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Simon Hocken says self-assurance and confidence are attractive traits when it comes to dentistry, so what can be done to help build and replenish these qualities? Being a dentist is an odd job. A mixture of medicine, craft skills, communication skills, business skills and confidence that is unique. Good dentists (as perceived by their patients)…
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Live to work, or work to live? Simon Hocken wonders just what it is that dentists work for… It is often said that many people live to work, rather than work to live. Sometimes it is easy to forget just why we dentists work so hard. An ex-government chief economist, Richard Layard wrote in his…
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Simon Hocken emphasises the importance of looking into the future when deciding where to site a new dental practice for long-term success Recently I spent a day with a client who wanted to open a new squat private practice in a provincial English town. He had been looking for a suitable property for some months…
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Are your fees modest, just right or too high? Simon Hocken explains how to set them and to make sure they are realistic Fees in UK private dentistry seem (to me) to be pretty much the same as they were 15 years ago. I understand the reasons for this (recession, more competition, nervousness), but low…
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Simon Hocken says building a perfectly-sized dental practice will ultimately improve your work/life balance I’m a lifestyle kind of guy. My work/life balance is important to me and unlike many dentists I meet, I’m not so willing (these days) to sacrifice my lifestyle for work. In reality this means that I can earn plenty of…
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Simon Hocken says what many patients may be thinking when it comes to formulaic hygienist appointments, and gives some tips on how to maximise profitability. I suspect my hygiene visits are pretty much the same as yours. They go something like this: a quick prod with a pocket probe, a careful and thorough ultrasonic clean;…
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Advertising services that patients want is key to retaining new business, says Simon Hocken. Recently I met several dental practice owners whose practices were shrinking, not necessarily in terms of their turnover or profits, but in their active patient numbers. Active patient numbers is a true measure of whether your practice is growing or shrinking.…
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Simon Hocken says creating alignment is key to dentists moving their business forwards. There are three main blockers we encounter with our clients. The first is time; they tend to spend too much time working in their business and not enough time working on it. The second is they don’t have the right skills to…
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Don’t let anyone start work without signing a contract, says Simon Hocken. Shakespeare’s line ‘et tu, Brute?’ captured Caesar’s shock at the treachery of his protégé. If you’ve been burned by a colleague you’ll know that when the penny drops, a knife in the back is not a good feeling. Moments like this happen to…
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Simon Hocken explains why you shouldn’t rest on your laurels when running a dental practice. In a small English town all is well. The recession has gone, house prices are up and there are plenty of new Audis. At ‘Smile A Lot Dental Care’ the principal arrives at 8:59 for his first patient. The associate…
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Simon Hocken gives a step-by-step guide on how to treat new patients and how to improve your treatment acceptance. New patient value and the tendency of patients to accept treatment plans are fundamental to the commercial success of your practice. Average new patient value in private practices across the Breathe portfolio ranges from £300 to…
