. A friend of mine who once ran an institutional outsourced
pharmacy business was even telling me that they had experimented with
dispensing pills preloaded into medication reminder devices; something
that you can consider for special cases.
------
Some medication reminder devices:
http://www.epill.com/organizer.html
However, your preferred supplier will undoubtedly carry several to choose from.
=================================
Regards,
aht-ga
Google Answers Researcher |
,
0 Comments
)