Dentistry Unplugged

“Too many bad consultants, paper pushers and donut delivery salesman are focused on the price of dental supplies.

When you focus on reducing your costs/ it’s NOT about finding the cheapest products from the cheapest dealer, and hiring the people who will work for you the cheapest….the highest earning practices have the highest paid team members - use the highest quality products, employ the most up to date expensive brand name equipment…and they thrive! “

Chat GPT will likely replace the dental salesman, but I don’t believe it will ever replace the dental consultant.

The world is always in a state of flux. Corporations are taking over private dentistry, consolidation happens in many industries. The stock market and the economy - constant state of flux.

The Beancounter in your life may not be a CPA. They may not be an accountant. They could very well be your mom or your dad, your sister or your brother, maybe your best friend or your spouse. People that are afraid to take risk and only way the consequences in money don’t understand what money is created for. It is created to work for us, and the entrepreneur understands that and that’s a very good job of creating it

Success in Dentistry AND Life has been my slogan, catch-phrase, adage, pretty sentiment, maxim, watchword, axiom, principle, byword, aphorism and apothegm…..how do I define this?

How do you become the G.O.A.T. of your profession? In my opinion you only need to be the G.O.A.T. of your own life

Ice to an Eskimo - it’s a famous saying, and it is not a compliment. To some people it is - for me it means the person is selfish, and is typical of how we tend to train “salespeople” - motivated to sell more, whether the person needs it or not and move on quickly to the next sale so they can reach an unrealistic goal.

How successful is your connect should be a measurement based on your own goals, and not a comparison to others. Some of the most successful clinics I know have higher overhead and lower gross income than others and yet the owners would not change a thing.

Og Mandino books taught me many lessons when I was growing up, and the blessing of working in dentistry has taught me many more…

Should a strong associate get a discount for purchasing the clinic they helped establish? Thinking from a sellers point of view as well as appreciating the hard work of your associate is a balancing act.

Keeping it interesting means NOT talking JUST about dentistry!

Critical thinking is all about humility. If you can admit you have a problem...then seek the answer, you will find it!

Is this really the worse time to be in dentistry, or can you identify the benefits. Every business has challenges - and it will never get easier! If it was easier, the challenge would be even more real as many more people would be able to “step up”. How you face the challenges will determine your future.

Sincerity is an expensive gift, don’t expect it from cheap people. Counterfeit and black market Grey market - hurting our profession.

The best things we can do for ourselves is learn healthy habits...like brushing our teeth daily! But how did we ever get convinced that this was important and necessary?

Nitrile gloves and plasticized products take decades to biodegrade. The imprint we are leaving is destroying our environment. We can and need to make changes.

Those products you just out in your shelf - they could be your worst enemy to your bottom line. But not likely. It’s likely that you are stressed and worried and forgetting how talented you are and haven’t learned to market yourself, or train yourself and your team to become excellent and productive. You haven’t realized that this quality of product you buy and install (supplies) is actually capable of making your day better.

#dentistswillnevershutagain -as leaders in preventive care, masters of infection control, conveniently located throughout the modern world, and most trusted health care providers. Dentists have a lot to offer as these entrepreneurs continue to pivot to serve the world. Learn about my own latest obsession and how trying to help my friends in dentistry led me to finding an amazing product called Electrolyzed water or Hypochlorous acid - amazing.

Glove prices and availability have soared in the past...yet Dentistry has continued to thrive.

Did you know using just salt and tapwater and a little bit of electricity you can create one of the most powerful, non-toxic, widely used and studied disinfectants?

Hypochlorous acid is fast becoming a well know product for consumer and professional uses. HOCL, Neutralized Electrolyzed water is effective and powerful while being. On. Toxic for human beings.

Everything you do next will determine the type of business leader you are. The team you build. Your tribe. Dental healthcare is the perfected PREVENTIVE model for all mankind ...we can and will lead and #dentistswillneverclose again!

We are at a tipping point with the most perfect preventive healthcare model mankind has ever known. A perfect balance of preventive health paid by public and private that is competitive but has grown steady.

We are going through a forced change and how we think. Pandemic may be just what we need to realize how important dentistry is to preventive care. To patient demand for digital. For a safer work environment. Let’s get moving!

Dentistry is one of the most efficient, convenient and affordable preventive healthcare systems we have in this world. It’s my belief that dental health care teams could help prevent pandemics and offer incredible benefits with systemic health.

Working with public health to quickly supply data. Prevention has always been modus operandi for dentistry! Highly trained on infection prevention, we could lead the way on controlling aresolols, identifying hot spots, using our knowledge and how oral health is tied to systemic health to create an incredibly educated and healthy world!

From insanity to opportunity. How entrepreneurs and visionaries deal with tough times.

In my 36 years of work in the dental business, we have never experienced anything like we are about to go through. Is my sincere belief that opportunity lies within this business. The opportunity to share the importance of oral health care has never been needed more than it is today

Covid. It will be a memory some day of something tough we endured and beat.

We can learn from the past. We can learn from others. This business has an amazing array of leaders willing to share and help. Using the knowledge of all will create opportunity.

Every business owner needs to understand their numbers! Accounting is what business is all about! Get a practice analysis, learn your KPI.

For 36 years I have chased the goal of being the #1 rep in Canada. Although I’ve hit many milestones- the way the goal is measured now makes it difficult to align with my own. I am going to enjoy my OWN version of success in dentistry and life. The way that I want. You should as well. Don’t measure yourself only by standards of others. Measure by your own.

We have all learned a lesson about getting what you paid for. We preach it to others - yet we turn around ourselves and google something we need, become experts via the internet and then make purchasing decisions that way...excellent dentistry is about long lasting, predictable results delivered with less labour. It’s TIMEfactors...

I agree with you, you don’t need a salesman. Do you need somebody who knows your business, that can help you out, that isn’t trying to sell you something to pad their pockets. That has a goal of a lifetime relationship

Would you rather be an owner or an associate? I ask this question, and then I ask you one more… What is your why?

You think people leave you for money...is it because they folllow your lead? Are you showing them “it’s all about the money?”

Everybody is a salesman. Regardless of how you view yourself, in order to gain the trust of another person - they must first believe in you. How you convey this message and act upon this message says a lot about your ultimate success.

There’s never been a better time than today to be in dentistry. There is incredible and easy access to education. There’s techniques and skills they used to be the domain a specialist that are becoming mainstream. Digital is offering completely new business opportunities. How is this like apple? How is this like YouTube that used to be a dating app?

Burn out comes from lack of vision, purpose, appreciation, gratitude, goals

36 years of experience, and I’m just getting started! Game changing us about changing the rules...sometimes past experience can help shape the future.

I’ve seen so many people leave practices - team members, patients. This business is about sincere appreciation. Loyalty comes to those who take accountability.

36 years of working with successful clinics - listen to a 25 Rant on ideas that you could incorporate tomorrow!

TIMEfactors is all about efficiency in a dental clinic. It’s about adding small new habits and techniques that can result in dramatic results.

Being a good investor in today’s rapidly changing world doesn’t change some of the principals of buying what you know. Looking for People, Product and Process...but the successful investor also looks at potential! Should you BUY a debtal clinic with good EBITDA or will you consider the potential?

Innovative people don’t build “moats”, they recognize ways to build bridges! Entrepreneurs are always finding ways to leap over moats built by the kingdoms to bring their prizes to the masses! Give the people what they want.

Financial planners give you all these great rules to follow if you want to retire successfully some day...and then life happens. I’ve been there, done that.

Keeping autonomy in practice sales, corporate buy outs.

Corporations are business, so are you. Understanding the principals of good business can help you make a decision as to whether you want the security and comfort of a well paying job or are ready to take in the challenge of ownership.

Do you really understand the value of a practice? What is Market Value? How can an appraiser simply apply their numbers from an area they know well to an area they know nothing about?

Corporations have made strong and strategic moves into the Canadian market place. Do you have a strategy to compete and keep independent business strong and thriving?

What personality type are you? The 20 year associate? The 5-10 year tire kicked? The scientific, steady type willing to take a measured risk? Or do you jump in with both feet and never stop running?

When to know it’s time to take a risk and be everything you are capable of being.

Can the next gen of young dentists afford to buy and run their own dental clinic?

Difficult people are a challenge for all of us! Here are a few thought on the matter.

Cheap relationship - break quickly. Never work properly. Are frustrating. Do you want to be recognized as cheap? How does cheap product relate to a cheap life?

Success lies in your own hands, your attitude and your skill.

Cheap team. Cheap cotton rolls. Cheap dental office builds. Let’s do everything cheaper! My most popular blogs (by far) seem to revolve in cheaper ways of doing everything. It’s my belief that this is not the answer to the future of health care.

How does a patient value you? How do you value your team? What’s the value of relationship - is it measured in dollars or sincerity?

People, process and product. These are investments, but expenses. Look at Dentistry and ownership in a new light!

Investing has always been about future opportunity based on past results. If you want to learn to invest successfully, learn to evaluate and be a visionary! Take control!

Understanding how money flows through investments is an important strategy to owning a bakery....or a dental clinic. Return on investment is generally relative to risk and initial capital outlay.

If you want to find the most amazing offices to work at, or you are trying to hire the best team - networking is so vital to winning! Take the time to know the key players in your industry, but remember that a good relationship is when everyone wins.

Buyers groups and DSO and grey market are going to make our industry stronger...if we take up the challenge!

An example of a clinic I work with that has semi-passive income of over $600,000 per year.

Here is a quick and dirty guide to fix your supply costs.

Your skills matter the most in the success of your business

You went to school to become a dentist. Are you sick of hearing about becoming a masterful MBA entrepreneur and how is it is...just sign up today and learn! How can you become master of your destiny without having to follow ridiculous diets and exercise programs? The answer is likely coming to you every week and you didn’t know it...

We are seeing large valuations of practices - but not all practices! There are still many “working to pay the overhead” practices that need help. Here are some ideas for the generation that want to retire (hey, I’ve been at it for 35 years and I’m not ready yet!) and those that are saddled with debt looming for affordability.

You’ve slaved to get your degree, you are about ready to start your life as a successful dentist! But wait! There may be a few more years of pain before you start to realize the true freedom of calling all your own shots!!

ROI, increase your fees, cut team wages and supply costs, increase your marketing budget and SEO, cheaper materials and cheaper people, sell.sell.sell!

Fire your Dental Salesmen! If you want to increase the value of your clinic, or help pay the loan for what you just bought - watching your supply costs is key. A good consultant, working for a lifetime job understands this and will help you!

Creative risk taking is essential to success!

I’ve opened clinics for $150,000 in the last 10 years! It can be done. But do you want to?

In business - valuations are not just about what used to be, they are about opportunity. The generation buying MUST see opportunity to grow and improve or the values would be based on a dying business....which is how we USED to do it!

You are beating up everyone except yourself about your business. Take control and learn what it takes to get it all “under control”.

Introduction of Warren Bobinski, my background in the dental industry.

My Stepson Billy inspired the podcast this morning. Discussing the business of farming, in particular how investors value assets. In order to make a business goodwill more valuable, “tangible”, there must be process.

TIMEfactors is efficiency in clinics. It’s about reducing healthcare costs and maintaining a high level of care.

Let’s start a trend. A movement. For the betterment of our profession, let’s take dentistry and health care to new levels never realized. A movement of like minded, enthusiastic, business oriented individuals.

Business success has a few basic principals. The Team you work with (People) the process (efficient dentistry) and the product (result).

Why is the “average” supply overhead 6-8% in Canada for over 30 years? It can be lower - just understand the cost of your procedure!

Why is there such dramatic growth of Corporations in Dentistry? In my personal opinion, there is a good business model that was undervalued.

What benefits do you get from that shiny new....thing. A toy, a friend, a relationship? Your business? Your health, your education? How do you keep it interesting, viable and valuable? In 35 years of experience evaluating practices there are just a few lessons any office could learn to get into those top numbers you always hear about....you can become that unicorn. It isn’t easy.