I'm a huge proponent for executing a consistent marketing plan, but I've been a poor example recently! So now I'm recommitting myself to one part of my marketing plan that has proved to be extremely effective for my business over the past four to five years: Blogging.

Once in a while, I receive an email from a colleague that is such a gem that I am compelled to share it with you, with the permission of the email's author. In this case, it's a physician business owner who found success in his business by way of the most critical element to consistent growth: Embrace marketing.

A reader recently reached out to me for help in finding quality, on-site managerial help, after dealing with a couple of duds. Hiring the right people for your medical practice or physician business is critical to success, and also one of the most difficult things to do. Here are nine tips for getting your hiring right.

To my chagrin, I realized I dropped the ball completing my article series based on Bill Murphy Jr.'s "The Intelligent Entrepreneur" (subtitled "How Three Harvard Business School Graduates Learned the 10 Rules of Successful Entrepreneurship"). Time to get back to business! Rule No. 4 reminds us that our success depends on other people -- you can't do it alone.

Medical practices are facing momentous decisions -- to join the en masse migration to become part of larger groups or corporate entities, or to remain a stand-alone small businesses. For those who choose to "fly solo," the only way you'll succeed is through intentional planning and mastering the skill of medical-practice marketing.