The most important quality to look at when buying a practice is one with strong office collections.
As a general rule of thumb, I strongly encourage you to ignore any practice that is not collecting at least $750,000, preferably $800,000+.
Why is that? Read on to find out. (More detail in the video after the jump.)
Make sure you include the three (well… technically four) S’s in your mailers: Specificity. Seller’s Shoes. Sincerity.
What do those actually mean in practice? Click through to find out.
For the vast majority of dentists purchasing an existing practice is easier, faster, less risky, and at least as rewarding as going the startup route.
Now, my purpose here is not to completely poo-poo the idea of startup practices. Sometimes doing a startup is a great option. But there are three very common myths circulating about the [false] “cons” of buying an existing office. I want to dispel these myths and break them down for you based on my years of experience.
Hygienists can make or break a practice. They’re not the engine that drives a practice’s profitability (that’s you), but they’re the oil that keeps it all going, both internally among the team and in interactions with patients.
Just like asking strong questions can work for your benefit, asking wrong questions will be to your detriment. Here are 4 questions to avoid at all costs when meeting the seller.
That first meeting with a meeting with a seller is vital, and so is the first impression you give them. Making that great first impression will largely come down to the questions you ask, and how well you listen to the answers.
Here are 4 excellent questions to ask to set yourself apart.
Now is probably the best time to buy a practice for most of you! Most dentists wait too long and after they own, wish they’d done it sooner. The three most common concerns tend to be 1) “I don’t have the money,” 2) “It’s not the right time in my career,” and 3) “The market is too high / too low.”
Let’s look at each of these.
There are two ways to find good practices for sale: brokers and private sellers. You should spend 80% of your search time with private sellers and the remaining 20% using brokers to search.
Click through to learn more about what I mean by that.
One of the most common concerns I hear about a practice for sale is that the selling doctor is contracted with Delta Premier.
Why is that a concern?
If you are not already aware, Delta Premier is essentially a great reimbursement plan to be a part of. Unfortunately, they no longer contract with new doctors. It’s essentially a “grandfathered” plan that many sellers have been benefiting from for years that is most likely unavailable to you.
So what can you do about that?
When my team completes an assessment for the practice of interest, we always request a staff census.
Does this report impact the worth of the practice? No, but it sure does impact your excitement and can be an indication of potential hurdles or triumphs.