Jack Canfield, the author of Chicken Soup for the Soul, is famous for his rags-to-riches story of how he contacted five people a day to promote his book. The key to his success was his commitment to action. He offers the following tips for businesses:

Octopus continues its quest for the most reliable and accurate visual fields examination with the new Octopus 900.  The Octopus 900 is a full-field projection perimeter.

The Octopus 900 is available in two models:  The 900 Basic and the 900 Pro.

All the features found on the 900 Pro, such as blue/yellow testing and automatic eye tracking, can be added to the 900 Basic with the appropriate downloaded dongle codes.

While the primary workload at Bell involves sales, installation, and warranty work for new instrumentation, we still run a full time repair shop with all the tools and parts needed to keep your older instruments in top condition and accurate calibration.

For example, we will completely overhaul your Reichert Ultramatic Phoroptor for $620.  Many people don’t realize the fact that this is less than 15% of it’s current list price.  We also provide a free loaner.  If this service is performed once every 3 or 4 years, the top performance of this instrument can be extended indefinitely.

Last week the Office of Economic Development announced that the US has been in a recession for over a year. Although most people have felt some effect from the economy, hearing an official announcement underscores the importance of making every asset in your practice effective.

Perhaps it’s a good opportunity to take stock of exam equipment to make sure that it’s as productive as possible. Programmable patient chairs and room light control systems shave minutes from precious examination time. State of the art imaging and diagnostic instruments pave the way for exceptional patient care, while forging the way to the future of electronic medical record keeping.

Reliability is also critical. Equipment that works flawlessly saves down time and prevents lost income. During an economic downturn, it’s tempting to save money on less expensive equipment, but, in the long run, the bargain brands can cost much more. Invest in proven brands like Haag-Streit, Reliance, Canon, and Topcon. These instruments will serve your practice through this recession and far into the future. In many instances, for the life of your practice.

Bell Ophthalmic experts can assess your practice and recommend equipment to fit your needs. We offer complete installation and our factory trained technicians can service and maintain any equipment in your office.

Section 179 of the IRS Tax Code allows a small business or professional practice to deduct the full purchase price of financed or leased equipment in the current tax year. Qualifying equipment must be within the specified dollar limits of Section 179, and the equipment must be placed into service in the same tax year that the deduction is taken. For tax year 2008, this means the equipment must be put into service before 12/31/2008. For further information, visit www.section179.org and ask your tax advisor how Section 179 can best fit your business needs.

Intelligent strategies for the purchase of new equipment, in many ways, allow you and your staff to become more efficient and productive.

It may be time to rethink the egg-white omelette. Popular on breakfast menus with dieters and cholesterol watchers, they’re often prepared with chopped spinach and tomatoes and arrive with whole-grain toast. Although the egg-whites-and-veggies-only choice is lower in total calories, fat and cholesterol, saying no to yolks is not always the healthiest thing to do.

Good for your eyes
A recent study in the journal Archives of Ophthalmology found a link between two anti-oxidants found in egg yolks - lutein and zeaxanthin - and the prevention of macular degeneration. Some brands of eggs, including Eggland’s Best, contain about 25% more lutein than regular eggs.

Good for your mind
Yolks are a good source of choline, a nutrient that helps maintain the structure of brain cells. Choline is especially important for fetal brain development. Two eggs provide about 250 milligrams of choline, or roughly half the recommended daily intake for pregnant women.

The cholesterol?
According to the American Heart Association, healthy people should limit their dietary cholesterol intake to 300 milligrams a day (200 if you have heart disease). The yolk of a large egg contains about 210 milligrams of cholesterol. So, do the math. But not everyone in the health and nutrition world agrees with the AHA’s advice. A recent Physicians Health Study reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found no link between those who ate up to six eggs per week and the risk of dying of heart attack or stroke. But saturated fats do raise blood cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease. So go easy on the bacon, sausage and butter that often surround breakfast eggs.

The egg’s a bargain
Whether you’re cutting calories or pinching pennies, eggs fit the bill. One egg contains 13 essential nutrients - and all for only 75 calories, including high-quality protein, folate, iron and zinc.