Is it difficult for you to attract new patients to your practice? Modern technology and our busy lifestyles have changed how we attract new patients. Every business, including dental practices, must adapt to each generation to gain their attention. We have outlined a few strategies that you can use to bring in more patients.

Connect with technology

Technology is becoming increasingly important to us as a society. Making appointments by telephone is not as convenient as giving patients the option of scheduling online. Appointments can be confirmed and reminders sent to patients faster and easier through text messages.

Use search engine optimization techniques.

Make your office visible to patients by using search engine optimization (SEO). Prospective patients will be more likely to find dental offices that rank well on search engines, increasing their business. Patients can find what they want quickly by appearing near the top of search engine results, eliminating the need to scroll through numerous results pages.

Take advantage of social media.

Dental offices should utilize social media as a way for patients to learn about their services and your dental office. You will reach a broader audience if you post regularly on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Your web page may also feature your team members, satisfied patients, and other features that make your practice stand out.

Be a 5-star company

It is essential to retain your patients as referral sources once you have them in your office. You can encourage positive online reviews by providing exceptional service. Patients appreciate real, authentic testimonials. Online reviews of dentists are more likely to influence patients to choose one with a positive reputation.

Using technology while highlighting authenticity will attract potential leads and current patients. The tips offered above will enable you to grow your business and reach more new patients.

Please make an appointment with us today to discuss your needs.

To grow your business, you’ve decided to introduce a new service. Do you have an execution strategy? Having a weak marketing plan or failing to keep your team on the same page are common pitfalls for business owners. Business owners usually make the following mistakes when developing new services.

Failure to Train The Team

Many business owners do not keep their teams informed about the new ideas or services they are launching. Every member must be fully familiar with your offerings if your business is to thrive. Ensure your team is properly trained before launching a new service. Those interested should be able to ask questions, and those who may not know about this new offering should be educated. A successful launch relies on education and training. Launching a new service with a team that isn’t ready or equipped can quickly hurt your reputation, so it is better to delay your plans.

It’s an afterthought to market

Your new service is all set to go, but now you’re wondering, “What is next?” The launch of your new service offering isn’t going to be successful if no one knows about it. Develop a multifaceted marketing strategy to inform your existing and new patients of this new option. As you’re creating a marketing plan, keep your  target audience in mind. Consider the benefits that this solution provides. 

Don’t Neglect Research

Research is crucial to pulling off a successful new service launch. Don’t go in with the mindset that your good ideas alone are enough to pull it off. Instead, check out your competitors to give you an idea of how to position your new service. Research success stories and failures of people who have done similar things. Take time to study the pricing of competitors and know what you will need to cover your costs while still creating an attractive offer to price shoppers. 

Launching a new service is an effective way to boost interest in your business, drive revenue, and fill a need in the market. To be successful, don’t rush your new service without properly training your team or doing research. Also, avoid the common mistake of not marketing, or marketing as an afterthought.

Contact us to discuss strategies that can help your business grow.

Research has shown time and again that happiness plays a large role in the productivity of employees. A study conducted by Google saw a 37% increase in productivity as a result of initiatives focused on improving employee morale. Financial incentives alone are often not enough to boost employee performance, as our brains are hardwired to respond to positivity. Here are 5 simple tips you can follow to help improve happiness in your team.

Show Appreciation and Recognition

Employees that feel valued are more likely to feel happy about their work. Take time to recognize positive contributions of the team. Not only will this make the recognized employee feel proud of their work, it can also incentivize others to work harder to achieve the same praise.

Get Your Team Members Invested 

It’s most likely the case that financial gain was not your sole reason for starting your business. Maybe you’ve had a lifelong passion for helping others. Maybe you’ve always been fascinated with the science of dentistry. Whatever those reasons were, share them with your team. Knowing that they’re contributing to something bigger can help employees take pride in the work they do, no matter their role.

Set Clear Goals 

When your employees don’t have a clear expectation of their role, it can be difficult for them to recognize whether or not they are performing well and can lead to increased stress about their work. By setting clear expectations of your employees and goals for your business as a whole, your employees will have a standard to judge their work against, and therefore be able to feel better about good performance.

Promote From Within

A common concern of employees is a fear that they won’t be able to advance within their current positions. By establishing a culture of development and promotion from within the company, you’re clearly communicating to your employees that you want them to see your office as a long-term home, not just another job.

Studies indicate that US companies lose about $500 billion annually due to loss of productivity caused by unhappiness at work. Don’t let your team be a part of this statistic. If you’re looking for additional strategies for running a happier, more productive office, contact our firm for solutions. 

The fact that your dental equipment will need to be replaced is inevitable. Sometimes the reason for replacement will be that newer technology has made your equipment obsolete. Purchasing new equipment is an investment that should be taken with a great deal of caution. Here are a few tips to help you get started on making an informed and practical decision regarding your office’s equipment.

Take Your Time

Never rush into a purchase as big as that of a new equipment purchase. We strongly suggest you meet with our team to discuss the implications a purchase might have, particularly on your practice’s taxes. There may be an optimal time of the year to make a  purchase. 

Consider Its Use

How often will you utilize this equipment? Where will it fit in your office? Carefully consider how this new piece of equipment will be used in your day-to-day operations. If

you are struggling to answer these questions, it may be a sign that the new equipment is not needed immediately.

Evaluate Practice Growth

Ask yourself if investing in new equipment will allow your practice to grow. Will it expand the available services you offer your patients? Perhaps it will improve the comfort, efficiency, and amount of time it takes to treat or serve patients. When marketed effectively, these can be excellent sources for driving new patient numbers or improving loyalty among your existing patients.

Assess the Cost

You should never buy equipment if you are unsure how you will receive a return on investment from it. Consider how your pricing structure will offset the costs of the investment. Can you still be competitive in your market if you must raise costs? Your office equipment plays a central role in allowing you to deliver quality care for your patients. New technologies are constantly making the patient experience more comfortable and safe. Before you rush to purchase new equipment, it is vital that you consider how the investment will impact your business.

Fortunately, our team is here to help you make these financial decisions. For a consultation on the possible purchase of new equipment, contact our office today. 

Between work, appointments, and maybe even children, life can get stressful and busy.

How do you manage to live a happy, well-adjusted, balanced life when you simply don’t have time? The key is in planning. Do you use a calendar to manage your time or do you simply make arrangements as they come up? Here is how you can balance your schedule and create a work-life balance by managing your calendar.

Set Clear Boundaries

The first step to achieving a work-life balance is to consider your basic responsibilities and obligations. Set aside blocks of time in your calendar to meet with patients, hold team meetings, and attend organizational group meetings. Your calendar should be your primary time management tool.

Time Off Means Time Off

You need to set aside time for activities unrelated to work. When you decide to take a day off, make sure it’s in your calendar. If it’s not in there, your time off is likely to be consumed by an emergency patient appointment, unexpected meeting, or other business-related event. Make your scheduling priorities clear with your office team so they are not left with the burden of how to handle unexpected situations while you are away.

It’s Not Just for Work

Your calendar doesn’t need to be exclusive to work. In fact, it may be beneficial for you to regularly include your other commitments. From your children’s school activities to

anniversaries and birthdays, seeing these events alongside your work schedule can help you make better scheduling choices and set boundaries. You’ll be more reluctant to accept an invitation to a meeting or convention when you know it will conflict with another occasion. By including other events on your calendar, you minimize the risk of dealing with a stressful schedule conflict between your work life and your personal life.

Never let your calendar run your day. You have the ability to schedule your day by using your calendar as a tool for time management. Start by setting clear scheduling boundaries by blocking the time you need for your main responsibilities. Don’t be afraid to take time off, but always make sure it is a part of your schedule. Also, consider including other life events and activities in your calendar to better manage your schedule.

For more tips on effectively managing your work schedule, contact our team today.

Are you dreading going to work every day? Are you afraid of being trapped in the same place for your whole career? We all can get stuck in a rut during our professional career.  There is hope that you will be able to enjoy dentistry again and thrive in a dental practice. Here are a few ways that you can begin to acquire professional freedom and growth within your career. 

Continue to Work Hard

Even the tiniest bit of progress will move you forward. Continuing to work hard will continue to help you achieve what you need to advance. If you are looking for career

advancement, employers will see that you are always on top of things and that you meet your deadlines. The more progress you make, the closer you will get to professional freedom and being in control of your career.

Be the Best You

The only person that can help you achieve professional freedom and career excellence is yourself. Figuring out goals and strategies to complete those goals

can be the motivation needed to be on the right track. Learn the skills you feel you need to improve yourself and your performance. Having the right tools will prepare you for anything that comes your way.

Branch Out on Your Own

If you are unhappy working for someone or believe you can do something better, the potential to start your own business is there. You will want to be sure that it is a realistic option before starting anything. Owning your own business is the highest level of professional freedom, but does come with a great deal of stress. 

Find People Like You

Working can be much more enjoyable when you spend it with people that build you up. Finding people that can elevate your work and inspire you create a more welcoming 

environment. If you are looking for a new dental office, read reviews that current and former team members have written about the business to see the company culture. Poor attitudes can negatively affect the progress of an office. 

Professional freedom and career excellence are not easy to achieve. By using the suggestions above, you can begin taking control of your career and setting it on the path to success.

For more ways to gain professional freedom and career excellence, contact us today.

Both you and your team are personally and deeply invested in the day-to-day operations of your business. Because of this, it can be difficult to evaluate the areas of opportunity that are available to the business. Even teams that are well-trained and successful can have times of inefficiency or miscommunication leading to a breakdown in patient care.  No team is perfect and there will always be room for improvement. 

Similar to the recommendation of a full annual dental examination that you provide your patients, we recommend the same for your business. Whether we talk to you daily or it has been years since we’ve evaluated your practice, we recommend scheduling an annual consultation and “check-up”. The consultation will often consist of the following:

• Evaluation of current business and team goals/benchmarks
• Assessment of team morale and motivation 
• Evaluation of current systems and protocols in place
• Determination of overall current patient satisfaction with the practice
• Creation of a success plan for improvement and further growth

Many times, business owners will try to motivate their team and improve business practices with no outside guidance. This approach can have some success, but will often come with stresses and difficulties. As a business owner, it can be difficult to evaluate the practice from a patient’s perspective. It also becomes difficult to evaluate team members without being influenced by any kind of personal connection. Having an outside professional perspective to evaluate and reinforce the importance of systems can be the difference between business growth or stagnation. 

Our professional evaluation of overall patient satisfaction can help us to determine what areas of your practice need improvement. Sometimes small changes can make a huge difference. A formal evaluation can help to bring about issues that you didn’t even know existed, both with team members and patients. 

To ensure that your business is reaching its full potential for the year, give us a call to schedule your yearly business evaluation.

When you are looking to build a dream team for your business, it can be stressful, expensive, and extremely time-consuming. It can be tempting to keep old team members and hold off on hiring new ones to try and find the perfect fit. Both of these mistakes can be damaging to the long-term success of your business. Building the ideal team can take time and patience, but the following tips will help you to ensure that your business remains successful. 

Out with the old…

Letting go of an employee is never an easy process. In a perfect world, every team member that is hired in your business would become a valuable asset to the team. Unfortunately, there are times when an individual may not be the right fit for your business. If a team member begins to display any of the following actions, it may be time to consider finding a replacement. 

• Bad Attitude: Snide comments, eye-rolling, negative gossip, and passive-aggressive actions are all actions that can be considered a bad attitude. A team member that disrespects their coworkers or boss will not have the best interest of the business at heart. 
• Lack of Engagement: An unfocused employee that is not mentally present will not be able to give their best performance at work. 
• Dishonesty: This can involve refusal to accept accountability or outright lies, and can be harmful to your team and the success of your business. 
• Poor Performance: While a new team member may need some time to “get in the groove”, if they consistently show an inability to meet job performance expectations it may play a factor in bigger problems down the road. 

In with the new..

If you are looking to expand your business or replace current employees, you want to do everything you can to ensure that you are hiring high-quality employees. Here are some suggestions to help the hiring process go as smoothly as possible. 

• Listen to your team: Trusted team members often have good insight into how your business operates and can grow. They will usually be able to help you decide if a new team member is fitting in well or if a member is performing poorly. Communication is key. 
• Follow your gut: Instincts exist for good reason. If something about a potential team member isn’t giving you a good feeling, it may be a possibility that there is a bigger problem you will have to address in the future. While it is not the best idea to make a rash decision based upon a gut feeling alone, it can be a factor in guiding your decision. 
• There is no such thing as perfect: It may take time and training for an individual to develop into the team member that you are looking for. An ideal employee is one that can grow and learn well. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to find the “perfect” fit, as it is likely that someone can be trained to be a great asset to your team. 

There is not an exact science to building the ideal team for your business, but there are proven strategies that can help guide you along the way. By holding current team members to a high standard and exercising judgement to the best of your ability with prospective team members, you can ensure that the hiring process will go as smoothly as possible. 

For more advice on the hiring process and managing business growth, contact our team for a consultation.