As the new year rolls around, reviewing our investment priorities is typical. This may involve looking back at areas for improvement, as well as celebrating successes. Regardless of the view, mapping a way forward – and the investment you’ll make – is a priority for most of us in the ensuing year. These investments can be finance, time, and equipment, but, the most important, often overlooked, investment that should be made is in yourself. As a dentist, you know that investing in your education and continued development is essential to maintain a successful career. These personal investments could take many forms, such as taking dentist business courses and working with a dental business consultant or coach.
Savvy Dentist and the Practice Max program strongly focus on this investment.
Why? Because no dental business can grow beyond the practice owner.
Investment in yourself doesn’t need to be a big thing. Or something else to add to the ‘to-do’ list.
Here’s how this important investment translates into practical how-tos for any dentist.
Dentist Courses to Successfully Run a Dental Practice
You’re a dentist. You went to school for years and now have a dental practice. But is that enough? It pays to learn and grow in today’s competitive business world continuously. That’s why I’m a big proponent of dentists taking courses to further themselves and their businesses.
Whether you’re a new or an established dentist looking to take your practice to the next level, investing in dentist courses, particularly in business management, is a great way to achieve personal and business growth. Through these courses, you’ll gain valuable knowledge and skills to help you run a dental practice more efficiently and effectively.
Dental Business Management Courses
Growing a successful dental practice takes more than caring for your patient’s oral health. You also need to know how to market your practice, hire the right team, and manage finances, among other things. A good business course will teach you all of these and more. And once you’ve taken a class or two, you’ll be able to implement what you’ve learned and start growing your practice.
Dental business management courses cover a wide range of topics. Depending on the course, you can expect to gain knowledge in the following areas:
- Financial Management
- Marketing
- Human Resources
- Patient Relations
- Dental Practice Management
- Dentistry Technology
- Systems for Dentists
Are dentist courses worth the investment?
Running a dental practice now is very different from 20 years ago. Continual learning is an excellent investment, not just for your business but for your personal growth as well. Here are three reasons why I believe a dentist should take courses that can help further their practice.
Learning Keep You Relevant
The world is constantly changing, and if you want to stay ahead of the curve, you must continuously learn and adapt. Dental business courses can help you do just that. They’ll teach you the latest trends, state of the art management models, and best practices so that you can apply them to your practice. As a result, you’ll be able to serve your patients better and keep your practice thriving for years to come.
Dentist Can Network Through Courses
When a dentist enrols and attends courses, he can network with other dentists worldwide. This is valuable because you can learn from their experiences and get new ideas to apply to your practice. Additionally, relationships can be invaluable as you grow your dental practice—you never know when someone might be able to offer advice or connect you with a valuable resource.
They’re an Investment in Yourself
As a dentist, you should also look at the courses, training, and conferences you take as an investment for yourself. You’re becoming a better dentist and person by continuously learning and growing. And that’s something that will benefit you both personally and professionally.
There are a lot of different dentist business courses out there, so it’s essential to find one that’s right for you. You may want to take an online course or attend training or a conference. There are also many books available on the subject. When you invest in yourself through dental business courses, you’re investing in your future—something that always pays off.
Get a Dental Business Coach, Mentor, or a Consultant
As I mentioned previously, the growth of a business is directly correlated to the development of its owner. So, don’t hesitate to learn from everywhere and work with other professionals.
Dental Coach
Rarely do we tell ourselves what we need to hear.
And that’s why we need a coach or mentor.
Someone who’ll tell us how it is and not let us off the hook when we’d much instead pack up and go home.
A dental coach can be a safe sounding board for new ideas, challenge your thinking and provide a different perspective.
They can also be a voice of encouragement when the going gets tough.
Many successful business people have coaches. Some have more than one.
When I think about business and investment, I know I wouldn’t be without a coach.
Dental Business Consultant
Many dentists assume that because they’re good at dentistry, they’ll be good at running a dental practice. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Just because you’re a great dentist doesn’t mean you’ll be a great businessman or businesswoman.
That’s why I think it’s essential for every dentist to take at least a few business courses and hire a dental business consultant. A good business course will teach you the basics of running a successful dental practice, from marketing to finances. And a good consultant can help you make your dental practice more efficient and profitable.
When you’re running your own business, it can be challenging to see the forest for the trees. This is where a consultant comes in. A dental business consultant can look at your dental practice from the outside and offer recommendations on improving efficiency, profitability, and employee morale.
And when inevitably things go wrong at your dental practice, it’s helpful to have someone who knows the ins and outs of running a dental business and can help you troubleshoot problems quickly and efficiently.
Let Go and Let Someone Else Do It
For those dentists complaining they haven’t enough time, or can’t find anyone to do a job, maybe it’s time to look a little closer.
And then let go.
From my own experience, I can honestly say we usually do more than we need to.
If tail chasing is your standard operating procedure, time to think again.
Instead, hone in on what can be delegated.
Can you cross-train team members?
Could you set up key performance indicators to create employee accountability?
Assess whether you need to be across the details of your website.
Identify the best time allocation – your critical drivers – and focus efforts there.
Applicable for every dentist, but especially for those working solo, investing your efforts in ‘needle movers’ like revenue generating and profitable activities is key.
You avoid burnout, resentment, and being overwhelmed by delegating appropriately and investing time wisely.
Take A Break
When building a business and creating a practice to scale and grow, it seems the last thing we should do is take a break.
Taking a break is a priority investment in you and your business.
I’m not necessarily talking about trips to the Bahamas or helicopter rides over the Grand Canyon, although you might do that.
What I’m talking about is investing time for you to take a vacation.
Take time to be home – and be there, not just physically, but your mind elsewhere.
You might even sit around and watch Netflix for an hour.
Do whatever is necessary to give back to yourself physically, energetically and emotionally.
It will pay dividends many times over.
Have A ‘Not To Do’ List
The ‘to-do’ list is something we all wrestle with from time to time.
A neat reframe I picked up recently is the Not To Do list.
Emily Letran – a high-performance coach, author, dentist, and recent guest on my podcast, swears by it.
It’s a list on which you put everything you shouldn’t be doing.
It requires you to get very specific about tasks you should or could let go of.
If you sat down and worked out what should be on your Not To Do list, you might be surprised by what you find.
Whether through habit or conditioning, you may think certain activities are super important.
Maybe they are, but they don’t necessarily need you to do them.
Consider this when you decide which clinical work you’ll take – think productive over non-productive.
You can also apply this approach to your business administration too.
Final Words
As you approach the new year, consider what your most important investment will be this year.
Understanding your business may be your priority focus. With it comes clarity and momentum.
However, it’s nothing without the investment you make in yourself.
By investing in yourself now, you’ll set your dental business up for success in the future.
As the dust settles on the new year, invest wisely in yourself.
