As it gets closer to the last quarter of the year, you might start looking at your yearly expenses and realize that you splurged a little too much, or better yet maybe not enough on new things for your practice. Whether you're looking to spend a few extra bucks at the end of the year or you've already made some big purchases that have really made a difference in your practice, we'd love to hear about them.

Check out this list for ideas of things to spend end of year money on in your optical practice. A lot of these ideas range in price, so whether you're looking to spend a little or a lot we've got an idea for you!

7 End of Year Optical Practice Shopping Spree Ideas

Payroll System

Managing the HR aspects of your eyecare practice can get time consuming. Adding on software that can help relieve some of the more administrative tasks can help save you time. There are a handful of payroll systems out there that can help you manage your payroll, so find one out there that is going to relieve some of your biggest payroll painpoints. 

Office Cleaning Service

Are you sick of spending the end of your week or the start of your day tidying up your office? The way your office looks is a big deal to your patients and the success of your practice, so if you're sick of trying to convince your staff into going the extra step to shine up your practice - hire it out. 

Already have a cleaning service? What about hiring a shredding service to visit your practice weekly to ensure that all of your confidential information is taken care of properly?

More Staff

We are firm believers that the people you have in your practice are truly what makes your practice thrive and grow. Is your team stressed out? Could you benefit from some extra help? Would bringing on another staff member allow you to see more patients in a day and generate more revenue? These are the questions to be asking to determine if bringing on some new talent is the right thing to do with your end of year cash. 

Practice Management and EHR Software

To state the obvious, we might be a little biased on this one. But shelling out money for modern practice management and EHR software for your practice can go a long way and spread those dollars out across several different areas of your practice. If you need more convincing, check out a few of these articles:

• Beyond the Numbers: The ROI of Your EHR Software
• How Does Optometry Software Boost Your Practice?
• Why Your Patients will be Happy You're Using EHR Software

iPads in the Waiting Room

If you're already using iPads in your exam lane, go the extra step and have an iPad or two in your waiting room so patients can fill out their pre-appointment information quickly online. That way your front office isn't wasting time on data entry from paper forms. Plus, you could keep an iPad handy for patients to kill some time on while they are waiting for their appointment. The happier they are in the waiting room the less they will notice if you're running behind schedule. 

Employee (and Patient) Perks

What are some things around the office that could be added perks for your staff or your patients? We're talking about things like a coffee maker, beverage fridge, water cooler, ice maker, etc. Are parking spaces in your lot covered? Could your practice use a fresh coat of paint or new flooring? What about new computer chairs for your front desk, or waiting room chairs for your patients? These are the little things that can go a long way with your team and keeping them happy in your office. 

Outsource Billing

Depending on the size of your practice and your staff workloads, billing could be an area of your practice that needs some help. There are services out there that allow you to outsource your billing to a team of experts who can manage the entire cycle for you. Depending on how successful your current claims and billing cycle is, this could be a service that ends up paying for itself.

If practice management and EHR software is in your shopping future, download the buying guide!