Business

Recession-Proof Medical Practice Marketing

Published

2 years ago

June 22, 2023

What’s the difference between a recession and a depression? In a recession, your competitors close their doors. In a depression, you close yours. As physicians across the country increasingly worry about their economic and financial future, the specter of the largest recession in decades or possibly a depression looms large. For medical practices, the stakes are particularly high as patients delay elective procedures, and even ongoing wellness care or chronic disease treatment.

The question that looms large for many practice owners is: how do you prepare for an uncertain financial future?

When preparing for an economic downturn, it is important to understand the difference between Practice Marketing Resistance and Resilience. Marketing Resistance is the ability of a practice to withstand a disturbance in revenue flow by putting in place marketing processes that make it possible to return to normal operations with minimal disruption. Marketing Resilience, on the other hand, is the ability of a practice to recover after suffering great harm from a serious revenue disturbance and continue to operate in a devolving situation.

This article is developed using insights from Peter J. Polack, MD, a practicing ophthalmologist who specializes in laser refractive and cataract surgery. Additionally, he is the founder of Emedikon, a venture marketing firm that leverages his proprietary Practice Domination Marketing Protocol to help medical practices improve their marketing strategies. With a family background in ophthalmology, Peter has witnessed firsthand the changes affecting healthcare practices and delivery. For many years, he has been fascinated by the role of technology and marketing in the medical field.

Peter shares his insights on marketing through his blogs on Healio Ophthalmology and Eyes on Eyecare. He is also a prominent contributor to Quora.com, an expert platform where his posts have garnered over 4 million views. This gives him an unprecedented insight into what patients want, which informs how he views crafting excellent patient experiences, which we all know is the coin of the realm.

The good news, he reveals, is that in an economic downturn Marketing Resistance and Resilience programs as integral parts of your marketing efforts can be the deciding factors in whether your practice thrives, survives, or closes its doors. The key is to understand your practice’s situation and tailor your marketing accordingly. Here are three steps that can help your practice build resilience or resistance and prepare for an uncertain future.

Step 1: Marketing Triage

The first step is to perform Marketing Triage by critically evaluating every opportunity source you are currently investing in. Make sure you have a full inventory of every lead source that brings in opportunities. Are you tracking all leads that come in through the phone, email, website, or other sources? After you have built your lead sources list, assess each one’s ability to capture leads, nurture, and convert them into revenue. Are you following up with them in a timely manner and nurturing those leads through the entire patient journey? By identifying gaps in your lead capture and conversion process, you can prioritize your efforts and allocate resources to where they will have the most impact. In broad strokes, this means you will have to do a detailed performance evaluation of your traffic and funnels.

Step 2: Focus on High-Value Cash Services (for prospects who still have money)

During a recession, as we experienced in 2009, patients are more selective about the cash services they choose. This means that practices should focus on offering high-value cash services that you know will always be in demand by patients with discretionary dollars. In the marketing world, this is known as “marketing to the affluent,” a term of art first articulated by Dan Kennedy, whose book about it is on Amazon if you’re interested. By prominently marketing these services and tailoring your messaging to emphasize their value and affordability, you can maintain revenue and build a marketing list of prospects with disposable income. You can instantly promote directly and on demand to this audience (practically free) using email and SMS. The money’s in the list.

Step 3: Diversify Your Marketing Efforts

Finally, it is important to diversify your marketing efforts to reach a wider audience and maximize your exposure. This means using a mix of online and offline channels, such as social media, email marketing, search engine optimization, print advertising, and community outreach. There are only four ways to reach your audience of choice:

Online + paid traffic – advertising on social media and various ad networks
Online + free traffic – known as content marketing
Offline + paid traffic – print, TV, radio, ads, billboards, local events, and sponsorships
Offline + free traffic – referrals, word-of-mouth, waiting room signage

With a diversified marketing approach, you reach patients where they are and increase your chances of success.

In conclusion, building Marketing Resistance and Resilience requires a strategic approach that takes into account your practice’s risk tolerance levels and its unique situation and challenges. By performing marketing triage, focusing on high-value cash services, and diversifying your marketing efforts, you can prepare your practice for a recession and emerge stronger on the other side.

Business

Remote Professionals Getting More Value for Their Work Thanks to Borderless Banking

Published

3 days ago

July 10, 2025

Matthew Wiles

Not too long ago, the idea of working remotely from an island in Thailand or a co-working space in Berlin sounded like the kind of fantasy only tech moguls or backpacking freelancers could afford.

Fast forward to today, and it’s as good as a global reality. Millions of professionals have cut the cord from traditional office life in exchange for flexibility, freedom, and a work-life balance that fits their personal rhythm and not their employer’s timezone.

However, as remote work has reshaped how people earn a living, it’s also pointed out the existing limits to most of the world’s financial systems. Traditional banking simply wasn’t built for a workforce that’s always on the move, operating in multiple currencies, and getting paid across borders.

Thankfully, that’s where borderless banking like Black Banx have proven vital, and has quietly transformed the way money is managed for people vacationing and working overseas alike.

The Rise of the Remote Work Economy

Remote work isn’t just a pandemic-era trend that faded with Zoom fatigue—it’s become a defining feature of the modern workforce. A recent survey revealed that over 39% of Gen Z and Millennials planned to live and work abroad for extended periods this year, many staying six months or more in a single location. That’s beyond a short trip, and can be considered as good as a sabbatical with a substantial lifestyle shift.

According to recent estimates, the digital nomad economy now also contributes as much as US$787 billion annually to the global economy. And this isn’t just entry-level gig work. A third of digital nomads earn between US$100,000 and US$250,000, while another third take in US$50,000 to US$100,000 annually.

It is indeed evident that the manner in which many make a living has changed. Unfortunately, most financial systems haven’t kept up.

Where Traditional Banks Are Still Falling Short

For those who have ever tried to open a bank account abroad or receive payment from a foreign client, they already know the drill: the paperwork is endless, delays are frustrating, and the fees? So much to do, even for the smallest amounts of money.

Just to name few of the hurdles remote workers still face with conventional banking:

Account setup restrictions: Need proof of residence, tax IDs, or a local job offer—things many digital nomads simply don’t have.
Slow international transfers: Payments can take days to process, which is a nightmare when rent’s due.
High foreign exchange fees: Currency conversions often come with steep, hidden costs.
Limited multi-currency support: Most banks still force users to operate in a single currency, making financial planning chaotic at best.

And perhaps most tellingly, many banks have digitized their operations but haven’t personalized their services. According to Accenture’s 2025 Banking Trends Report, while digital transformation has improved efficiency, it often sacrifices the customer experience. That’s not great news for people who live outside the lines.

Borderless Banking for Professionals Across the Globe

The concept of borderless banking goes far beyond wiring money internationally. Fundamentally, it’s also about being able to eliminate the friction between people and their money, no matter where they are in the world, and maintaining an ecosystem where geography, bureaucracy, and currency don’t stand in the way of financial freedom.

A working example of this is Black Banx, a Toronto-based fintech founded by German billionaire Michael Gastauer. Since launching globally in 2015, it has grown to serve over 78 million clients in 180+ countries as of Q1 2025, proof that people take to digital banking solutions when it is accessible, affordable, and is useful in just about any locale.

In the first three months of this year, Black Banx had also earned US$4.3 billion in revenue and US$1.6 billion in pre-tax profit, more than double from the same quarter the previous year and showing it has consistently delivered tangible value to global customers—remote professionals included

How Borderless Banking Maximizes Value for Remote Workers

1. Instant Account Access—No Strings Attached

The times of hunting down local branches or collecting endless documents just to open an account are finished. With borderless banks, users can open an account in minutes using just a photo ID—no proof of address or income required. That’s a lifesaver for anyone living outside their passport country or hopping from one location to another.

2. Multi-Currency Mastery

Managing money in multiple currencies used to mean juggling several accounts—or worse, losing money on conversions. Borderless platforms like Black Banx support 28 FIAT currencies and allow real-time currency conversions at competitive rates. That means remote workers can:

Invoice clients in one currency
Spend or save in another
Hedge against local currency fluctuations
Avoid excessive conversion fees altogether

3. Seamless, Real-Time Global Payments

Getting paid late, or paying others late, isn’t just inconvenient; it can damage relationships and disrupt your cash flow. With real-time payment support, remote workers can receive funds instantly, no matter where their clients are. This is particularly valuable for freelancers and entrepreneurs juggling multiple contracts across time zones.

Plus, bulk payment features and API integration streamline processes for those running teams or businesses.

4. Built-In Crypto Options

It isn’t surprising that many digital nomads are already deep into crypto. Whether it’s for investment, faster transactions, or avoiding traditional finance red tape, crypto is becoming essential.

Since 2016, Black Banx has allowed users to send, receive, and convert crypto (like BTC and ETH) within their accounts. That integration saves users from having to manage separate crypto wallets, and adds another layer of flexibility to their financial toolkit.

5. Secure Transactions

Remote workers often log in to work from cafés, coworking spaces, and airports, to name a few. Of course, this flexibility of being able to work almost anywhere should never come at the cost of security. Borderless banks like Black Banx use end-to-end encryption, AI fraud detection, and two-factor authentication to keep accounts safe from risky elements.

Financial Freedom, Not Just Convenience

Perhaps the most overlooked benefit of borderless banking is the freedom it provides. Not just to access money, but to fully participate in the global economy. For millions of professionals in underbanked regions like Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, borderless banking has become a gateway to financial inclusion and a way to take on opportunities that typically wouldn’t be available to them if not remote.

By removing barriers to entry, platforms like Black Banx empower underserved individuals to both take control of their finances and increase their earning power by working with companies from higher paying markets. This democratization of finance isn’t just good for individuals, it’s good for the global economy as a whole.

As Black Banx CEO Michael Gastauer put it: “Our multi-currency solutions enable businesses to tap into global talent without worrying about payment complexities. We make cross-border transactions as seamless as local ones.”

The Road Ahead

By 2030, the number of digital nomads worldwide is expected to soar past 60 million, according to the Forbes Technology Council. That means tens of millions of workers will be navigating foreign currencies, time zones, and financial systems—all while expecting the same seamless experience they’d get at home.

Indeed, remote professionals aren’t just looking for places to work—they’re looking for systems that work for them. In a lifestyle built on flexibility, traditional banking is proving too rigid, too slow, and too expensive.

Borderless banking services like those offered by the likes of Black Banx, on the other hand, offer exactly what today’s global workforce needs: instant access, multi-currency support, real-time payments, crypto integration, and enterprise-level security—all in a streamlined experience.