CCLB 11-12-07 A 17 CCLB - Crain's Cleveland

[Pages:14]NOVEMBER 12-18, 2007

GOING PLACES

Fry

Gatenby Williams

Disandis Mills

Kuhar

WWW.

Collins to vice president, sales and marketing.

MEDIA

CBC MAGAZINE: Kate Buddenhagen to managing editor; Jackie Van Meter to advertising consultant; Tiffani Scalzo to design consultant.

RETAIL

JO-ANN FABRIC AND CRAFT STORES: Ken Haverkost to executive vice president of operations.

BOARD

THE AMERICAN RED CROSS, GREATER CLEVELAND CHAPTER: Hugh McKay (Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur LLP) to chair; Irvin Leonard

to vice chairman; Laura Hauser to secretary; Shawn Riley to treasurer.

AWARDS

THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS: Gary Previts (Case Western Reserve University) received the 2007 Gold Medal for Distinguished Service.

THE DIETRICH DIABETES RESEARCH INSTITUTE: Dr. Lawrence J. Singerman (Retina Associates of Cleveland) received the 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award in Diabetes Research.

THE WEST VIRGINIA PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOC.: Scott S. Meit (Cleveland Clinic Foundation) received the 2007 West Virginia Fellow Award.

Send information for Going Places to dhillyer@.

CRAIN'S CLEVELAND BUSINESS 17

Kollander Nischwitz LoPiccolo

JOB CHANGES

ARCHITECTURE

RICHARD L. BOWEN + ASSOCIATES INC.: Kirk A. Fry to director of mechanical engineering. WEBER MURPHY FOX: Matt Gatenby to project manager; Josh Williams to draftsperson.

DISTRIBUTION

POWER & SIGNAL GROUP: Kim Disandis to director, business development.

FINANCIAL SERVICE

CIUNI & PANICHI: John Troyer to partner-in-charge, audit and accounting services department. BNY MELLON WEALTH MANAGEMENT: Amy Vegh to senior sales director. SS&G FINANCIAL SERVICES INC.: Marc S. Newman to manager, accounting and audit department. SS&G WEALTH MANAGEMENT LLC: Patrick D. Savage to senior consultant. STOUT RISIUS ROSS INC.: T.J. Hope to manager, valuation and financial opinions group.

HEALTH CARE

CLEVELAND CLINIC: Lindsay Davis to program coordinator, department of government relations. FAIRVIEW HOSPITAL: John C. Mills to senior vice president of operations. UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS GEAUGA MEDICAL CENTER: Peggy A. Kuhar to chief nursing officer; Anne Marie Kollander to senior development officer.

LEGAL

BUCKINGHAM, DOOLITTLE & BURROUGHS LLP: David E. Schweighoefer to partner. COWDEN HUMPHREY CO.: Jeff Nischwitz to partner. FRANTZ WARD LLP: Nora E. Loftus to associate. SIKORA LAW LLC: Carrie Lunder to assistant.

MANUFACTURING

THE SWAGELOK CO.: Matt LoPiccolo to vice president, chief information officer. WIRE PRODUCTS CO.: Daniel F.

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INSIDE 25 ADVISER:

HOW TO MANAGE YOUR CASH EFFECTIVELY

CRAIN'S CLEVELAND BUSINESS 19

SMALL BUSINESS

"Setting my own hours and hiring my own staff was important to me when I started out. I'd never run a business before, but I was optimistic I could handle it."

? Dr. Robert Brody (below), dermatologist, who started his East Side clinic in 1982

ON THEIR

OWN

While solo practices give doctors the opportunity to have a more personal touch with patients, added responsibilities can be a challenge

By EILEEN BEAL clbfreelancer@

D octors who make the jump into solo practice may be motivated by a variety of reasons, but all have at least one thing in common -- the harrowing transition into the role of small business owner.

About 20% of the nation's physicians go solo at some point in their careers, according to Dr. Victor M. Bello, a former president of the Academy of Medicine of Cleveland and Northern Ohio.

Like most entrepreneurs, solo doctors often are seeking the kind of hands-on involvement and chance for innovation and financial success that comes with running a small business.

"Setting my own hours and hiring my own staff was important to me when I started out," said dermatologist Dr. Robert Brody, who set up his East Side dermatology clinic in 1982. "I'd never run a business before, but I was optimistic that I could handle it."

For health care professionals taking the leap into small business ownership, the driving force can come from any number of sources.

Many, like internist Dr. Joel Weisblat, who opened a general practice office in Beachwood in 2004 after several years in a large group practice, seek a return to yesteryear.

By running his own office, Dr. Weisblat said, he "could get back to the kind of practice of medicine where there was a more personal connection."

Similarly driven by a mission, Dr. Peter Dillard, who left MetroHealth Medical Center in 1999 to start a house-call practice concentrated on the East Side, wanted to focus on the care of the elderly and chronically ill.

See SOLO Page 24

MARC GOLUB

SHORT TAKES

SNAPSHOT

NOT JUST PLAYING AROUND: Playmatters opened its fifth location last month at 8646 Mentor Avenue in Mentor. Founded in 1992 in Pepper Pike, Playmatters first expanded to Shaker Square in 1995 and later opened its Solon location in 1998 and its Avon Commons location in 2002. Playmatters aims to offer safe and creative playthings that enrich children's lives and encourage family interaction, including toys from manufacturers such as Haba, Plan, Playmobil, Lauri, Smethport, Briarpatch, Ravensburger, Learning Resources, Kettler, Selecta and Kathe Kruse. Libby Ziegenhagen, daughter of Playmatters founder Michael Ziegenhagen, will manage Playmatters Mentor. Playmatters also will offer birthday parties and craft classes in the store beginning in January.

FLYING HIGH: The Department of Port Control is sponsoring a half-day event to help local small businesses owned by female or minorities explore ways to do business within the airport community. The Dec. 7 event, Synergy 2007, is designed to allow large and small businesses create synergy through networking opportunities, workshops and procurement insight from veteran entrepreneurs. Held at Burke Lakefront Airport, the half-day event will showcase a variety of business venues in addition to other city departments, allowing local and minority businesses to maximize their contact opportunities. To register, go to cleveland or call 216-265-6123.

GROWING BUSINESSES: The Northeast Ohio Incubator Collaborative, a partnership of Northeast Ohio Edison Technology Incubators, reported last month that programs at the incubators in its group created 681 jobs and generated $230 million in revenue over the last three fiscal years. NEOInc includes five incubators in Akron, Cleveland, Lorain County, Mansfield and Youngstown.

FISHING FOR BIZ WITH THE 'NET

A recent survey showed that most owners do not think their web site contributes much toward generating sales. Other findings:

51% of small, employing businesses have a web site.

21% of those web sites are equipped to make a secure financial transaction.

64% of small employers change the content on their web site less frequently than once a month.

Source: National Federation of Independent Business

20 CRAIN'S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

WWW.

SMALL BUSINESS

GRANDOPENINGS

NOVEMBER 12-18, 2007

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Best of Show Automotive owners Kelly (left) and Joseph Carroll have more than 65 muscle cars in their Mentor showroom. For a more detailed look, via video, at Best of Show Automotive, visit BestOfShow.

BEST OF SHOW AUTOMOTIVE LLC

5782 Heisley Road Mentor 44060

Owned by Joseph and Kelly Carroll, Best of Show Automotive is a muscle and high-performance showroom with more than 65 world-class, showwinning vehicles. In addition to its 7,000-square-foot showroom, Best of Show also offers full detailing and a 5,000-square-foot service area that can accommodate any job, such as simple tuneups, front-end alignments and full-scale restorations. Showroom hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; or by appointment. Office and service hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.

Phone 440-350-1480 Fax 440-350-1638 joseph.carroll@bestofshow

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SHOPAROONI

15813 Waterloo Road, Suite 5 Cleveland 44110

Shoparooni is a design and fashion boutique located in the Waterloo district of Cleveland, featuring shoes and accessories for men and women, handbags, designer toys, stationery and handmade goods from independent artists. The store is a collaboration between the husband-and-wife team of Marlee Brown, a graphic designer, and Steve Brown, a yo-yo performer. Ms. Brown is the owner and handles the financial duties and design, while Mr. Brown handles buying, day-to-day operations and marketing. Shoparooni carries a variety of brands, including T.U.K., StrangeCo, Heavy Rotation, Demonia, Sha-Sha, Social Studies, Radioactive and Shawnimals. The store is open from 2 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; from 2 to 11 p.m. Friday; from noon to 11 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. There will be extended hours for the holidays and special events.

216-383-3633 info@

VALUATION & LITIGATION CONSULTING LLC

600 E. Granger Road Cleveland 44131

Terri Lastovka has opened the office of Valuation & Litigation Consulting LLC. VLC provides business valuation services to closely held companies for estate planning, probate, domestic relations, shareholder disputes, succession planning and buy-sell arrangements. VLC also works closely with clients and their attorneys to support the financial aspects of their cases in litigation and to effectuate appropriate settlements. She is a member of the American Society of Appraisers, the Ohio Bar Association, the Cuyahoga County Bar Association, the Cleveland Bar Association, the Akron Bar Association, the Lorain County Bar Association and the Center for Principled Family Advocacy. She has been consulting with business owners

for 20 years and has specialized in business valuation for 10 years. She is active in the family law sections of the various bar associations.

216-661-6626 lastovka@

THE HEARTLIGHT YOGA CENTER

21360 Center Ridge Road, Suite 407 Rocky River 44116

Using the therapeutic benefits of yoga and its philosophies, the HeartLight Yoga Center offers a variety of classes and private sessions from traditional yoga to special classes for those dealing with challenges to mind, body and spirit. Beginning yoga, hearty yoga, yoga for chronic pain, restorative yoga and reiki are a few of the classes offered. Founder and director Judi Bar is an advanced yoga teacher, yoga therapist and reiki master. Her staff of yoga teachers and therapists are advanced graduates of yoga teacher training and registered through the Yoga Alliance.

440-356-6991

BAR CENTO

1948 W. 25th St. Cleveland 44113

Owner Sam McNulty has partnered with chef Jonathon Sawyer to open a restaurant in Ohio City adjacent to the Belgian beer bar McNulty's Bier Markt. Bar Cento features Romaninspired recipes utilizing fresh local ingredients. The menu includes brickoven pizzas, house-cured salume and antipastos, a wine list featuring more than 100 bottles, old and new world, as well as several local varieties. Open every day and serving food until 2 a.m.

Phone 216-274-1010 Fax 216-274-9744 sam.mcnulty@

To submit a new business to be included in Grand Openings, e-mail sections editor Amy Ann Stoessel at astoessel@ or call 216-771-5155.

NOVEMBER 12-18, 2007

WWW.

CRAIN'S CLEVELAND BUSINESS 21

SMALL BUSINESS

Protection, flexibility make single-member LLCs attractive

The single-member limited liability company steadily has gained in popularity over the past several years as a means of establishing a business entity that gives the owner plenty of flexibility and protection from liability.

Ohio law has allowed businesses to be organized as limited liability companies for many years now, and it has become a fairly common approach.

The LLC structure allows a great deal of flexibility for a company to be owned by a limited number of stakeholders or a large number, to be operated by members or hired managers and to bypass many of the rigid requirements on corporations that are meant to protect distant or uninvolved shareholders.

The greatest appeal, however, is perhaps the protection from liability. Owners in an LLC can be held professionally liable within the context of the business entity, but that liability does not extend to their personal lives or their personal assets.

Now, that same flexibility and protection from liability increasingly is extended to individual business owners and business entities in the form of a single-member limited liability company.

A single-member limited liability company is a limited liability company with only one owner or partner. That owner can be an individual or another business entity, depending on the objective of forming the single-member LLC.

Before changes were made to the state's LLC laws, an unincorporated business operated by a single owner would be regarded as a sole proprietorship, offering no particular protection from personal liability for the business owner.

The use of single-member LLCs is augmented by a change in the way business entities are classified for federal tax purposes.

With the implementation of its "check-the-box" rules, the Internal Revenue Service automatically treats a single-member LLC as a "disregarded entity." That means the single-member LLC is treated as if it doesn't exist for tax purposes, so all taxes are reported and paid by the individual or business entity that owns the single-member LLC.

Generally, that would simplify the tax reporting and payment process significantly. Yet, the entity is afforded the protection from liability that typically wouldn't exist with a sole proprietorship or a general partnership.

The beauty of the arrangement is that it not only allows an individual to operate under greater protection from liability, but it gives companies of all shapes and sizes a way to isolate riskier parts of their business into a stand-alone entity that can't jeopardize the rest of the company.

It also preserves a major tax advantage for single-member LLC owners that are noncorporate owners -- a single-level of taxation on its earnings.

For example, investors in real estate are finding they can own a variety of properties, each held under a separate single-member LLC, so that any kind of claim or dispute arising from one property can't affect other properties held by the same investor.

It's also a useful structure for a company entering a new line of

business or a new geographic region, for example.

If a company decides to begin a new product line for which there may be some risk of failure or some hazardous materials involved, it may establish that business under a single-member LLC so the effect of any possible losses or failures will be confined to that business unit.

Likewise, if a company wants to establish an operation in a distant country it may consider doing so under a single-member LLC.

Typically, the best avenue to a foreign venture is to find a partner in the target country, but that

PETERDEMARCO

TAX TIPS

often introduces risk to the home company. Companies may be able to make that leap without putting the entire company on the line by isolating the partnership into a sin-

gle-member LLC. In all of these cases, if the single-

member LLC is owned by an individual or other flow-through entity, such as an S corporation, partnership or another LLC, the structure will preserve the benefit of one level of taxation.

As with any business decision, there are some downsides to consider -- most significantly in this case, the tax consequences. Because a single-member LLC is a "disregarded entity" for tax purposes, revenue and expenses are reported directly on the tax return of the owner of the single-member LLC.

That introduces the effect of self-employment tax. For some individuals, there may be some benefit to a corporate structure such as an S corporation to reduce exposure to self-employment tax.

Increasingly, companies and individuals are finding new ways to use the single-member LLC structure to provide greater flexibility, tax benefits and protection from liability.

Peter A. DeMarco is vice president and director of tax services with the regional accounting and business consulting firm of Meaden & Moore, headquartered in Cleveland.

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THIS ANNOUNCEMENT APPEARS AS A MATTER OF RECORD ONLY

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NOVEMBER 12-18, 2007

SMALL BUSINESS

Innovation can be imperative for those in hands-on trades

Demand still exists for businesses that create, restore items

By HARRIET TRAMER clbfreelancer@

A bigail Maier speaks softly, selecting her words with great care. That, however, does not stop Ms. Maier, leader of the Council of Smaller Enterprises Arts Network, from being very direct when she delivers her message: People who have a talent for making beautiful things or returning things to their original beauty or condition must network with other entrepreneurs and tap into available resources.

And they also must keep up with the times by making extensive use of the Internet to market their products and skills, which can seem obsolete in a world of massproduced goods where newer often is touted as better.

"Professionals who work with their hands play a vital role in keeping many companies running smoothly," said Ms. Maier, whose group was formed in April 2006 and now has 200 members, including craftspersons, artists, singers and dancers.

"They just have to understand that they themselves have a small business and that they must treat it as such," she said.

Keeping with the time

Terry Boettcher, who owns All About Time, is not a member of Ms. Maier's group, but he has long subscribed to her message about the need to be business conscious.

That explains why he first began selling clocks online 10 years ago when e-commerce still was in its relative infancy.

Mr. Boettcher, who repairs clocks and watches in addition to selling them, said his web site accounts for about 60% of his firm's revenue while his Chagrin Falls store accounts for the remainder. These figures have held fairly constant over the past eight years, with his revenues growing by an estimated 10% a year.

"I didn't just put up my Internet site and let it go at that," said Mr. Boettcher, who taught himself to repair clocks. "You have to constantly innovate. I have done that by becoming the importer of Junghans watches from Germany."

Several years ago, Fredda Barnes discovered that she, too, needed to become innovative with her craft.

After years of turning out wedding and prom dresses at Mentor-based Creations and Alterations by Fredda, Ms. Barnes came to realize that seamstresses are not in a position to duplicate the wide variety of affordable clothes available over the Internet; the world has changed markedly since her grandmother had to make her own clothes because she could not purchase any in her small size.

So she embarked on an adventure that made business sense to her and she formed EFY Custom Embroidery

JANET CENTURY

Melvin Janczylik, the owner of Strongsville-based Broad Oaks Upholstery, said there is not enough upholstery training available.

with her friend, Cathy DeCapite, producing fine needlework.

"Our business has quadrupled since we started only three years ago, but I have to do sales and make deliveries," Ms. Barnes said. "I wear a lot of hats. We have really benefited from having major accounts, such as the Severance Hall gift shop. We are very serviceoriented and that has been our big competitive edge. You have to be at this point in time."

Making what's old new again

Every time Melvin Janczylik, who owns Strongsville-based Broad Oaks Upholstery, hears an advertisement for sofas priced at $300 he chuckles at the message it is delivering to him: Considering how much wood and other materials cost, anything sold at that price simply cannot represent quality.

And it's for this reason, he said, that he believes there is a strong demand for craftspeople like him who have a knack for reupholstering old items.

Mr. Janczylik said, however, that schools have not responded to this demand by teaching upholstering. And people like him who have years of experience generally are so overloaded with work they cannot find time to train apprentices.

Also frustrating to him is the fact

that many people -- folks whom he

labels "butchers" -- take jobs re-

upholstering furniture only to suc-

ceed in further damaging the items.

"That type of thing is happening

more now than it did just a few

years ago," Mr. Janczylik said.

"That is because people are not

being trained to do this type of

work. I can't predict the future, but

this trend might continue."

Along the same lines, there's also

a surprising amount of demand for

television repair despite the fact that

most would imagine that nobody re-

pairs televisions any more, said

Shawn Dulaney, who handles

administrative matters at Steve's TV

and Electronics in Oakwood Village.

Mr. Dulaney said those who

have purchased the latest and the

greatest -- plasma and other

high-end models -- want to pro-

tect their investment.

And because the components of

these units are complex, fixing them

can be lucrative for somebody who

knows their intricacies, he said.

But it's not always the newfangled

gizmos getting the attention.

"You would be surprised at the

number of people who come in here

with 20-year-old televisions that

they want repaired," said Mr.

Dulaney. "I guess they get more

attached to them than you might

imagine."

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24 CRAIN'S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

WWW.

NOVEMBER 12-18, 2007

SMALL BUSINESS

Women-centric events can captivate consumers

By KIMBERLY BONVISSUTO clbfreelancer@

T he female consumer market is a tough cookie to crumble. Vying for the attention of time-crunched, multitasking women is not easy. But some small businesses with limited funding have found a way to capture that market through women-only events that offer relaxation and networking opportunities -- along with a little shopping.

Dr. Richard E. Betor Cosmetic Dental Group of Rocky River, for example, recently held a "Look Good, Feel Good" ladies-only selfimprovement party at the Saucy Bistro in Westlake.

While the goal of the event was to bring in new clients to the Rocky River cosmetic dental practice, other women-owned small businesses benefited by showing their products and services to a captive audience.

The idea came from the cocktail parties hosted by cosmetic dentists on the East and West coasts.

"We got a lot of good connections

with people who were definitely interested (in cosmetic dentistry)," said Dr. Betor, adding that the smaller, more intimate setting netted as much business, percentage-wise, as a larger scale event, like a bridal show or women's exposition. "We already booked some appointments and consultations."

The 60 attendees were treated to chair massages, paraffin hand dips and hair styling and color consultations while they shopped for organic spices, natural-based home and body care items, unique clothing items and headbands. They also had the opportunity to meet Dr. Betor and learn more about his practice.

`A soft sell'

While these women-centric affairs can be marketed as social events, vendors can end up attracting new customers.

"It's a soft sell," said Karen Uthe Semancik of Chameleon Communications, who organized Dr. Betor's event. She said the small businesses gain exposure to new clients without doing 20 home parties.

One of the business owners who participated, Wendy Kamm, owner of the Rainbow Room Salon in Westlake, said events like Dr. Betor's are time efficient for the small business owner and the attendees.

Similarly, Sheila Becker, owner of Sheila Bee Designs and creator of is a Westlake mother of four who always is looking for a way to promote her business and grow her customer base.

"It's a visible way for people to come and see me, meet me in person and save on shipping costs," she said.

Roberta Dusek, owner of Tying Up Loose Ends, a personal gift buying, concierge and errand service, knows all too well that time is a luxury.

That's why she and a handful of other small business owners recently organized three holiday shopping events at Boston Township Hall in Peninsula under the name "Wrap It Up, I'll Take It."

The holiday gift marts, set for this Saturday, Nov. 17, and Dec. 8 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., will allow

each of the small businesses to display their wares for sale and capture customers in one location.

"It's making life easier for busy women," Ms. Dusek said. "Women businesses are pulling together to help support each other."

Ms. Uthe Semancik believes smaller, women-only events offer a certain intimacy.

"Who wants to walk around for three hours from booth to booth and pick up a plastic bag and a magnet?" she said. "Here you get something you need and want, and you get to meet a dentist. You're not exhausted and you didn't pay $10 for a hot pretzel."

5,000 potential customers

Catherine Bailey, managing director of the Cleveland chapter of eWomenNetwork, said her membership organization promotes women-owned businesses monthly at networking events.

In a luncheon setting, members gather to listen to a speaker on topics related to women in business and peruse showcase tables where women business owners can dis-

play their services or products.

"Women are more comfortable

in an atmosphere of intentionally

listening to see how I can help you,

as opposed to what can I get out of

this," she said.

The Rubber City Radio Group

Inc. of Akron -- which owns WAKR

1590 AM, WONE 97.5 FM and

WQMX 94.9 FM -- grabs the oppor-

tunity to appeal directly to women

through its Women's Fair in Akron.

Senior vice president Mark Biviano

said the company recognizes that

women are major drivers in the

economy.

While attendees are treated to an

afternoon of shopping with their

friends, vendors benefit from having

about 5,000 potential customers see

their services or products -- more

than some small businesses can hope

for over several months.

And while the event is done on a

larger scale than those directly orga-

nized by small businesses, the idea is

the same.

"I think the important thing is

we're opening the doors for women

to just have fun, and in the process

they're going to learn something

about themselves, meet new people

and new companies," said Joyce

Lagios of Rubber City Radio Group.

"I think that's fabulous."

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Solo: Insurance needs complex

continued from PAGE 19 "I saw a tremendous need for

physicians who could deliver health care in patients' homes," he said.

Dr. Everything

Doctors who choose to go out on their own need to have more than medical expertise -- they need to have a keen sense of business, while being tech-savvy, efficient and creative.

Dr. Weisblat, for example, tweaked off-the-shelf programs to automate his office, allowing him to respond to calls, pages and e-mails from patients, while Dr. Dillard's house calls dictated a different type of technical preparation.

"I've got an office in my black bag," says Dr. Dillard, who uses his laptop and a variety of miniaturized devices to do everything from oxygen saturation tests to electrocardiograms.

Solo docs often bring in consultants such as lawyers, accountants and financial planners, as well as medical practice and information technology specialists. They also tend to delegate and parcel out responsibilities among outside sources, such as staffing agencies, insurance brokers, laboratories and billing and collections agencies.

"Outsourcing lifts so many of the headaches completely off your head," said Dr. Bello, a Euclid ophthalmologist who took over his practice in 1979.

Then there's the liability of delivering health care in Northeast Ohio.

"Northeast Ohio is the worst part of the state for medical malpractice cases, and Cuyahoga County is the worst place in Northeast Ohio for them," according to David Scroggins, a principal with Clayton L. Scroggins Associates, a practice management firm based in Cincinnati.

In addition to malpractice insurance, solo doctors also have to carry property insurance, workers

compensation insurance, health insurance, life insurance and disability insurance.

And while business concerns have the potential to occupy a solo physician's mind, the patient always must come first, Dr. Bello said.

"You may apply the most up-todate business principles in a practice," he said. "But if you are not giving good care to patients -- if you don't have a passion for caring -- you are not going to have a good patient base."

Solo-practice prognosis

While consultant Mr. Scroggins

said there was a trend toward solo-

practice startups in the late 1990s

"in response to Hillary Clinton's

failed proposal ... to reorganize

health care delivery," he stressed

that going it alone isn't an option

for all physicians.

Using dermatologists and oph-

thalmologists as examples, he said

those who go solo do so because

they can; technology allows them to

be exceptional producers and they

don't have intense on-call demands.

The same reasoning can be used,

Mr. Scroggins said, to explain why

few pediatricians, family practice

physicians or obstetricians go solo.

What's the future look like for

those in solo practice -- and those

contemplating the jump?

Despite the unpredictable na-

ture of health care and insurance

regulations, Mr. Scroggins is pretty

bullish on solo-practice docs.

"For the last 25 years, 15% of our

consulting business has been with

physicians in solo practice," he said,

"so we see a strong future for physi-

cians who want autonomy in their

practice and the means to provide

personalized service to their

patients."

And for many solo-practice physi-

cians, retirement is a non-issue.

"I'm going to do this until I can't

carry my black bag anymore," Dr.

Dillard said.

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