Your new life starts today, if you start it today!
Featured Products Promotional FeaturesPosted by: Dental Design 20th June 2022
Talking points
- What does it mean to be an entrepreneurial dentist today?
- What do I need to get started?
- When is the right time to begin a new business venture?
Being a successful dentist today means different things to different people. Some look to develop their clinical skills and move into a specialism. Others choose to focus on general dentistry and providing essential care to a broad patient base. Some dentists want to buy their own practice and there are those aiming to build a mini-empire with multiple sites. There is appetite and opportunity for entrepreneurship throughout the profession. But how do you make it happen? How can you make your dream a reality?
It starts with the right mindset.
On a basic level, an entrepreneur creates or extracts value. For a dentist, this could be applied in various ways. You could expand on the services you offer in practice to provide more comprehensive care to your patients. You might instead start up a separate initiative that educates and sells products direct to patients. Alternative examples include setting up a new squat practice or taking over ownership of an existing business, developing a leadership role within your practice or moving into mentoring and lecturing and creating a name for yourself there.
No matter what you want to do, your attitude will – at least partly – determine your success. If you start a new venture thinking it will fail, then it will. However, the opposite is just as true. If you approach the situation with positivity and a commitment to making it work, then your chances of success are much higher.
What does it take to be a successful entrepreneur?
Number 1 is passion. You have to believe in what you’re doing and in yourself. Growing or creating a new business will be difficult, so you need to stay motivated to push through the hard times.
Number 2 is about being proactive. You have to go out and build your new life. Think about what productive steps you can make to get started and do them today!
Number 3 is adaptability. Use your experience and resilience from the past couple of years – channel it into your own project and remain agile to opportunities.
Number 4 is support. Don’t be afraid to make new connections. Book courses, attend relevant conferences – all of this will expose you the kinds of people who will help you get where you want to go.
Number 5 is strategy. It can be difficult to see exactly how you will achieve your goals, but it is important to create a plan so you know what steps you have to take. This can provide an approximate timeframe and help you hold yourself accountable as you move forward.
The most important thing is that you don’t keep waiting for ‘the right time’. The right time is now.
So, what can you do today? Perhaps you could spend 30 minutes at lunchtime researching courses for communication or speaking skills, or booking a place at an upcoming conference to hear from people that inspire you. Allocate time in your diary this week to brainstorm ideas and start formulating a strategy of how you to bring your vision to life. You could schedule a meeting with your boss to discuss the possibility of flexible hours should you decide to further your clinical qualifications. If you’re interested in running your own courses, or creating a mentoring programme, send a simple email to local colleagues to assess demand. Alternatively, maybe you need to arrange a meeting with the bank to explore potential lending options and to gain a better understanding of not only where you stand, but what you could do to improve circumstances for when you are ready to take the plunge with a new business.
There may be obstacles that you need to overcome along the way, but you can only do this if you start the journey. As we enter the second quarter of 2022, there is still plenty of time to make sure this year is a positive one for your development. If you want to know more about where to start or need some support to get an idea off the ground, the Re-IGNITE development academy may be just what you need – just connect with me on Instagram to start a conversation.
Action points:
- Think about what aspects of your job or the profession you are most passionate about.
- How could you grow this aspect or turn it into a new venture that would bring joy to your life?
- Even the smallest first step is still a first step. Be proactive, start drafting a strategy and commit to doing one thing today to get started.
Look up The Re-IGNITE Academy or Mahmood Mawjee on Instagram or online to find out more!
