Dentistry is a very important field and a great business to get in. Dentists can make a good living either by working for a practice or opening one themselves. Operating your practice gives you more freedom, but it also comes with challenges and responsibilities. The issue is that many dentists aren’t fully prepared or even aware of what these are. Let’s take a look at a few common reasons why dental practices fail.
They Don’t Hire a Lawyer
The very first step in opening a practice should be to speak with a lawyer. Just one lawsuit could be enough to destroy a small practice, so you have to make sure that you have everything covered from a legal standpoint first.
One of the things a dental attorney will be able to help you with is employment law. They will also help you if one of your employees decides to sue. These are some of the most common lawsuits in practices and can be very difficult to deal with.
Then there’s the chance that someone sues you after treatment because they aren’t satisfied with the results or you made a mistake. This is another type of lawsuit that could mean the end of your practice if you don’t have the right people in your corner. They will be able to help you fight the case, and decide whether you should settle or go to court. They may also be able to help you if the lawsuit is slanderous or libelous and deal with the PR backlash that might come from it.
Miscommunication
Communication between you and your employees or between employees is something that a lot of practice owners tend to overlook, sadly. However, lack of communication could lead to serious errors on the ground or could affect the public’s perception of your practice.
You should make it a habit to meet with your whole team at the start of each day. You need to assess your priorities and any issues there might be with the practice. This could be a great time for team members to air grievances they may have and work on improvement.
Not Hiring the Right People
Not having the right people in crucial positions will affect your practice. While most owners will be smart enough to hire the very best assistants to work with them, they might not pay as much attention to positions like a receptionist for instance. But this is the first person most people will see when they come into your office. They play an integral role in branding and could make or break your business.
The way they greet customers and treat them the minute they enter the door could be the difference between getting a client for life or them running away. The receptionist also needs to be able to use all the latest customer management tools and software to make sure that they sound professional when dealing with inquiries. This is why you have to make sure that you are involved in the hiring process from A to Z and make sure that everything from your job listings to onboarding is congruent with your brand.
Lack of Imagination on Marketing
Marketing is usually not a forte for dental professionals. However, this is often one of the reasons why so many of them fail. Some are stuck in their ways and completely refuse to spend any time or energy on new techniques such as SEO or social media marketing. Others go about it completely the wrong way.
Some will use their social media page as a billboard or in a self-centric way. In reality, they should be focusing on being a resource to people instead. By teaching people, you will start to gain their trust and have a chance to show your expertise. They will then be more inclined to work with you.
Many also don’t understand the importance of being involved in their community. Offering free resources, for example, could help you build your brand locally. Organizing or sponsoring events could be a great opportunity. Or maybe you could offer to give workshops or go to schools to give lectures on the importance of dental hygiene. These are all things that will allow you to build a name for yourself and market your services on the back end.
Having a successful dental practice takes a lot of work. It also takes a good understanding of the business aspect of it, so make sure that you learn as much as you can and look for outside help when needed.
