Finding a Dental Practice
that is
“The One.”
Finding ‘The One’
“I want to do a Start-Up, and this place is beautiful.”
I’ve seen it happen again and again all around the country.
They walk into a gleaming office: glass walls, polished marble, and the faint scent of opportunity – and they fall in love.
“Dr. Webster, I found a GREAT place to start-up my practice,” they tell me with glee…
But love is the oldest trap in business.
The Practice that was “Meant to Be…”
They see a space or a start-up that “feels right,” that “just came available,” that “was meant to be.”
Emotion whispers that this will be the one.
Mathematics, however, remains silent.
The dentist tells me again and again why the place is the one. But the more I dig into the numbers, logic tells us otherwise.
The dentist glosses over all of the glaring red flags. They send me paragraph after paragraph of all the reasons this practice is the one.
But then the cracks start to show…yes this is the one….the ONLY one.
Many dentists newer on the Pre-Ownership journey get excited at the mere prospect of potentially being an owner at all. Like someone who is new in the dating world and this is the first time someone attractive has ever given them any attention at all…it does not mean things are the right fit.
So when a practice in their town goes up for sale or they see a nice looking corner lot that their broker recommends to them – emotions start to take over the dentist.
They have tunnel vision, because often this is the only practice they are looking at and they do not even have a basis for comparison. Or, maybe they have looked at a few other spots casually but they have been such poor prospects that now something even mediocre seems like….the one.
Listen to the Math
And with a Dental Start-Up or acquisition, mathematics is the voice you need to listen to.
Not the voice of the broker.
Not the smiling voice of the old selling dentist or landlord with a twinkle in their eye.
The math tells you that rent is $8,000 per month.
Your broker tells you that’s no big deal.
Math tells you otherwise.
The math is merciless:
You may have a beauiful looking practice – yet live with financial stress daily.
Think “House Poor” but the next-level of that.
Falling in love blinds you to numbers. Numbers don’t love you back, they merely reflect your discipline.
So when the next “perfect” location appears, resist the impulse.
Have you ever talked to a dentist who had to file for bankruptcy or shut down their practice because their rent payment ate them alive?
I have.
Have you ever talked to a dentist who did not file for bankrcupty, but is earning a fraction of the salary as an owner as they were as an associate – but now with all the stress?
I have.
Do not chase charm, emotions, or timing. Run the math. Then run it again.
If the math doesn’t math, keep looking for another deal: Because your emotional choice today, becomes your regret tomorrow.
Stay disciplined. Stay rational. Stay Lean.
Prepare for Dental Practice Ownership
Practice Launch is our flagship preparatory program built for employee dentists who want to become practice owners with greater clarity, confidence, and financial understanding.
If you want your own practice someday, but you are not sure where to start, this is where to start. Learn the ownership path, avoid common early mistakes, and begin building the business foundation before you buy, build, borrow, or launch.
