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Don’t Let Your New Practice Overwhelm You | Dental Consultant Near Me

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Starting your own dental practice can be an incredibly rewarding venture for dentists. There are many challenges involved in setting up and managing a dental practice. Building a successful dental practice business from scratch takes rigorous effort, time, and patience. It will take a great deal of consideration and planning before you can turn your dream into reality and open your own dental practice.

If it seems overwhelming, it’s probably because dental schools do very little to prepare students to set up their own businesses. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t be a proud owner of your own dental practice. To put it simply, you must think ahead, work strategically, and seek guidance from dental practice consultants when necessary. We have compiled a to-do list for launching your dental practice business to make your life easier. 

A brief overview of initial considerations

There are a number of initial considerations that will impact the success of your dental practice for years to come. As a result, it is essential not to be hasty when it comes to initial considerations. To begin, you need to determine whether you want to build your business from scratch or purchase an existing practice. Create a business plan based on your decisions, which should include your short and long-term business goals and strategies for achieving them.

In order to start a business, you will also need to rent or buy space. It is also a good time to consider your finances. Seek financing if necessary. Select the services and specialties of your practice and determine the hours of operation. By doing so, you will give your enterprise direction.

Develop a team for dental practice management.

Now that you have determined your business priorities, it is time for you to start building your team. The other members of your team will assist you in setting up and running the business. It is best to create an employment policy before you begin hiring staff. 

Running a business is not a one-man show. To achieve business success, you need a strong team that shares your ideals. 

Make sure you are insured.

The importance of having your insurance information in order cannot be overstated. This can save you a great deal of trouble in the later stages of your business. Here are some insurance coverages that you should consider:

  • Life insurance
  • Malpractice insurance for professionals
  • Business loan protection insurance
  • Entity malpractice insurance
  • Workman’s compensation
  • Insurance for business overhead

You may also want to get insurance for dental equipment, such as x-ray machines and mobile chairs. Choose an insurance policy that best fits your needs and offers you the most benefits.

Create a financial management plan.

When you are starting a business, the task of managing finances is multifaceted. The first thing you should do is file your state and federal taxes and obtain an IRS tax identification number. Now, you can accept payments in a variety of ways (credit cards or cash). In order to accept payments, you will need hardware and software. Additionally, you can develop different payment plans in order to accommodate your customers. Establishing relationships with major insurance companies is also a good idea. By doing this, you will be able to acquire more clients.

Develop a marketing strategy.

Marketing is fundamental to the success of any business. By investing in dental marketing at the right time, you will be able to attract clients and establish yourself as a leading dental practice. Develop a marketing plan that will result in the creation of a brand for your dental practice. It will help you gain loyal clients, and it will also make it easier for you to scale up in the future. 

It is not easy to start your own dental practice business. There is so much to do! However, if you begin early and set specific goals for yourself, you can overcome the challenges and start your business. The average time it takes to establish a dental practice is six months to one year. Dental practice consulting can expedite the process and ensure success.

The purpose of practice consulting is to eliminate stress from the process. While your business grows, they will take care of the business side of your practice so that you can remain focused on providing the best dental services to your clients. The practice consultant will evaluate your goals and requirements carefully in order to identify the ideal business solutions to help your company become more successful. Consider our dental practice consulting services if you are interested in starting your own dental practice. Contact our office to arrange a consultation today.

Victory Dental Management
Phone: (804) 399-2053

Coach’s Corner – Everything we do has some resistance.

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I want to write this Coach’s Corner in honor of Office Manager appreciation month. I have a lot of followers in all roles in dentistry and I want to write this specifically for managers. A lot of you share your situations and problems with me asking for advice and I love that. Please keep sending me your questions. I hear a lot about problems with patients keeping their appointments, treatment planning/acceptance, and maintaining the focus of your team. When I look at all of these issues, I keep coming back to the word resistance. In my experience, the easiest way to deal with resistance is to understand when it is likely to happen and fully prepare for it. Think about every opportunity you may face resistance in the office. Break that down into each example and prepare your response. The reason why you dislike it so much is because you are not ready with a response that seems genuine, and you have not practiced enough with your verbal delivery to sound smooth or confident. When you are prepared, it will not affect you as much as when you are surprised or tripping over your words. A great idea to involve your team is to ask when they face resistance and work on acceptable verbiage that everyone can use. If you are not confident, chances are your team is not. This is a great subject for a team meeting. Patient resistance affects every member of the team no matter their role in the office. Creating the opportunity for a collaborative approach will ensure that the entire team uses the same bullet points, and your message is consistent in the practice.

The Keys to Success in Your Dental Practice | Dental Consultant

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Patients today think and behave like consumers when it comes to their healthcare, including their dental care. The key to running a successful dental practice is to approach your business from the standpoint of a business owner. It will assist you in meeting patients’ expectations and achieving revenue targets by providing a high standard of care.

Customer service, satisfaction, and retention

In order to run a profitable practice, you must deliver services that consistently support your patients’ health and ensure their satisfaction. High customer satisfaction translates to higher retention rates. Maintaining a high retention rate will allow you to keep marketing costs low, as long-term patients not only return every year but also bring their families with them.

Positive interactions with their care providers, easy access to their medical records, straightforward billing, and convenient scheduling are all factors that influence customer satisfaction. It is important to maintain consistency within a dental office by implementing technology systems that promote these objectives.

Technology and equipment

In order to achieve consistency across all your operations, you should invest in technological, operational, and financial systems. Doing so will facilitate consistent patient care throughout your organization.

For your staff to be able to serve many patients at once, it’s essential to have enough dental equipment for multiple operating rooms. It is equally important to have a dental-specific software-based health information system for managing insurance and billing. The systems can store patient information, such as treatment plans, so that it can be accessed easily when needed.

An electronic health record is the foundation of a medical software infrastructure. If you want to schedule appointments easily, you can use integrated software that sends text or voice reminders.

A large investment in such software can be expensive—you can expect to pay anywhere from $20,000 to $70,000 depending on the size of your practice. A bank term loan could be used to cover this expense. Include the software with the physical assets to provide more collateral. Consider cloud-based software-as-a-service models that require a monthly fee rather than an upfront payment.

Websites and digital marketing.

For a dental practice to be successful, it must attract new customers. An effective web presence can help you market your practice and make important information easily available to customers. Create an aesthetically pleasing layout and include detailed information about your practice, the services you offer, and your availability.

There are other ways in which your website can support your practice. Some practice management systems will integrate with your website to allow online appointment scheduling, modification, or cancellation.

You can also explore other methods of web-based marketing. Connect your free Google listing to your website so people searching for area dentists can easily find you. Have your patients write reviews for your practice online and they will provide you with testimonials you can use on your website.

Building the right team

Staffing your practice correctly is another key to success. It will greatly simplify your role as a dentist and business owner to have skilled employees in place. A trained office manager is particularly important for managing accounting activities, scheduling, and customer service issues. Set a positive tone by clearly communicating your objectives for the practice, your expectations for each team member, and your deadlines.

By adopting a customer-focused mindset, your practice will focus on the outcomes that will drive success—but in order to implement these principles, you need the right tools and personnel. Your practice will flourish if you invest in your equipment, technology, and employees. Our dental consultants are here to help you. Contact us today.

Victory Dental Management
Phone: (804) 399-2053

The Positive Side of Patient Complaints | Dental Consultant

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No matter how good you are and how capable your staff is, there are always going to be occasions when a patient complains. Depending on the complaint and how it was presented, you and the rest of your team could feel discouraged, frustrated, or even irritated. You may be tempted to brush off the complaint and tell yourself that the patient was just having a bad day. Changing the way you think about patient complaints can, however, be a beneficial change for the success of your business.

From the office décor to the other patients to the time, cost, and outcome of their treatment, a patient will complain about anything and everything. Regardless of whether or not this concern seems trivial or unfair, you should still be treated with respect and appreciation at all times. It is very important to reassure your patient that you care about their experience and their feelings as much as any other consumer. A complaint gives you a golden opportunity to regain a patient’s trust as well as an opportunity to show them how admirable your character is.

It is crucial that you thank your patient for bringing their concerns to you, that you commit to rectifying the problem, and that you follow through on that commitment to earn their loyalty. This loyalty results in fewer rescheduled or canceled appointments, increased case acceptance, and even referrals from friends, family, and social media contacts. When viewed as an opportunity to improve, one complaint can result in hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars in revenue over time.

Despite this, when patients leave your office feeling that they are unimportant, they may decide to seek dental treatment elsewhere in the future. People who are unhappy with your practice are less likely to return to it in the future. Moreover, they are hesitant to recommend you to others. This may even lead to them telling others about their unpleasant experiences with your office, which can cause you to lose potential patients and revenue.

Every patient complaint should be viewed as a gift. Perhaps there is a weakness in your team or practice that you were not aware of. Others will likely become aware of the problem if one patient complains. Following each visit, ask for feedback on the experience. Make sure you are proactive in letting them know that you appreciate their input and are ready to provide them with the best experience possible. Patients will be more loyal to you, your team, and practice if they feel valued and respected.

Contact our dental consulting office for additional tips and tricks on providing a better patient experience. Victory Dental Management is here for you!

Victory Dental Management
Phone: (804) 399-2053
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FAQs on Dental Practice Human Resources | Dental Coach Near Me

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The business owner must ensure that his or her policies are legal, appropriate, and applied fairly, regardless of whether he or she manages or oversees human resource matters. If you are the owner of a dental practice, you may find it useful to review a few frequently asked questions that pertain to human resources.

Are there any questions I should avoid during interviews?

If we were to ask a few basic, even common questions during a conversation, we would not hesitate to do so, but those questions should not be asked during an interview. Examples of such questions include:

  • What is your marital status?
  • Do you have kids?
  • Where does your (unusual) name come from?
  • What is your sexual orientation?
  • How old are you?

The purpose of these questions is to break the ice. However, in some cases, they can also lead to the sharing of personal information regarding protected class status, such as disability, family status, ethnicity, and religion. It is not acceptable to ask such questions during an interview, and it may lead to potential legal issues down the road.

What should I do if an employee refuses to sign a disciplinary action form?

You should always have a witness present when asking an employee to sign a disciplinary action form. The employee should also be reminded that refusing to sign does not in any way invalidate the disciplinary action and that further transgressions can still result in even more serious consequences.

Can software programs help with keeping track of employee hours?

There are many software programs available that can be used to track the working hours of an employee. With these programs, you can automatically deduct meal times from the clock-in and clock-out times of the employees. In short, the software is designed to save you valuable time and to allow you to concentrate more of your energy on your practice and your patients.

When implementing an automatic system of this type, remember to consider the time saved by not manually entering the hours. Compare that time to the time lost by entering corrections if a team member misses lunch, returns early, or runs late. If your dental office rarely runs late, this may be very helpful to you. If you find that you are making corrections more than once or twice a week, it may take you more time than it will save you.

Please contact Victory Dental Management if you have any other questions regarding staffing or if you would like a practice management consultation. Through our expertise in human resources, we can help you avoid mistakes that could cost you financially as well as result in legal issues in the future. Our team of dental consultants is here to help.

Victory Dental Management
Phone: (804) 399-2053
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A Study Club May Be the Answer | Best Dental Consultant Near Me

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Change is the only constant in science. This is also true in dentistry. It can be challenging to keep up with the latest technologies and techniques every year, especially if you wish to remain within your budget. As a dentist, you have to be constantly on the lookout for ways to improve your services, and one of the easiest ways to do that is by learning a few things from other dentists. By doing such, you can open yourself up to a new range of patients and possibilities for growth. 

Is a study club the answer? There are many benefits to joining a study club for dentists. It is beneficial to meet up with your dental colleagues for at least one hour every week so that you can learn things that you may not have even considered incorporating into your dental practice on your own. Among the many valuable benefits that our dental consultant will be able to share with you are some of the following:

Continued Education

Taking advantage of the expertise of a group of dental professionals, you can receive hands-on clinical training in your local area without having to spend the time and money traveling. For those wanting to stay current with new techniques and technological advancements, an additional source of training and education can be invaluable. An individualized study group can assist you in identifying and attending all the courses you require in order to develop and improve your skill set in order to specialize in one or more areas of dentistry, such as implant dentistry or sleep apnea therapy.

Support From Peers

A dental study club provides you with the opportunity to interact with dentists and specialists in your area. Group discussions are one of the most efficient and effective ways for like-minded people to share experiences, techniques, challenges, and new ideas with one another. The informal setting provides the opportunity to explore new approaches to problems and treatments and learn from those who have already tried them. As individuals, we all bring our own knowledge and experiences to the table, and when we are able to share these things with each other, it makes for a win-win situation for everyone involved. 

Connecting

There are many reasons to join a study club, but the primary reason for doing so is to build networking relationships. Being able to make contact with other dentists in your area can prove to be extremely beneficial. Referrals from other specialists can prove to be very valuable to dentists. Referring patients or getting a referral is easier when you have established a relationship with other professionals and have a clear understanding of how they treat their patients, what technology they use, and other relevant information.

Contact Victory Dental Management to learn more and to schedule a consultation. 

Victory Dental Management
Phone: (804) 399-2053
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Medicine for Your Business | Dental Coach Near Me

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As dental consultants, we understand how stress often goes hand in hand with running a business. When you are trying to meet quotas, attract new customers, and increase your productivity, work can seem like a chore. The chances are that you are not the only one who dreads going into the office due to the oppressive atmosphere present. You may be able to turn this around much more quickly than you think for you and your team. Consider a daily dose of laughter a good way to add a bit of fun to your business life.

Humor in the workplace does not change deadlines or performance expectations, but it can make the workplace more enjoyable for everyone. A workplace that is fun and engaging will make work feel lighter and easier. Studies have demonstrated that laughter relieves tension, boosts the immune system, and relaxes muscles. It can also enhance memory, energy, creativity, and mood. This can benefit everyone in the office.

The ability to inject a little bit of humor into your workday can be achieved by using a variety of methods. If you are starting the huddle with the team, share a joke with them and invite them to share their own joke. In a shared space, create a board and ask everyone to contribute a funny image or comic strip when they have the time. Wear silly shirts at least once a week or once a month just for the fun of it. Also, you can use social media to share funny photos and videos of you and your team in real-time. This will help you to create a lasting memory for everyone.

While it is important to inject a little humor into your workday, do not let this become a distraction or an excuse to not concentrate on the task at hand. You can organize a team lunch every Friday to build relationships with your team, or you can coordinate breaks together and share jokes during those times. You can even arrange team events such as bowling, mini-golf, and a team dinner outside of the working hours to further strengthen your team’s bond. There are a lot of distractions available today with social media and mobile phones, so make sure that when it is appropriate to enjoy each other’s company, you are in the moment and are learning how to connect with people in your life in person. 

Adding a little humor into your workplace can make your employees enjoy their work more, boost their productivity, and improve their mood. Get in touch with Victory Dental Management for more information on how to engage your employees.

Victory Dental Management
Phone: (804) 399-2053
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Coach’s Corner | No more struggling with burnout – discover, recover, and balance

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With this office manager’s permission, I am sharing her story with you. We met after she attended my presentation on Burnout and based on my conversations with others, her story is pretty common. For the last 15 years she has been an office manager for the same doctor that hired her, and together they have built the practice and tripled the size of it. Now multiple doctors are there, and the supporting team has grown from 4 to 15. She used to wake up excited about her day and what she would accomplish. For the last several months she has dreaded coming to work. She cannot pinpoint when that switch took place. In the past she felt in control of her daily life, and now she feels overwhelmed and hopeless. Some days she is doing well to “suck it up” and go to work. After my Burnout presentation, she realizes she is going down a path that needs to change. She now understands the signs and symptoms of burnout and how to combat those items. We had a lengthy conversation after my presentation, and she asked me if I could be her coach and help her through this. Honestly, I had never thought of offering this as part of my coaching services until she asked about it. Before everyone left for the evening, I asked the audience that remained if they would be interested in this program, and everyone raised their hand. This audience consisted of every role in the practice, doctors, office managers, hygienists, assistants, and administrative team members.

I share this with you for a couple reasons. The most important is that if you are feeling overwhelmed or you think it is burnout, please listen to your mind and body. These symptoms are real so please do not ignore them. Second, if you are interested in finding out more about my coaching program, please get in touch with me. Please email me [email protected]

Do You Minimize Your Work? | Victory Dental Management

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Often, a person’s perception is heavily influenced by what they hear. How would you describe your practice or the services that you provide? Are you underselling what you offer? When patients come to you, they trust you because they know you will be open, honest, and able to explain the state of their oral health in a way that they will understand. The language you choose should be carefully chosen to convey your message. Find out more about how you can improve your dental communication by reading the following tips.

A “Comprehensive Examination” or “Check-Up”

To most people, “check-ups” sound like a useless and menial procedure. When dental care is referred to in this manner, the quality of the care is diminished. Consider it similar to taking your car in for an annual tune-up. Use the more professional-sounding “comprehensive examination.” This emphasizes that you and your team are doing a lot more than just looking at the teeth. While performing a thorough cleaning and looking for signs of decay or oral cancer, you are also providing recommendations for additional treatment. This goes far beyond a routine checkup.

“It’s just a…”

This is a phrase you shouldn’t use when leading to a diagnosis. By saying, ‘it’s just a cavity or ‘it’s just a little inflammation, you are minimizing the importance of taking action in the first place. Your patients might interpret this as an approval to put off treatment until later. Many people are unaware of the importance of their oral health, and how oral diseases may spread, worsen, and result in other painful and expensive problems. Your diagnosis should be crystal clear to your patients, but never suggest that they can wait or that the diagnosis is unimportant.

“Whitening” is Not the Same as “Bleaching”

When speaking with patients about whitening treatments, use the word “whitening” rather than “bleaching”. For some patients, this is an indication that the whitening process involves the use of bleach. Additionally, it sounds a lot more painful than “whitening.” The use of the term “bleaching” implies that harsh chemicals are involved. Using the term whitening is a great term to use since it accurately describes what the treatment is about: whitening the smile of the patient.

Choosing the right terminology is very important. Your patients rely on your communication skills to learn about their oral health. You should always be clear, concise, and honest with them. In general, the public does not always view dental professionals in a positive light. Transparency in communication is one of the best ways to bridge the gap between your team and your patients. By describing your services in strong and descriptive terms, you can help to demonstrate your value to your patients and avoid undermining the importance of your work.

To obtain more information, or to schedule a consultation, please do not hesitate to contact Victory Dental Management.

Victory Dental Management
Phone: (804) 399-2053
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Increase Production by Combating Burnout | Victory Dental Management

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Are you feeling tired, stressed, and overwhelmed at the moment, which has affected your productivity? If so, you’re not alone, and we can help you through it. There is no reason to feel discouraged or alone if you or your team experience burnout as a dentist or as a member of the team. Everyone experiences burnout from time to time. To prevent burnout from negatively affecting your practice, you need to learn how to identify it and manage it.

How to Identify Burnout

When you are tired, unfocused, or bored, you may experience burnout. Does your team lack the same enthusiasm as before? It is important to look into these clues and behaviors as soon as you recognize them. As you have built relationships with the patients who truly depend on you and your team throughout your career in dentistry, you have invested countless hours into gaining their trust. It is important not to let a temporary period of burnout affect your confidence in your work. Instead, it’s time to re-energize your approach and focus on the things that matter to you. 

Identifying Areas of Concern

When production numbers start to slip, look at what is affecting them and pay attention to the relationships and rapport in your office. Morale can suffer when a department’s numbers drop, which can hurt the office as a whole. As soon as the problem area has been identified, your team can begin implementing a solution. In our experience, the best way to handle this situation is to have a team huddle and come up with an action plan together.

Explore New Areas

Burnout may be an indication that the time has come to learn a new skill. By giving your team the chance to learn new skills it creates a sense of accomplishment and growth. It is a good idea to enroll in a continuing education course or workshop on a new or intriguing topic. A great way to boost your appointment numbers if they are dwindling is by increasing the number of services that you provide. What additional training do you need for your staff? Perhaps you should decide on a course that everyone can attend together. Furthermore, you will improve your relationships with each other as well as the morale of your team as a whole.

There is no doubt that even the most talented dental team can suffer from burnout. Once you start to notice the signs of burnout, don’t wait for them to disappear on their own. Rather, take action as soon as you notice them and identify what needs to be improved.

Our consulting team is here to help. Contact Victory Dental Management today!

Victory Dental Management
Phone: (804) 399-2053
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