What to expect when you’re growing your practice
Featured Products Promotional FeaturesPosted by: Dental Design 28th September 2022
If you’re looking to grow your business, you may be worried about creating additional stress on top of what you already experience in your day-to-day practice.
What does growing a business look like? There can be a lot of uncertainty, risk taking, potential sacrifices and sleepless nights – but with the right tools and support, you’ll be able to avoid these negative complications and be in the driver’s seat of your professional and personal growth.
Plan, plan, plan
One of the first things you should do before thinking about expansion is plan the direction in which your growth is headed. Within dentistry, the possibilities really do seem endless, which might make setting particular goals challenging. Your goals may change, but it’s worth establishing them at the beginning so you have a solid roadmap to start you off.
What are your goals? You might wish to adopt more automated technology over the next 12 months, which would certainly enhance many processes within the practice. This might be especially useful at the moment, as the profession is slowly recuperating after being encumbered with an intense patient backlog – efficiency and organisation have been of the essence. Additionally, expanding your service offerings is an ideal way to not only demonstrate your commitment to your patients’ oral health, but to also boost your revenue. In this scenario, you’ll need to budget for potential staff training and the relevant materials, tools and equipment. But when you consider treatments such as clear aligners, which are incredibly popular, then your investment would definitely be worth your while.
The power of patients
Your patients are your bread and butter, and play a huge role in the success of your business. By gauging their levels of satisfaction, you’re able to make changes to your business that will improve the service that you deliver. If your goal is to gain and retain more patients, think about how you can better enhance their experience.
If you do not do so already, it might be worth implementing post-visit surveys. If they leave positive feedback, you could ask to display their comments on your website. Negative feedback gives you a great opportunity to see where you could improve.
Also, never underestimate the power of word of mouth. When a patient recommends a friend or family member to your practice, they’re doing you an invaluable service. Why not set up a patient referral programme? Not only could you offer your patients discounted services for referring someone to you, but you could also offer a free consultation for the new patient.
Burnout – dentistry’s big bad wolf
In the midst of growing your business, it’s easy to lose yourself in your endeavours. It’s important to establish a suitable work-life balance to avoid burnout and spend enough time outside of work. Taking time out matters – it prevents you from becoming overwhelmed and overworked, and gives you sufficient breathing space to stay clear-headed.
The “always-on” culture can prompt individuals to work longer hours and prioritise their professional commitments over their personal ones. Burnout results when the work feels never-ending. According to the World Health Organization, burnout “is a syndrome conceptualised as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed”.[i] As you well-know, burnout is already a worrying issue within the profession – a report[ii] conducted by Dental Protection found that nearly 50% of respondents were not satisfied by their work/life balance and one in two considered leaving the profession owing to their personal wellbeing.
Due to the nature of dentistry, stress is unfortunately inevitable. Growing a business may not always seem an attractive proposition with the thought of all that additional stress. However, it’s entirely possible to prioritise growth without sacrificing your wellbeing. When you’re growing your dental practice, think about the ways you can set strict boundaries to ensure you’re not overworking yourself. Also, make sure to delegate tasks where appropriate to your team members, and manage your time effectively so you don’t become overloaded.
Find the help – it’s out there!
Of course, there are many different things to consider when planning to grow your business – it’s not something you need to do solo, though.
There are many resources out there that provide great advice and guidance for those looking to enhance their business, from books to webinars, workshops and business gurus. However, it’s always worth looking out for resources that are provided by professional bodies or individuals who know dentistry inside and out.
For instance, Dr Pravesh Solanki is hosting a course, Business and Mindset Mastery through IAS Academy, for dental professionals looking to enhance their businesses with the greatest success. In his one-day seminar, Dr Solanki talks about the importance of delegation and time out, how to set a 90-day plan and business processes. At the end of the day, delegates will be able to assess and prioritise personal and business growth goals, discover actionable patient gaining and retaining strategies and be able to improve their work-life balance.
You’re in the driver’s seat
Your dental practice is your legacy. With the right support and guidance, you can set realistic and achievable goals without sacrificing your wellbeing.
For more information on upcoming IAS Academy training courses, please visit www.iasortho.com or call 01932 336470 (Press 1)
[i] World Health Organization (2019). Burn-out an ‘occupational phenomenon’: International classification of diseases. [online] www.who.int. Available at: https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases [Accessed 20 Jun. 2022].
[ii] Breaking the burnout cycle: Keeping doctors and patients safe. (2019). Breaking the burnout cycle – Keeping doctors and patients safe. [online] Available at: https://mpscdnuks.azureedge.net/resources/docs/librariesprovider2/default-document-library/1907310561-uk-dp-burnout-policy-paper-web.pdf [Accessed 20 Jun. 2022].
