N. Texas Dentistry Special Issue 2014 Inside the Exceptional Practice | Page 22

THE BOTTOM LINE

W

hether you are just starting out or starting
anew, having a plan in place and a team at
your side will help you set and achieve realistic goals for your practice and set you on
a path to a profitable, rewarding practice.

When you made the decision to become a dentist, you probably
had a vague notion of the lifestyle you could anticipate after
graduation. Maybe you had an idea of where you wanted to live,
and even what sort of practice you might establish. As a dental
student, this dream may have transformed little by little into a
more fully formed vision for your future. But now that your
future has arrived (and you are at your lender’s door), it’s time
to turn your vision into a solid business plan. If you are a seasoned dentist and have had a business plan in place for a while,
it may be time to revisit your plan.

22 NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com

For dentists of all ages and stages in their careers, the same
maxims apply:

Define a set of goals. You can let your future take shape without any direction from you, assuming that fate will drive it in
the right direction, or you can shape the life you desire by first
defining a clear set of goals that will drive a plan for your business. The first path is a recipe for eventual disappointment and
dissatisfaction – the second gives you a blueprint for success.

Write out the qualities you seek. A sculptor shapes his work
with the end in mind, moving with each effort toward a vision
of the intended result. Creating your practice must be guided
by similarly deliberate actions if you want the end result to
reflect your vision. The framework for this series of actions is
your business plan, which begins with a written outline of the
qualities you want in your practice: