Goodwill in Dental Practice Value – For Sellers
By Megan Urban, OMNI Practice Group
As many of you know, in the sale of dental practices, typically the biggest contributor in determining the purchase price is “Goodwill”. Are you aware of the aspects that make up goodwill? Of course, it includes your patients and business reputation, but it’s also based on patient retention, which is your hygiene program or Recare.
Savvy buyers understand that the repeat or retained patients are critical to on-going success. It is also important to lenders working with buyers. If you have a bulk of your patients coming in for large cases and your collections are high, that is commendable, however, a new buyer will be concerned that your patients have completed all treatment leaving them nothing to do and eliminates the chance for the buyer to meet and keep your patients.
All dentists focus on getting enough New Patients, as they should, but what happened to all the New Patients you treated over the years? Consider this example:
Let’s say you averaged 15 NPs per month for 10 years and you saw each on an average of twice per year in hygiene or Recare, you would need approximately 514 days of hygiene if you see an average of 7 per day. Some of you may see more patients in hygiene, but some may be SRP and perio patients may be coming every 3-4 months. You may work around 180-195 days per year so you would need approximately 2.75 hygienists. So that means if you retain at least 85% of those patients, you will need more and more hygiene days each year. Is this happening in your practice?
How many years have you been practicing and how many hygienists do you have? You may feel it’s impossible to fill more hygiene schedules. That tells me you may need revised scripting and a strategy for talking with your patients and educating them about their dental maintenance.
I have analyzed hundreds of practices and found that the average potential for increased collections from goodwill or patient retention is $30,000 to $150,000, depending on the size of the practice. I know it’s usually a high priority in any practice but needs a little tweaking that can bring big increases. And this doesn’t include potential increased collections from diagnosed treatment from all those periodic exams!
I encourage you to look at your own practice statistics. How many patients did you see in Recare in 2019? Run a procedure frequency report for codes 1110, 0120 and see if your numbers make sense based on your number of patients.
Do yourself a favor and increase your collections now and increase the value of your practice for the day you sell. This is my area of expertise and something I enjoy helping my clients achieve. Please contact me if you would like to further discuss and make a plan for your practice.
Read MoreAre You Considering a “Dental Practice For Sale By Owner”?
Many dentists will seek to sell their practice by themselves, presumably to “save money”. Sometimes the grass is greener on the other side so we do things out of emotion instead of “doing the math”. If you have a couple of hundred hours of spare time and love working with intelligent, challenging people, and showing your dental practice to strangers on evenings and weekends, you are going to love the process of selling your practice.
For most dentists, their practice is one of their most valuable assets, so if that sounds like you and you would like to go “For Sale by Owner” then now is the time to start to prepare. Probably a good time to study a little law, accounting, marketing, advertising, sales, and perhaps negotiations. Think about how you are going to tell your staff or decide to wait until they figure it out. Be sure not to lose them or your practice may become more difficult to sell (and you could lose more in practice value than the commissions you are saving). If your practice has seen better days you might consider sprucing it up a bit or maybe a little remodeling? As a do-it-yourselfer, you will save even more money.
Ask yourself “how do I value my dental practice” and balance that with what the market will bear. Keep in mind that the buyer will always think they are paying too much and the seller thinks they are selling too low. Once you’re ready to go, write your ads, contact (play phone tag with) the various media vendors to figure out how to best execute your marketing plan. Piece of cake, pay the man and place your ads. Soon your phone will be ringing, don’t forget to follow-up with the inquiries in your new email address.
Schedule the viewings after hours, on your day off, and on the weekends. Don’t be too disappointed when something happens and the person doesn’t show up or when the “tire kickers” don’t give you feedback. Soon if all goes well you will receive a Letter of Intent. There will likely be a number of things you’ll need to do to assist the buyer with their due diligence so be prepared to assemble all the information ahead of time if possible. If you are leasing the office, do whatever you can to negotiate with the property owner for as smooth as a transition as possible with the buyer. WARNING: half of all deals fall apart because of landlord conflicts with the seller or buyer. If this happens to you, and there is a 50-50 chance it will. Be prepared to start over and keep your emotions in check.
Is it worth it to “Do It Yourself” to sell your dental practice? It depends upon how many hours it takes, how much distraction you are comfortable with, and how much quality of life you are willing to sacrifice.
The legal community has a saying, “He who represents himself has a fool for a client”.
The Many Different Types of Dental Practice Transitions
By planning your transition carefully and working with a trusted broker in the dental practice marketplace, practice sellers can ensure each element of the process is completed smoothly. But first, it’s important to learn more on the types of dental practice transitions available for those considering a sale. In this article, the team at OMNI Practice Group explains the processes involved in several types of dental practice transitions.
Partnership
Selling a portion of your practice via a partnership has its own pros and cons. One of the pros is that if you can find a partner with similar interests and philosophies as well as a set of skills that enhances your practice and you get along well, you’ve found a winner. The cons are that those types are difficult to find. The ADA states that 70% of partnerships fail. However, if done right using experts in partnerships, you can have a successful and happy partnership transition.
Walk Away Sale
A walk away sale involves the seller removing themselves and their business interests from the practice the moment the sale is completed. This could be ideal for those in the process of retiring or relocating to a new area across the country. But sellers must analyze whether they truly want to walk away from the business they helped create. To complete a walk away sale effectively, sellers must tie up all loose ends many weeks before the buyer completes their transaction. This ensures a seamless handover process and allows the buyer to immediately enter the business with a fresh start.
Sell and Work Back
This can often be very gratifying. The seller sells 100% of the practice but stays to work as an employee in the practice. The seller may cut back their hours or may keep up the pace. The seller and buyer work together, and the seller may even mentor the buyer. The seller no longer has any management responsibility or ownership. He simply does clinical dentistry. As long as the two get along, this can work out wonderfully.
Customized Transition
Working with a dental practice transaction broker can help sellers customize the sale according to their unique requirements. Brokers are experts in managing the transition process, from organizing the timing of asset sales to implementing buy back procedures once the sale has been completed. It’s important the company the seller works with has a full understanding of their business plans before they begin the transition process, as this will help reduce potential issues as the transaction is completed.
By having a clear understanding of the available dental practice transition options, owners can ensure the right model is found for their sale process. To learn more, contact us today!
info@omni-pg.com
877-866-6053
Top 5 Fears Dentists Have About Practice Ownership (and How to Overcome Them)
There are many advantages to owning a dental practice over being an associate dentist and not owning a practice. For one, the average dental practice owner makes approximately 20% more in income than an associate dentist working for someone else. A dental practice owner also gets to choose what procedures he or she wants to perform, refer out, or delegate to an associate (if there is one). They can also choose their own hours; pick the days they want to work and how much vacation they want to take. So, why aren’t dental associates owning practices? What are they afraid of? Here are a few fears we have encountered by dental associates and how to overcome those fears:
- Fear of the unknown – Associates feel they don’t have the experience in owning a practice. They don’t know what to expect. They haven’t managed staff. They haven’t kept financial records. They don’t know what marketing to put in place. They don’t know what benefits to give employees, how to hire or fire employees, or even how to balance a checkbook.
Fear not, you don’t have to know everything at once. You know how to do dentistry. That’s the first step in owning a practice. You have a few years of experience working as an associate in a dental practice. You’ve observed the owner working with and managing staff. You may have experience leading a team in school, playing sports, etc. These are all examples of good experience in leading and handling staff. You don’t have to know how to keep books right away. We suggest getting a dental bookkeeper and then getting educated on reading financial statements and eventually doing your own books if you’d like. This can happen over time. Bottom line is if you are good at what you do and willing to learn the other parts of practice ownership, you’ll be just fine.
- Fear of taking on more Debt – Read Robert Kiyosaki’s book, “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”. Not all debt is created equal. There is good debt such as student loans and practice debt that helps generate an income and there is bad debt such as credit card debt where you just borrowed money because you wanted something. Practice debt used to buy a practice that will help you make more money and build equity in an asset (the practice) is a positive thing. As long as it’s a good practice with good cash flow, you’ll be money ahead in the long run.
- Fear of the DSO (Dental Service Organization) or Group Practice Giants – Don’t fear the giants. They have their own niche targeting dental shoppers looking for the lowest price on a cleaning, crown or teeth whitening. They also have a high turnover in their staff and doctors. You will provide excellent service with the same staff and dentist that the clients will see every time they come to your office. In a corporate environment, they’re not sure which dentist or hygienist they’re going to get next.
- Fear of not knowing what to look for – This is a valid concern. You can educate yourself in a number of ways. There are great resources via Dentaltown, dental podcasts, YouTube, etc., that can help you know what to look for. Quite simply, you start by looking at your desired location, then look at the cash flow of the practice and after that, you can get into the details. There are consultants and brokers who can also help you with reviewing practices. Identify your team that will help you overcome this fear.
- Fear of a recession – Recessions happen, typically every 8 to 10 years and last 10 to 12 months. You cannot avoid recessions or downturns in the economy, it’s part of life. But, during recessions, employees typically get laid off of work. If you own your own practice, you’re probably not going to fire yourself. You’ll keep yourself employed and busy. Owning a practice is a deterrent from getting laid off during a recession.
These are a few of the fears that we’ve seen over the years, and there are others as well. But the best thing you can do is educate yourself and talk to practice owners, brokers and bankers. Seek advice and counsel from everyone you can. This will help you make a wise decision in moving forward with practice ownership.
For a chance to get advice from a team of experts all in one place – broker, banker, attorney, etc., we have 3 Practice Ownership seminars coming up this fall, all are free! Click the link below for more information.
Selling Your Dental Practice? It’s Not as Easy as It Looks
ARE YOU READY?
You might be saying, “This practice has been my baby and my life for many years,” Or, “I still want to treat patients a couple of days a week after I sell my practice.” Before you make any decisions, ask yourself some questions:
- Am I emotionally and financially ready to step away from the practice where I’ve invested so much of my time and resources?
- What do I want to do after I sell? Will I retire from dentistry, work part-time, or volunteer my services?
- How do I want to sell my practice? For example, should I sell to an associate and immediately retire, or should I transition to another dentist and gradually step aside? Should I sell to a corporate?
It’s understandable you want to preserve your practice legacy while ensuring the ongoing care of your patients and staff meets your high standards. That’s why it’s important you find the right buyer to entrust your “baby.” It’s one thing to be financially prepared for retirement. It’s a whole other ballgame to emotionally handle walking away from your practice.
READY, SET… GO!
After taking stock of your personal finances, retirement, and practice transition goals, it’s time to call in the experts to help you prepare for the sale. Your team of professionals should include a CPA, wealth management advisor, practice transition specialist, and an attorney.
Certified Public Accountant (CPA): A CPA will compile and review all your financials. Be upfront about anything that might be considered outside the normal scope of dental practice business, i.e., expenses above industry averages, any non-cash benefits, or family members on the payroll who don’t work in the office. This allows your CPA to do a thorough analysis and advise any necessary adjustments.
Wealth management advisor: The sale of your practice could be the single biggest contribution to your retirement fund. Consult an expert wealth management advisor to help you plan for any related tax consequences and long-term investment strategies.
Practice transition specialist: A good practice transition specialist will review market prices in your area, establish a practice sale timeline, conduct a comprehensive practice analysis, and have a pool of financially viable buyers. Get recommendations from colleagues and interview each one to find the best match for your needs.
Attorney: Attorneys provide much-needed protection and attention to practice sale transaction details. Due diligence and sound legal advice benefits you, your practice transition specialist, and the buyer. Find an attorney who is well-versed in dental practice transitions. This will save you time and money, and potentially add tens of thousands of dollars to the purchase price of your practice.
FINANCIAL PREPAREDNESS
Be sure to have all of your financial statements in order to accurately show the fiscal health of your practice. Make sure you prepare and review monthly and quarterly profit and loss statements with your accountant. If you have not done that, start doing so immediately. Review each line item to manage revenue fluctuations, expenses, and ancillary accounting issues.
The ADA, a member of the Academy of Dental CPAs, or a transition specialist can give you current industry averages for revenues, expenses, new patient flow, fee schedules, and much more.
Buyers will look at your profit and loss statements to compare each line item to industry averages. Make sure your CPA explains any noted differences upfront, otherwise you could lose significant value to your practice. It also puts to question the integrity of your practice financial information.
- Due diligence: Potential buyers will want to review your production against industry averages. Carefully analyze the following key reports generated by your practice management system:
- Provider summary report: This report actualizes productivity by provider and type of procedure. When reviewing this report, make sure your hygiene production numbers are within industry averages. Also, if you offer specialties such as orthodontics or sleep apnea, you need to make sure any potential buyer can replicate those procedures. If they can’t, it could negatively impact the purchase price of your practice because that revenue would be deducted from the valuation.
- Accounts receivable report: Buyers pay close attention to the percentage of receivables based on the delinquency bucket. Be forewarned: most buyers will not pay for balances over 90 days. Large account receivable balances are a red flag for any potential buyer. It usually signifies a lack of controls for effective practice collections and cash flow management. Carefully analyze each account and make the necessary adjustments to non-collectibles.
- Fee schedules: Review your current fee schedule and adjust fees to the minimum 80th percentile for your area.
FINAL INSIGHTS
- Carefully vet all potential buyers. If they don’t have a clear understanding of the market and how it relates to the value of your practice, move on.
- Establish relationships with industry professionals. Their expertise and support will be an invaluable resource.
- Determine a specific date of sale with a realistic timeline. Communicate clearly when you want to stop practicing dentistry.
- Plan early and anticipate delays. Your location, mix of procedures, and practice revenue trends can impact the pace of your practice sale.