As I speak with people on the phone and meet with them, the number one question they ask is always, "How is business?"
When business was great, it was a polite question. But now that the economy is not as strong as it used to be, you can hear the seriousness in their voice when they ask the question.
If DOTmed is any barometer, business is better. We see more deals happening, more people interested in more things, more postings, more inquiries and generally more activity.
Our traffic stats and activity stats indicate to me that the second quarter is going to be very strong. Based on scheduled removals, it looks as though the third quarter is going to be strong as well.
Now when I ask people how is business, I'm starting to hear a sigh of relief in their voice when they say things are better. I can tell that they mean it.
It seems to us that Eastern Europe, South Asia and, believe it or not, Africa, are strong markets while South America seems to be slowing down. The United States, while flat for the past two years, also appears to be showing signs of life.
PET/CT seems to be stronger than MRI but even MRI is firming up.
Medical surgical equipment, such as operating room and patient care products, seems to be the strongest of all.
This is great news for all of us in the business, no matter what you do.
I did notice that there is a consolidation of firms that transport and store mobile imaging equipment, such as mobile CT and mobile MRI. There are fewer transport and storage companies in that space and I think this is something DOTmed News will look into.
More to come.
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Phil is a member of AHRA, HFMA, AAMI and the Cryogenic Society of America. He has contributed to a number of magazines and journals and has addressed trade groups.
Phil's proudest achievement is that he has been happily married to his wife Barbara since 1989, who helped him found DOTmed in 1998.
