Beyond Bitewings

When it comes to running your practice, do you find yourself wishing things could run a bit more smoothly?

The good news is that there are several different things you can implement today to help make a much more cohesive team which will help to make the practice run much more smoothly.  Ash and Robert discuss their tips and tricks to help.

They talk about policies and procedures. Often times doctors feel this is unnecessary or too much of a headache to create. However, it eliminates questions within your staff and helps everyone get on the same page with expectations and what they can expect from working at your office. The last place you want to be is where people are making assumptions or are unsure.

They also discuss bonus structures. Again, this can feel like a cumbersome task, but is actually easier than many doctors think. Plus this can be an item that really brings a team together in one common goal. 

Another idea they have is goal setting with the office team, daily huddles to understand how those goals are being met, and how to create ways to help measure and track those goals. 

It can take a few extra steps to create all of these, but when you have a group of people understanding what they’re supposed to do, how they’re supposed to do it, and how they’re going to accomplish these things, it can create an extraordinary working environment.

If you have specific questions about running your practice, or if you'd like to have another question answered on a future podcast, please reach out to the Edwards & Associates team.

When it comes to selling a practice, many dentists find themselves contemplating the decision between selling to a DSO, going down a traditional path, or even to selling at all. Although selling to a DSO may seem enticing, it's important to understand the full picture before making this important decision. 

In this episode of Beyond Bitewings, Ash and Robert discuss what DSO’s are, how they work, and what they are usually looking for when it comes to acquiring your practice. Plus they talk about what is important for you to know before you sign any dotted line.

They also discuss how DSO’s typically determine a sales price, and how they make it much more straightforward than traditional buyers. Plus they discuss, on average, what a DSO expects from the owners when purchasing, and why an owner could end up losing a lot of money by selling too early.

They also talk about that although it may feel like it’s an urgent decision, why it’s important not to rush into anything, in addition to other questions that their customers typically ask when they’re trying to decide to move down the DSO route.

So before you make any changes to your business or decide to sell to a DSO, make sure you listen.

If you have specific questions about selling your practice, or if you'd like to have another question answered on a future podcast, please reach out to the Edwards & Associates team.

When it comes to running your dental business, you may often feel like you’re in constant defensive mode vs. getting ahead of potential issues. In this episode of Beyond Bitewings, Ash and Robert are giving some of their best tips and tricks for making running a business more smooth, and how to become more proactive on common issues.

The first thing they talk about is being able to provide tax and business data on time, and the best way to do this is to keep better records. They recommend collecting the data as you go versus waiting until the end of the year and even using apps like MileIQ to track information like mileage while you’re driving. 

The IRS is receiving more funding this year, which means for the first time in several years, we will see an increase in audits. So having more accurate and trackable data is going to be important in case you ever do get audited.

They also discuss secret shopper calls and exit interviews, and why both of these are so important for the success of your business. It’s always better as a business owner to stay on top of things and change as necessary versus waiting until something major happens, i.e. a majority of your staff leaving or a low rate of new patients. Both of these don’t take a lot of time but are important to do frequently.

Also, don’t forget we’re offering free reviews of your associate’s contract. If you would ever like for us to take a look, please email us at [email protected]

Resources:

https://mileiq.com/

Southwest Dental Conference - https://swdentalconf.org/

If you have specific questions about running your dental business, or if you'd like to have another question answered on a future podcast, please reach out to the Edwards & Associates team.

What do you know about preventing cyber security attacks in your practice? Maybe you feel your practice is too small to be a target, unfortunately, you’re very wrong.

No matter the size, your business could be vulnerable to cyber-attacks, which means your patient’s data could easily get in the wrong hands. You could also be in a situation where they hold your data ransom, and you need to pay a price for them to release it.

So how do you make sure your business isn’t defenseless against potential attacks? Well, that’s where Ieshea Hollins comes in. Ieshea is the founder of the Direnzic Technology Consulting Group. She joins Robert and Ash on this episode of Beyond Bitewings to discuss why small businesses, like dental practices, are the most susceptible to cyber-attacks, and what they can do to prevent them.

She also talks about why it's so common for business owners to avoid talking about cyber security because they just don’t understand what they really need to do, and why this is the absolute worst thing you can do.

To find out more about Direnzi Technology and how you can start getting your business protected, visit: https://direnzic.tech/.

If you have specific questions about preventing cyber security attacks or if you'd like to have another question answered on a future podcast, please reach out to the Edwards & Associates team. Or contact any one of the excellent ADCPA affiliates across the nation.

Do you know how to use personality assessments when hiring? Most dental practices are experiencing hiring to be very difficult. It can be even more frustrating if you finally think you’ve found that right hire, only to discover they’re a horrible fit in your practice.

As bad as this sounds, it's an unfortunate reality for more and more practice owners. In these times of finding great help to be more difficult, practice owners find themselves more desperate and they’re making offers solely on how they feel the candidate can perform the job. However, they’re forgetting to make sure the person will also be the perfect fit for their team.

So how do you make sure you have not only a great person for the job but one that will also mesh well with all of your other employees? Conducting an assessment like DiSC can help determine what type of personality you need within the role, and what type of person your prospect is.

DiSC is a personal assessment tool, and Tamra Whitley joins the team at Edwards & Associates again to discuss how she uses the assessment in her practice. She shares her own description of the personality types as lions, otters, golden retrievers, and beavers and what roles she typically sees that they fit. Plus she talks about how implementing the assessment has made a huge difference in her practice.

Also, while many dental practice owners are hiring on the spot, after only one interview, Tamra details her eight-step process before ever bringing anyone on board.

If you have specific questions about how to use personality assessments when hiring, or if you'd like to have another question answered on a future podcast, please reach out to the Edwards & Associates team. Or contact any one of the excellent ADCPA affiliates across the nation.

Do you find yourself dealing with dental team conflict resolution and team drama in your dental practice way more than you would like?

Unfortunately, this is a very common theme among dental practices. All too often, owners find themselves spending just as much time, if not more, unwinding the issues of the staff than they do practicing dentistry.

So if you can’t avoid conflicts, what’s the best way to approach conflict resolution? Dr. Sharon Tiger joins Robert and Ash in this episode of Beyond Bitewings to discuss some of the best practices when it comes to helping doctors understand how to approach conflicts before they become a bigger problem. Plus, she talks about ways to help diffuse a situation if it has gotten to the point where it is causing a lot of issues in the office.

They also discuss the best approach to letting someone go, and why it’s important to not give them specific reasons why it’s not working, in addition, they talk about who you should contact before making any moves.

Even though it’s going to be extremely difficult for you to avoid any conflict issues, it’s best to understand what you can do to keep your dental practice running as smoothly as possible. Plus we all know that you should be spending the majority of time doing what you love, practicing dentistry.

If you would like to connect with Dr. Tiger, you can email her at: [email protected].

If you have specific questions about dental team conflict resolution for your practice or if you'd like to have another question answered on a future podcast, please reach out to the Edwards & Associates team. Or contact any one of the excellent ADCPA affiliates across the nation.

Have you considered hiring an associate dentist for your practice?

When it comes to growing your practice there are various ways you can expand, and many times dentists find themselves needing to bring on a dental associate to help with the patients. Although this is a great way to expand, it’s a step that needs to be done with extreme caution. You want to make sure that the person you bring in is the right fit for you and your practice.

So how exactly do you do that? The team at Edwards & Associates welcomes Dr. Sharon Tiger back in this episode of Beyond Bitewings and they discuss the things you need to consider before signing a contract with a new associate. 

They discuss, first, how you can analyze what’s happening in your practice to determine if this is the right next step for you or not. Once you’ve determined that adding an associate is the best move, they discuss how personality assessments like the Culture Index are your best next step. This isn’t just for the associate but the doctor too to determine how their personalities can best fit.

They also discuss what needs to be done before any contract is signed. Just like any partnership, it’s important to have uncomfortable conversations and to get all of the expectations out on the table. You can do this on your own, or you can bring in a facilitator to help with the conversation.

Before you make this extremely important decision in your practice, make sure you listen to know what you need to consider, what questions to ask, and who you should connect with before signing anything!f

If you have specific questions about hiring an associate dentist for your practice or if you'd like to have another question answered on a future podcast, please reach out to the Edwards & Associates team. Or contact any one of the excellent ADCPA affiliates across the nation.

No matter what industry you’re in, learning to build and run a business can be a very lonely road, and learning from others in your field, can be a huge blessing.

In today’s episode of Beyond Bitewings, the team at Edwards & Associates is joined again by Tamra Whitley who discusses her membership in the American Association of Dental Office Management and how you can impact your practice with AADOM. Tamra is the owner spouse and Practice Administrator of Whitley Family Dental, and she shares her story of how she ended up helping to run the practice with her husband.

Tamra shares how she started in the front office, not having any idea what she was about to get into, and how becoming a member of the American Association of Dental Office Management (AADOM) was a complete game-changer for her. 

She discusses what an association can help with in terms of understanding potential blind spots, and how you can run your practice more efficiently. She also discusses why it isn’t just about her becoming a member, but also training her entire staff to adhere to what AADOM teaches.

If you do have specific questions about how you can impact your practice with AADOM, or if you'd like to have another question answered on a future podcast, please make sure to reach out to the Edwards & Associates team. Or contact any one of the excellent ADCPA affiliates across the nation.

Although it feels like we are moving on from the pandemic, there are still a lot of questions about the government programs that were offered to business owners.

The team at Edwards & Associates is covering some of your most pressing questions abound things like ERC Credits and Refunds, the HHS Stimulus, PPP forgiveness, and when to pay back your EIDL Loans. 

They’re also covering more questions like should you lease or purchase your car, and how can you qualify for using your car for a business. Plus, what does the credit look like for using electric cars?

Before you end up having to pay back money you really don’t need to or miss out on qualifying for a credit, make sure you listen to this podcast to get some of those questions answered. And of course please always consult with your CPA or reach out to the team at Edwards & Associates if you have any more questions. 

If you do have specific questions about some of these government programs, or taking advantage of tax credits, or if you'd like to have another question answered on a future podcast, please make sure to reach out to the Edwards & Associates team. Or contact any one of the excellent ADCPA affiliates across the nation.

Running your own practice may feel glamorous, and many start their own or purchase one thinking it’s going to be easy. However, although there are many ups, there are times when you may find yourself in many downs.

What are some things you can do to really embrace the role of an employer and build your practice the right away? The team at Edwards & Associates is discussing some tips for employers in this week’s episode.

Robert Edwards shares his experience running his own company in addition to the things he didn’t anticipate being potential issues. For example, finding clients wasn’t hard for him, the difficult part was building the right team. Plus one of the biggest challenges employers face is once you find the right team, letting go of control to let them thrive.

They also talk about the importance of learning to be flexible in all aspects of your business and continuing to have the right mindset even when things aren’t going your way.

If you have specific questions about help in running your practice or questions about being an employer in general, or if you'd like to have another question answered on a future podcast, please make sure to reach out to the Edwards & Associates team. Or contact any one of the excellent ADCPA affiliates across the nation.