Summer break between junior and senior year in high school is a busy time. Different than I remember, much different.

Tons of junk mail from all the learning institutions, all constructed really well. I feel sorry for the mailman because this stuff has to weigh a ton. Much worse than Christmas cards and the delivery of these things spans a much longer period of time.

Glossy pictures, high-quality printing - these things must cost a fortune to produce not to mention the mailing charges. It would be interesting to see what the budgets are for this operation. Why would colleges and universities spend so much on something like this? Is it needed? The good schools always seem to be full; you always see they had thousands of applicants for each spot in the incoming class, so why would they spend this money?

To set themselves apart from the competition, make themselves stand out in a competitive market. They spend a lot to make their message a little different than the others. They identify a niche and gear their advertising to fit that niche.

Not saying we should all go out and send high-end printed materials to everyone, but identifying a niche and getting the word out to the public, social media, print, radio, word-of-mouth (most cost-effective way, IMHO) in today's competitive market is a huge necessity.

For me, single-visit esthetic dentistry and a willingness to have flexible hours have allowed my office to grow and prosper in today's world. And it has enabled me to save for a personal financial crisis in the making - three kids in college at one time in the next four years.