Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. The quality of a dental practice lies not just in the quality of the dentists, but also in the total operation. The successful practices all do the same key things well. The following contributed post is entitled, The Slickest Dental Clinics All Have These Habits In Common.
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Dental clinics are businesses, just like anything else. And for that reason, they need to take their processes seriously. Unfortunately, that is only something that a small minority actually do.
If you’re not particularly happy with the amount of money you are turning over at your practice, you’re not alone. It is something that thousands of dentists struggle with every week. Their background is in medical training, not entrepreneurship. Making the shift can be tough.
There are, however, some success stories. Here’s how the slickest dental clinics generate massive revenues.
They Account For Every Dime
All good business leaders know that the best way to turn a profit is to count expenses. But keeping track of where your clinic is spending its money isn’t always easy, especially if you try to do it by hand.
Here’s the good news: you can now track expenses using software. Better yet, you can pay local professionals to do it for you. You just send them your receipts, and they deal with the whole lot.
They Always Outsource
Some dental clinics want to do everything themselves, including making all their own prosthetics—bad idea. Trying to be all things to all people never works in business.
Outsourcing to a third-party dental lab is much more convenient. Here you send them your requirements for prosthetics, and they get on with actually making them. Invariably, it works out as being much more cost-effective.
They Locate In Convenient Places
Unlike many businesses, dental practices have a lot of scope for where they locate. Many find spots well outside of the center of town, usually in residential areas. Not only does this bring them closer to their target market, but it also cuts rents.
If you do decide to situate your medical practice further afield, don’t forget to advertise. If you don’t, people won’t know where you are, especially if you are in a low foot-fall area.
They Offer Parking
For some people, going to the dentist is a bit of an ordeal. When treatment is over, all many patients want to do is drive back to their house in comfort. If parking is an issue, therefore, they’re far less likely to show up.
If you don’t have any parking on your premises, then look for alternative arrangements. See if you can offer street parking. Failing that, explore whether you can share facilities with other local businesses or rent spaces from them.
They Spend A Fortune On Digital Marketing
Digital marketing is a massive opportunity for dental practices. Local SEO, where you target people who live close by, should be a top priority.
The slickest dental clinics know this. That’s why they continually churn out content designed to help them rank at the top of Google results. The more clicks they get, the more patients they can acquire.
Digital marketing, though, isn’t just about conversions. It is also about helping dentists develop their brands. The better your social media presence, the more highly people will think of your practice.