According to a poll sponsored by Public Affairs Council, approximately 88% of Americans support small businesses, and as many as 68% would pay more to do business with small businesses. However, this only reflects the B to C aspect. Is it also true in B to B settings? No such data exists.
Small businesses have to cut corners to remain profitable in a hostile market. In these transactions, it is not just the business's preference but also the owner's livelihood that matters. This inherent weakness of small businesses, due in part to economic policies, is exploited by large corporations. Furthermore, in certain conditions, the transactions may not follow legal guidelines, according to the survey.
Where cost does not matter, SB to SB engagement must be encouraged. An example of such cooperation could be small businesses in the healthcare field. Government policies and insurance carriers’ profiteering are driving small healthcare businesses to the brink of bankruptcy. Small laboratories are finding it increasingly difficult to compete with their larger counterparts. Clinicians running their small healthcare businesses face contracting reimbursement and rising expenses due to inflation and stipulated electronic modernization. Businesses that do not comply are monetarily penalized. Facing these constraints, independent or small groups of physicians are enticed by larger corporate laboratories at the expense of smaller laboratories. Quality of service is represented not by diagnostic excellence but by offering state-of-the-art Electronic Health Records systems and other more questionable incentives to the client. On the other hand, quality suffers as the pathologists working in larger laboratories have to read far more cases to maintain a traditional physician lifestyle.
Authorities have tried to stem such practices by corporate laboratories, in this case, by offering kickbacks in the form of free Electronic Health Record system with paraphernalia. Yet, many loopholes exist, and deep pockets have enough help to manipulate the legal directives. If a small business owner wants to venture in that direction, legal advice from their “affordable” attorneys is explicit.
Independent physicians with small businesses are trying to merge into sizeable groups to increase their negotiating capabilities with insurance carriers and other vendors to stay afloat. However, as long as government policies remain corporate friendly small businesses will continue to struggle.
Instead of waiting for bureaucracy to amend policies, small businesses should ally and create an SB to SB consortium to take matters into their own hands.
Contact Benchmark Diagnosis
Contacts us if you are looking for a reputable, rapid, reliable laboratory for pathology services and support small business. Toll Free: 1-844-232-7584 | info@benchmarkdiagnostics.com