Minding my own Business

Yesterday I spent much of the afternoon writing my new employees checks. Boy, I have GOT to get that process automated.... I had to tape the printout stubs to the envelope so the name and address showed through the window but not the amount of the check, so that was awkward. I guess previously there were checks printed off the computer on special check paper...

Another highlight was paying myself. Just wandered into the bank, whipped out a blank "starter check," wrote "Nate Swanson" in the upper left, pay to the order of Nate Swanson, signed it Nate Swanson and flipped it over to endorse it w/ yet another Nate Swanson signature. Ta da! I thought, "Hm, I hope I can afford to pay me that much." Then I figured I can't afford to not pay my mortgage, so there you go.

Rachel and Co. at Espiral are cranking away at my dental logo... we're hoping for something that conveys a retro-chic look (since the practice was established in the 50s, originally) or more of a "vintage" look to channel the look and feel of ads and store signs from the late 19th, early 20th century. We're hoping to convey a "traditional" and "small town" look that will reflect my philosophy of giving patients quality, personal attention, even if we don't necessarily cater to the "spa dental" clientele with lasers and other such gee gaws.

Goldurn consarned "esthetic dentist" whippersnappers!

On the other hand, we don't want to imply old as in technique... no one wants "Medeival Dental."

We did decide to call the new office "Newmarket Dental," figuring that will be most logical for Googling and so forth.

check out Newmarket, NH Web Site for a reference....

We thought about "First Falls Dental" (which sounds like someone will fall and chip a tooth) and other River related names....the River is the Lamprey, and surprisingly, "Lamprey Dental" is taken. Folks 'round here just associate it with the river, but I still don't know about the connotation of having your patients think about you in the same way as blood-sucking eels.

Any "river" reference was nixed as being trite: Riverfront, Riverside, Riverbend....

Everyone was tempted by "Main Street Dental" as the practice is on, well, Main St., but that was, unfortunately, taken by another office in New Hampshire, albeit 80 miles away.

Lastly, I liked Branscomb Dental, named after the Branscomb Inn & Tavern. The building the office is in is around 200 years old or so and that was the name of the business that occupied the building during the stagecoach days. Neat! But no one would get that. "Well, actually, no, there is not now nor was there ever a Dr. Branscomb...." So.