Dental Business RX

This isn't the most fun topic we've covered, but it's something that almost every business owner encounters needs to deal with at some point. So in this episode, Jeff provides a checklist to cover all your bases when letting an employee go and discusses how to handle these situations professionally while minimizing stress for both the employee and the rest of the team.   :23 – When is the right ti...

With everything that has happened in the past 3 years and inflation growing at an unusual rate, what direction are you going to take your practice in the next 5, 10, or 15 years and beyond? In this week's episode, Jeff dives into 4 points that we go over with our clients to ensure that their practices are successful and stay successful in the years to come.   3:02 – Adjusting your Fees 9:30 – How...

This week we wrap up our series on the entire case acceptance process in your practice. In this episode, we'll be focusing on the treatment presentation itself as well as making financial arrangements and getting them on the schedule.   :49 – Guidelines for an effective treatment presentation 16:69 – Making financial arrangements 23:40 – Getting the patient scheduled for the treatment 26:37 – Diff...

There is a lot more that goes into case acceptance beyond just your treatment presentation. There is an organizational side to case acceptance and everyone on your team has a part to play. So in this series, Jeff breaks down the entire process from the initial contact through to starting treatment and all the moving parts involved.   1:11 – The organization and scheduling side of case acceptance 1...

We've all seen articles insisting it's a bad idea to work with family, but the reality is that in many small businesses (including dentistry) it's very common. And it CAN be done successfully. In fact, many of our most successful clients are spouse or sibling teams and are very happy both at the office and at home. So, what's the secret to making it work? That's what Jeff discusses in this week's...

Staff turnover is a fact of life and you can entirely avoid it, but if you don't keep it to a minimum, it can become highly expensive and stressful. So this week, Jeff shares the four most important factors in reducing turnover and building a solid long-term team!   2:16 – Why holding on too hard to employees can actually make turnover worse 11:10 – Causes of a stressful (or toxic) work environmen...

The receptionist is an incredibly important part of your dental office. Their skill at answering the phone will determine how many patients schedule and come into the office—and therefore have a big affect on practice production and growth. But how do you evaluate their performance and determine where you can make improvements? Special guest Jeff Santone joins us this week to give his 10-point cri...

There are a ton of options out there for advertising your practice (direct mail, SEO, Google ads, social media, implant funnels, etc), but what do YOU need to do from a business owner perspective to make sure your marketing is highly effective and doesn't waste money? That's what Jeff covers in this week's episode!   6:42 – Having the right expectations 9:23 – Setting your budget 10:47 – Tracking...

Whether you are buying your first practice or acquiring additional locations to expand your business, there are a number of ways it can go very wrong—and most practice brokers won't warn you about these. So this week, Sabri Blumberg joins us to discuss how you can do your due diligence ahead of time so your future in the practice is filled with success, not regrets.    2:55 – Buying too much pract...

We all know that we should be doing team training…but it can be tough to find the time, create good training materials, and get everyone on board with it. So this week, Jeff discusses the four biggest barriers to team training and how to make it happen efficiently and productively.   1:19 – Someone needs to be responsible for staff training 4:03 – Making time for team training 9:48 – Individualize...

Want to increase your collections without increasing your expenses? One of the most important metrics you can use for this is your Average Transaction Value (ATV). This metric plays a prominent role in most businesses, but in dentistry it often gets overlooked. So this week, Jeff discusses how to calculate your ATV and how to increase it while keeping the focus on doing what's right for patients a...

Over the last few months, we've received a lot of questions about hiring and staffing issues, so we figured it was time for another listener Q&A episode! This week, Jeff answers your questions about finding and hiring qualified employees.   1:00 – Finding qualified (and skilled) employees 9:45 – Finding hygienists & associates 17:49 – Taking rising salaries into consideration 26:34 – Conducting in...

Has your practice hit a plateau? Struggling to increase production/collections over a certain number? There are only three reasons a practice stops growing and this week Sabri Blumberg joins us to discuss what those are along with how to kickstart growth again.   1:30 – The only three reasons a practice hits a "plateau." 17:35 – Scheduling and organizing for production   Download the Hygiene Formu...

At some point in your career, would you like to spend less time chairside? In other words, would you like associates to do the day-to-day production while you manage from a CEO role? Maybe it's so you can focus on expanding and adding more locations. Maybe it's so you can be flexible with your time and travel more. Maybe it's so you can semi-retire while still having a successful practice. Whateve...

Many large DSOs and corporate offices are throwing around big money to acquire dental practices. You may have received an offer yourself recently. With that in mind, Jeff considers some important questions, like is it too good to be true? What factors do you need to consider before selling? If selling is your goal, what do you need to do now to get the best scenario in the future? Is this current...

Having trouble getting new employees to be productive and do things the way you want them to? Struggling with high turnover? In this episode, Jeff discusses an extremely simple and effective solution. Creating these checklists for your practice and training new hires on them can make all the difference in onboarding and retaining good staff.   Sample Employee Checklists -  https://www.mgeonline.co...

Finances tend to create the biggest headaches in a dental practice. If you don't have clearly spelled out financial policy in your office, you'll end up with upset patients, outstanding payments, and a messy accounts receivable. So this week, Jeff discusses how to create sensible financial policy that enables you to get paid on-time and without any confusion or headaches.   1:25 – Why having clear...

This week we wrap up our series on associate doctors. Sabri Blumberg returns to discuss how to structure the associate relationship, finding the right doctor, and get them integrated into the practice.   1:27 – What type of associate role do you want? And what works financially? 20:00 – Finding the right associate doctor 33:55 – Hiring and putting agreements in place 44:56 – Onboarding an associat...

Are you looking to bring on an associate? Do you already have an associate but it's not working out quite as well as you'd hoped? This week, Jeff is joined by Sabri Blumberg for our series on successfully bringing on associate doctors. They'll discuss where things can go wrong, when you're truly ready to add an associate, having enough production to support them, structuring the working relationsh...

It's not getting any easier to find and hire good team members. In fact, it may have gotten even harder for small businesses over the last few months! So in this week's episode, Jeff outlines six changes you should make in your hiring process to succeed in this new reality.   1:11 – How the dental hiring landscape has been impacted recently 11:59 – Six changes you need to make in your hiring proce...

We've discussed the idea of getting out of insurance plans and creating a fee-for-service practice—but what are the actual steps you need to follow to do it? That's what we cover today with special guest Sabri Blumberg.   :51 – What is your specific situation and level of insurance participation? 3:44 – Ensuring you have an adequate volume of patients 15:34 – Important steps to do BEFORE dropping...

This week we wrap up our series on "recession-proofing" your practice, so you can not only survive a recession, but actually thrive and continue to see great profitability and growth.   1:05 – Strengthening your hygiene department 10:01 – Getting out of reduced-fee insurance plans 21:40 – Organizational systems and staff training 30:28 – Adjusting your case acceptance process 34:35 – Managing your...

We may be heading into a recession (or are already in one, depending on who you ask). So, what can you do to prepare so that your practice isn't negatively impacted? Special guest Sabri Blumberg comes on to share her "recession proofing checklist" to ensure your practice stays productive and profitable no matter what happens in the wider economy.   3:07 – Creating a practice that can pivot quickly...

This week we wrap up our series on "profitability killers" and the top changes you can make in your practice to have the greatest impact on reducing expenses and improving profitability. This episode focuses on staffing, payroll, labs/supplies, and a few other key tips for management overhead.   1:05 – Are your fees too low? 6:47 – Profitability Killer #4 16:14 – Profitability Killer #5 22:56 – Pr...

The ability to control the overhead and profit margin in your dental practice has always been important.  During times of economic uncertainty, you could say it becomes urgent! The question is where to start! In this week's (and next week's) episode, Jeff focuses on the top changes you can make in your practice that can have the greatest impact on reducing expenses and improving profitability.   T...