The election campaign is at last over and by the time you read this, there may or may not be a new Government with new priorities for us, and perhaps a new perspective on National Health Services dentistry (one must always hope).
Perhaps now is the time to implement your dream and open your own practice. Of course there are many reasons for not doing it: you don’t want the financial risk, the overall responsibility for staff, a team, and patients, the demands of book-keeping, the daily maintenance and other crises or fires to be fought and put out. After all, as a performer or associate, you turn up for work to see pre-booked patients, take care of them, go home and pursue your leisure activities, and can have a great lifestyle as well.
So why swap safety and security for the opportunities offered by opening your own practice? Here are five reasons why it might make sense to you:
1. Vision. With the experience you’ve gained in the last few years, and the changes you have seen in the dentistry offered in your local area, it is clear there are other ways of providing patients with their oral health requirements. You have thought about new techniques to be used, better ways, different ways to treat patients, and you want to create a new brand of dentistry that is yours, uniquely yours.
2. Independence. You have spent many years working under the mentorship of experienced, well qualified principals who have been generous in their time to ensure you have had the best possible grounding in providing great oral health treatment. But you’re frustrated you are not able to make the decisions you would like, to influence or change specific processes or protocols that are followed in your practice. Now you want to get out on your own, be accountable for your own decisions and enjoy the relative freedom of running your own show.
3. Leadership. You’ve watched your principal and how he/she works with the staff, you’ve seen colleagues in other practices performing a similar role and you’ve observed good and not so good practice. You buy-in to the idea the people in practice need to have common goals and to share a vision set out by a leader. You have seen how people can respond when given those circumstances and you have also seen what happens when there is no team and no leadership. So you recognise a great opportunity and challenge to be a leader and you’re ready, because you have a vision and because you want to create your own brand, to perform that role.
4. Special interests. As you have expanded your experience and the treatments you have been confident in performing, you have seen the opportunity provided to those of your colleagues who have been able to develop a thriving practice, based on some unique skills which they possess and which the patient would like to receive. Owning your own practice will give you the opportunity to build your expertise and will allow you to fulfil your dreams in a professional and patient centred way.
5. Financial growth. The ability to deliver personal financial growth through owning and running your own practice is neither as easy nor as straightforward as many may think. Opening a practice can require significant investment, depending on whether one is buying a well-equipped, substantial and established practice or whether one is buying a small practice with great opportunities for growth. Running a practice is no different from running any small business (ignoring all of the regulatory framework that is required for the operation of a high-street operating theatre), income must be generated, maintained and increased; staff must be hired, trained, motivated, developed and retained; costs must be kept under control and patients kept supremely happy.
Now you know why you want to start your own practice, you have defined your path for many years to come.
For more information on The Dentistry Business call 0161 408 2030 or visit www.thedentistsrybusiness.com
The Dentistry Business will be running a series of one-day seminars aimed at helping you make real improvements to your practice life. Starting a new practice and Making the most of your practice seminars are taking place between June and December 2010. For more information call 0161 408 2030 or visit www.thedentistrybusiness.com