Our primary focus is on enjoying the core of our profession – motivating those of us with hearing loss to hear better.
To that end, we aim to create a UK-wide group of Independent Audiology Practices.
Our Ethos is nothing to do with becoming wealthy quickly, rather it is encouraging our colleagues to understand that this is a tough job that requires one to work hard on our patients’ behalf. The true rewards come years from now, when a good reputation and patient list has been built up.
We started in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire in 2008, with a very small amount of capital, renting a tiny office. Cleckheaton is in an economically depressed / ex-industrial area, but I had a gut-feeling that everyone would appreciate being able to test hearing aids out first. The idea was to ‘sit tight’, let the business grow organically, with the perhaps silly idea of offering every single visitor the opportunity to try hearing aids extensively before having to buy or choose. This idea proved to be a good one, with turnover growing to an impressive amount within 4 years (and with my previous experience, I knew just how well we were doing!). I always felt that I just wanted to be content and raise a family, with no real idea of becoming wealthy.
We were one of the first to sell batteries and parts to hearing aid consumers online (2008). www.hearingaidparts.co.uk offers an amazing range of hearing aid consumables, including some very hard-to-find parts that can save the consumer unnecessary repair bills.
At the time, we lived in East Lancashire. I was surprised at the success of the ex-mill shopping centres that flourished in Lancashire, and since one of the best (Oswaldtwistle Mills) was in our home town, we pestered the owners to allow us to open a store in their complex. This took 3 years of asking, but in 2012, we opened our second store. The free trial concept worked particularly well here as many couples would visit, with the male often suffering from industrial hearing loss, and as our ‘desk’ was in the open, many visitors would be brave enough to stop and talk.
Our other business interests perhaps gave us a better insight into the importance of establishing good supplier agreements and pricing.
We are now benefiting from this groundwork in being able to offer our partners extremely competitive trade prices.
Technical review of hearing aids, 2013: This was an innovative idea at the time. To ask real users to technically review hearing aids. This gave rise to www.hearingaidreview.org.uk.
The gathering of hearing aid reviews in detail, 2013: I was well ahead in this thinking too. This gave rise to www.trusthear.org.
Optician Partners: There is a way to conduct this relationship, and this is reflected in our ongoing success.
In 2015, we realised that most patient diary systems were just not good enough. Perhaps my strive to keep everything in tight control went a bit astray here, but as it happened, one of my dear patients was an IT designer. Barry and I set out to create our very own in-house diary manager system, AUDIOLOGY MANAGER SYSTEM, or AMS (www.audiologymanager.co.uk). This gave us a distinct competitive advantage. We had no monthly fee to pay, total control over our data, and quite unique marketing analysis opportunities.
Ear wax removal by MICRO-SUCTION became popular. I noticed immediately that it seemed to be a distraction from my core function. I have held this view continuously, and I am now seeing examples of what I suspected: HCPC dispensers who have abandoned dispensing altogether. Luckily, I knew how to deal with this and have now created THE MOST SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS MODEL FOR THE DELIVERY OF EAR WAX MICRO-SUCTION.
2016 came along. It was recognised that we were shifting an awful lot of product. A colleague planned to retire in the North Yorkshire area. We decided to buy the business and open THE YORK HEARING PRACTICE. A very dear friend from my employed days agreed to share this responsibility with me. Luckily, it is a partnership made in heaven. This practice also supplies LYRIC.
In the background, it is useful to create a set of beliefs and values that we can all work towards. But also to create a portal for new partners to explore our group. This is encapsulated in The Hearing Practice Group (formed in 2016).
In 2017, I began discussions with two ex-colleagues who wanted to be independent and were mooting the idea of opening a store in Nottingham. Both were tentative about all the logistics and felt someone like me on board might be helpful. From this came the idea of a JOINT VENTURE structure. THE NOTTINGHAM HEARING PRACTICE opened in 2018 and was an instant hit, even though it was pitted against some fairly stiff and organised competition.
Feeling rather bold, I started discussions with all manner of hearing aid dispensers. Many discussions are ongoing, but THE CHESTERFIELD HEARING PRACTICE is already open and flying.
We are now reaching out to YOU. This link tells you the sort of people we are looking for. We want you go INDEPENDENT, but with your eyes fully open, without manufacturer ‘loans’ and without unreal expectations.
Call now to CHANGE YOUR LIFE 01246 901250
R J Donnan
