Smita Mehra shares how dentist owners can successfully juggle clinical dentistry with running a practice and business.
Are you a principal dentist who is juggling the work of clinical dentistry with trying to grow and develop a business? Do you find that there are constant challenges that you have to try and mediate while also keeping yourself involved in the wet-hand clinical side of the job? You aren’t alone.
In fact, there are many practice owners around the UK that are trying to do just that, balance both dentistry and growing their business. However, while most dentists understand that both need adequate attention, many do not know where to start or feel overwhelmed at the prospect of it all. But getting to grips with these challenges and finding a good balance between them can be key to staying on top of it all
In this article, I will share a glimpse of how I do both, so other practice leaders can bring their visions to life.
Invest
First and foremost, if you are a dentist who is trying to grow your business while also keeping a hand in the clinical dentistry side of things, it is vital that you invest your own time into the practice, as well as into resources and people who are going to help you get there.
When starting your own practice, it can be hard to let go of physically doing the job that you trained and worked so hard for over many years. However, it is vital that you can take a step back, so you can invest time into setting out and achieving the goals that you want to.
I was very lucky that when I started The Neem Tree Dental Practices, my husband already had a business, Samera, who was able to support me and on the financial side of things from the get-go.
Samera brings together chartered accountants and dental business growth experts to offer advice to help you grow your business while you focus on the important clinical aspects.
This meant that, though I did want to get my hands stuck in on the business side of things to build my brand, I was still able to focus on the dentistry side of our practice as well as looking at people management, and the marketing aspects too.
Therefore, it is essential for those that want to have their clinics grow that they get people onboard from the outset who can manage certain aspects of the business for them that they don’t have to worry about.
While it can be easy to say that you’ll do everything, as a brand grows, there becomes a greater need for you to be in many places at once, so having a good team around you is vital for success.
Recruitment
Recruiting the right team who will actually be doing the day-to-day running of your clinic is also extremely important when trying to juggle dentistry with growing a business.
To start, you need to decide what exactly it is you need to make your project come to life in the way that you had planned. For example, do you need five dentist chairs, a receptionist, nurses on hand, and a hygienist? Or can you manage everything clinical on your own with just one person as support?
Getting that down is the most important first step when it comes to growing your brand.
Once you know exactly who you are looking for, you then need to highlight the required skills that are essential to your business and will keep patients coming back to you time and time again. For The Neem Tree Dental Practices, even though finding dentists with the best qualifications and skills out there were essential for us when recruiting, it was also important to us that whoever we hired had the right personality and people skills too.
Essentially, I put myself in the place of the patient. What would the patient want when it came to getting treatment from a dentist that would keep them coming back time and again? Would they feel comfortable around this person?
Following this recruitment process not only meant that I had a solid foundation to build my business upon, but I was also able to eventually take a step back from being so wet-handed in the dentistry side of things.
Now, I only get involved as and when I’m needed. There was once a time where I had a solid list of patients whom I would see on a regular basis, but now I leave that in the hands of my capable associates. I now have time to focus on working on the business rather than working in it.
Having this clear path of recruitment and building this team around you will reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed for those who are aiming to build a business while still doing dentistry.
Employee wellbeing and staff retention
Practice managers and those who are trying to juggle a fine balance between clinical dentistry and running a business should also consider a plan to look after employee wellbeing and retain staff.
Dentistry can be an extremely stressful industry that can take its toll on dentists very quickly, and if their wellbeing is not managed properly by practice owners and managers, you could find yourself without the people you need to keep both your business and practice going long-term.
The way I have always done this at The Neem Tree, and it has always been a big part of my ethos as a practice owner and principal dentist, is to respect every single team member that we have, no matter their role, and really get to know them. We have a family atmosphere where everyone looks out for each other, and as a result, there is excellent teamwork. We also make sure to treat them from time to time, in different ways, whether it’s dinners or trips abroad.
But it’s not just money, it’s looking out for their emotional wellbeing too. This is really important to retaining and keeping the staff you have to make your business successful. I often make time to check in with my staff members myself, as well as their line managers, to check they are doing ok and able to handle the stressful nature of the job.
As a result, I have had dentists that have stayed with me since the start. It is the nature of any business that people will come and go to chase new opportunities, but if you can sustain and have a core team that you truly respect and care for, you can build a solid foundation for success when juggling both dentistry and growing a business.
Communication
Finally, a key part of growing your business, while working in dentistry at the same time, is spending time working on communication, both externally and internally.
Once you have hired and retained the core team you need for your business to run, you then need to spend time working on how you communicate with them. This means having meetings quarterly, monthly, and weekly to update them on the business side of things.
At The Neem Tree, I make it my business to have regular meetings with practice managers to make sure I know of any problems and things going on that I need to be aware of. I also make sure my practice managers keep an open dialogue with our teams about their wellbeing, as well as making sure everyone knows who they can speak to if they have any issues, including myself.
When you have focused on working on your internal communication, you also need to think about how you are going to communicate your business to prospective clients. Whether that be through marketing, PR agencies or something else.
Again, I’ve been very lucky that Samera has been on hand to assist with this. But developing a marketing strategy should be a key goal of any practice manager trying to grow and juggle their business.
Often that needs to be through different methods. At The Neem Tree, we have had a good balance between digital and non-digital marketing. For example, we have had stalls at events and fairs, attended networking events, and set up sponsorships, as well as hired digital PR agencies and staff to help build the website.
Top tips
- Invest in time and resources – dedicate time to your practice’s growth and enlist help from professionals to manage aspects like finances and marketing
- Recruit the right team – clearly define the roles and skills needed to achieve your business goals. Prioritise finding team members with both technical expertise and excellent interpersonal skills to ensure patient satisfaction and loyalty
- Prioritise employee wellbeing – foster a respectful and supportive work environment. Regularly check in with staff, recognise their contributions, and provide perks or emotional support to maintain morale and retain a solid team
- Effective communication – maintain open and regular communication with your team through structured meetings. Ensure everyone is aligned with business goals and has access to support for personal or professional challenges
- Develop a marketing strategy – use a mix of digital and traditional marketing strategies to promote your business.
Key ingredients
Overall, running a business while juggling getting stuck in with dentistry can be extremely complex, challenging and hard work. But having the right team around you, working on your communication, and investing resourcing and money into the things you need can be the key ingredients to set you up for long-term success.
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