You haven’t missed the boat… yet!
If you were contemplating a practice sale in 2018, but didn’t get started, you haven’t missed the boat… yet! In 2018, consider the following:
- Interest rates on practice loans were between 4.75% and 5.25%
- 50% of dentists are now over the age of 55
- The economy has been strong
- Consumer spending on dentistry has increased
- Practice values were up 5% to 10%
All of these factors have contributed to a growth in the number of dentists deciding to sell their practices. Dentists have seen their retirement accounts increase thanks to the strong economy. Dentists love the clinical aspects of dentistry but have grown unhappy with the business of dentistry. Insurance company reimbursements have been cut. Managing staff has become more and more of a burden with other industries competing for workers. Finding qualified staff is a major undertaking. Rent in metropolitan areas has skyrocketed. The combination of the good and bad has given dentists the motivation to sell their practices opting for retirement, or harvesting their equity and going to work as an employee for another dentist. The timing couldn’t have been any better for sellers with many of these factors creating a perfect storm to sell a practice and receive an optimum value.
But, it’s not too late and you haven’t missed the boat – – yet. There is still a strong demand for practices, interest rates are still comparatively low and practice values are currently still going strong. If you are considering a practice transition within the next year, now is the time to act. At no cost to you, we can help you formulate a plan to determine the time, the price and even potentially the person to whom you will be selling your practice. We will spend as much time with you and your significant other to ensure you are comfortable with an exit plan that fits your timing and your desires.
We are not like other transition consultants. We know that you care about who you will be selling your practice to. We are experts in matching sellers and buyers. We have a combined 30 years of experience selling hundreds of practices. Our personalized service enables you to relax while we do the work needed to get your practice sold. Our marketing team provides expertise in getting the word out with a goal of every dentist knowing your practice is for sale while keeping your name confidential throughout the entire process.
Contact us today to schedule your no-cost transition planning meeting. You have a lot to gain and nothing to lose. We guarantee you will walk away from the planning meeting much more educated and confident about your practice transition.
info@omni-pg.com
877-866-6053
From the Horse’s Mouth
Each year one of the largest corporate veterinary practice owners holds a one-day conference exclusively for veterinary practice brokers. At the conference, they discuss, amongst many other things, how their company is different than other corporates, how they value veterinary practices, and trends in corporate buying. It’s an interesting meeting to get the “state of the union” from a corporate buyers’ perspective. I wanted to share with you some of the notes I took and give you my thoughts on a few of their points.
- Corporates are continuing to expand. Not only in the U.S. and Canada, but this corporate buyer has begun acquiring practices in Australia and New Zealand.
- Some corporates have begun to do de novo practices. They are filling the gaps where they don’t have ownership of a practice with a startup practice. If you can’t buy it, build it!
- The DVM retention rate for the industry is 62%. A particular corporate claimed to retain DVMs at a rate of 82.5%. They said it’s due to how they treat the DVM and staff leaving everything as close to the same as possible. They also give the owners a piece of the pie.
- There currently is a shortage of DVM associates. They are putting a heavy effort towards recruiting DVMs at Veterinary Schools as well as the general public.
- This corporate has three commitments – Wellness Plans, Dentistry, and Fear-Free Clinics.
- They expect the current acquisition trend to continue for the next three to five years.
- Valuations are different among the various corporate buyers. Their add-back for DVM salaries is 20%. Another corporate buyer uses 22%. That can make a big difference in the purchase price on a large practice. Another example is adding back an office manager salary. That can vary significantly amongst corporate buyers. These are just two of ten examples of the differences they provided.
- Valuations have gone up over the past 5 years. Five years ago, they were buying practices at 4x to 5x EBITDA. They are now acquiring practices at a broader range of 6x to 9x EBITDA.
- They believe valuations are currently at their high peak with the expectation that they will start tapering back down to the 4x to 5x EBITDA range they saw five years ago.
- General Veterinary Practices that are in the sights of corporate acquisition teams represent 50% of all General Veterinary Practices. Corporates currently own 30% of all of these practices. The expectation is that once total corporate ownership hits 50%, the acquisitions will taper off dramatically. Corporates then may turn to specialty clinics. Note, we’re already seeing this in the marketplace. They also may focus on de novo practices.
In summary, the presentation confirmed what our thoughts have been:
- Corporates are here to stay.
- Corporate ownership will continue to grow.
- There are some good corporate buyers who treat their staff and DVMs well and there are others that do not.
- Corporates will go the de novo route when they can’t find a practice in an area they want to have a concentration.
- Valuations will begin to trend down in the not too distant future.
The number of corporate buyers in the market and the supply of practices corporates want all play into this. Whether good or bad, the corporate veterinary practice is here for the long haul.
This is just meant as an educational document and we are not promoting this or any other corporate buyer.
From the Horse’s Mouth
Each year one of the largest corporate veterinary practice owners holds a one-day conference exclusively for veterinary practice brokers. At the conference, they discuss, amongst many other things, how their company is different than other corporates, how they value veterinary practices, and trends in corporate buying. It’s an interesting meeting to get the “state of the union” from a corporate buyers’ perspective. I wanted to share with you some of the notes I took and give you my thoughts on a few of their points.
- Corporates are continuing to expand. Not only in the U.S. and Canada, but this corporate buyer has begun acquiring practices in Australia and New Zealand.
- Some corporates have begun to do de novo practices. They are filling the gaps where they don’t have ownership of a practice with a startup practice. If you can’t buy it, build it!
- The DVM retention rate for the industry is 62%. A particular corporate claimed to retain DVMs at a rate of 82.5%. They said it’s due to how they treat the DVM and staff leaving everything as close to the same as possible. They also give the owners a piece of the pie.
- There currently is a shortage of DVM associates. They are putting a heavy effort towards recruiting DVMs at Veterinary Schools as well as the general public.
- This corporate has three commitments – Wellness Plans, Dentistry, and Fear-Free Clinics.
- They expect the current acquisition trend to continue for the next three to five years.
- Valuations are different among the various corporate buyers. Their add-back for DVM salaries is 20%. Another corporate buyer uses 22%. That can make a big difference in the purchase price on a large practice. Another example is adding back an office manager salary. That can vary significantly amongst corporate buyers. These are just two of ten examples of the differences they provided.
- Valuations have gone up over the past 5 years. Five years ago, they were buying practices at 4x to 5x EBITDA. They are now acquiring practices at a broader range of 6x to 9x EBITDA.
- They believe valuations are currently at their high peak with the expectation that they will start tapering back down to the 4x to 5x EBITDA range they saw five years ago.
- General Veterinary Practices that are in the sights of corporate acquisition teams represent 50% of all General Veterinary Practices. Corporates currently own 30% of all of these practices. The expectation is that once total corporate ownership hits 50%, the acquisitions will taper off dramatically. Corporates then may turn to specialty clinics. Note, we’re already seeing this in the marketplace. They also may focus on de novo practices.
In summary, the presentation confirmed what our thoughts have been:
- Corporates are here to stay.
- Corporate ownership will continue to grow.
- There are some good corporate buyers who treat their staff and DVMs well and there are others that do not.
- Corporates will go the de novo route when they can’t find a practice in an area they want to have a concentration.
- Valuations will begin to trend down in the not too distant future.
The number of corporate buyers in the market and the supply of practices corporates want all play into this. Whether good or bad, the corporate veterinary practice is here for the long haul.
This is just meant as an educational document and we are not promoting this or any other corporate buyer.
Preparing Your Practice To Sell
Whether you are approaching retirement age or just thinking about a transition, there are several things you can do to prepare your practice for sale. Doing these things may help eliminate headaches, increase your sales price, or reduce your costs. Here are a few tips:
- Assess your equipment. Upgraded practices sell faster. If you are more than five years away from retirement, I recommend a few upgrades such as digital x-rays, recover your chairs if needed and freshen up the paint. If you’re closer than five years, you will not get the tax benefit of major upgrades. Just stick to updating the paint and carpet.
- Clean up your accounts receivable. Reimburse patient credits, collect old accounts and keep the A/R current.
- If you have an associate, make sure you have an Associate Agreement with a non-compete.
- If you have an employment agreement with your corporation and you are a C-Corporation, you may need to terminate yourself a few years before retiring. Consult your tax accountant.
- Consult your financial advisor and tax accountant. How much do you need to retire? How much do you have? What are the tax consequences?
- Get a practice valuation to see what proceeds you will get from the sale.
- Be realistic in the time it takes to sell. In remote areas, it can take a year or two. Metro areas, much less.
- Keep your production up as you near retirement. I see dentists slow down all the time in their last few years. Work the same number of days.
- Assess your staff. Do you have too many staff? Do you have one that should have been let go seven years ago?
- Have a practice assessment performed by a qualified consultant. Many will do it for free or a small fee. This may help show you some areas to improve over the next few years.
By focusing on these items in the coming years as you near retirement, you will avoid having your practice production and thus the price of your practice go down in your later years. Call me for a free consultation. I would be happy to take a look at your practice and give you my thoughts. Or, if you are thinking about transition right now, we have a database of buyers looking in your area.
877-866-6053
Influx of Sellers Hitting the Market
I have heard from other practice transition consultants, bankers and attorneys who are telling me they are busier than ever. We, Omni Veterinary Practice group, are experiencing the same thing with more listings and more practices under contract than ever before. So, why are so many veterinarians deciding now is the time to sell? I believe it’s for a number of reasons:
- Interest Rates are rising. Buyers have had the luxury of living through ultra-low interest rates over the past five years. Historically, interest rates on practice acquisitions have been around 7% to 8%. The last five years, we’ve seen them dip down to an average of 3.8% and one bank offering loans at 1.89%! Crazy rates! Buyers are now seeing the rates creep back up. Current rates are around 5% to 5.5%. This is scaring some buyers into acting on their desire to own a practice. They feel if they wait, interest rates will be back to the 7 to 8% rate soon.
- Baby Boomers are reaching their peak. Baby boomers doctors make up the largest portion of the veterinarian population. Approximately 50% of veterinarians are now over the age of 55. The largest portion of the baby boomer population is now hitting their mid-60’s. These doctors are now selling and retiring. Along with this, as we age life events, such as health issues, or even death happens. We are seeing sellers with health challenges where they cannot work at the same pace as they were before, or they cannot work at all.
- Veterinarians tired of being Practice Owners. Several of our current listings are from doctors in their 40’s or 50’s who are just tired of being owners. Managing staff and managing expenses such as rent, employee benefits, etc., have caused owners to rethink their dream of owning a practice.
- Equity Harvesting. Veterinarians at the peak of their production in their practice are deciding to sell their practices and get the equity out before production goes down. Many are selling to either small groups or investor veterinarians who allow the seller to not only harvest their equity but also to work back in the practice. A perfect storm in most situations.
Whether you fit into any of these categories or even if you are in the middle of your career, you owe it to yourself and your family to have a transition plan in place. Life events happen. We meet with veterinarians of all ages to discuss their career plan and look at different options of how to sail into retirement, or even sell and work back. We put customized plans in place and offer solutions in the event the doctor needs to sell quickly.