Scott Carson is a reputable distributor of lasers used in various dermatological procedures. Additionally, he is an investor in healthcare technology platforms, primarily transactional platforms. This involves connecting customers to sales reps, manufacturers, and service providers. After the initial investment, Scott then moves on to operating them. The key focus of that is known as MRP which is completely focused on connecting representatives to customers.
Scott Carson is the owner of Oscilla Medical Lasers and is currently managing several companies through Healthcare Investment Advisors. He has 30 years of specialized healthcare transactional experience across the marketing, business development, sales, and management sectors
Scott Carson and his family moved to Park City five years ago from the southwest Denver area, and “the move has proven to be one that was well suited to our family of six,” they said. “Our goal was to raise our children in a smaller community.” Mr. and Mrs. Carson have been married going on 27 years. They have enjoyed all that Park City has to offer from the skiing, dining, outdoor activities and welcoming community.
How did you get started in this business? What inspired you to start this business?
I got started in this business because I saw how inefficient the distribution channel is and continues to be today. Medical equipment, such as lasers, are sold directly through the manufacturers to customers or independent dealers to customers. A comparison to that would be before there was Home Depot or Lowes, there was a lumber store and then a bolt store and a plumbing store. Big box retailers in all different sectors have found efficiencies by centralizing distribution and that has not happened with medical equipment in healthcare it is still sold in a very fragmented way. So, the investments and the technologies we’re developing are all related to creating that efficiency that doesn’t exist.
How do you make money?
I make money by taking fees for making those connections, or, if we’ve made investments, by those investments growing in value.
When you were starting out, was there ever a time you doubted it would work? If so, how did you handle that?
All the time and never. If you are a founder; I think there is a big difference between founders and entrepreneurs. For example, all entrepreneurs are not founders but all founders are entrepreneurs. If you’re a founder and you are taking on any big challenges or risks, do so confidently. If you truly believe that you are going to fail, you wouldn’t be taking the risk.
So, no, I never truly believed that I would fail, but as you’re going along, bad things happen all the time, making you second-guess yourself. But you can’t tell anybody, you can’t admit it.
What is one marketing strategy (other than referrals) that you’re using that works really well to generate new business?
I think people underestimate the power of eBay. eBay has about 172 million worldwide customers and people consider it to be what’s called a practical and collectible marketplace. Collectibles being stuff like beanie babies and practical being something like golf clubs.
eBay is actually a powerhouse when it comes to search engine optimization. I don’t think people really appreciate its global impact and how far it reaches. Especially when it comes to business and industrial. I think that is one strategy that people don’t recognize.
What is the toughest decision you’ve had to make in the last few months?
HR issues. Always. There’s always stuff internally to take care of that can be frustrating.
What do you think it is that makes you successful?
Persistence. I don’t stop until I have the results that I want. I’ll use all the resources at my disposal to accomplish my goals and it’s this attitude that has helped me become successful
What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
My most satisfying moments happen all the time when customers are elated with our service. This means that my team nailed it. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of satisfying your customers. A satisfied customer with Scott Carson lasers is our main goal.
What does the future hold for your business? What are you most excited about?
I think if you are very smart and intelligent entrepreneur and founder of a company- I surely wasn’t one of them- you value your relationship with customers and employees above all things. Early on I really didn’t value that but as I look forward to the future, it’s all about the relationships that we create with employees and customers. That is by far the thing that I am most excited about and look forward to the most.
What business books have inspired you?
Gladwell, Howard Shultz (Starbucks), Julian Treasure. All great books that have helped me on my business journey.
What is a recent purchase you have made that’s helped with your business?
New desks for staff. We recently bought new cubicles for employees in one of our offices. It’s surprising how much they appreciated a better working environment. We see this from companies all the time having the right technology, like desks that go up and down. The desks were something that we did to create more efficiency in our workspace the collateral benefit that we didn’t expect was how much they appreciated it.