Staying Ahead of the Curve
Strategic Planning the Eventual Sale of Your Dental Practice
What does staying ahead of the curve really mean for dental practice owners who expect to sell their practices one day?
Most dentists understand the concept instinctively. You did not get into dental school by performing at an average level. Success required discipline, foresight, and the ability to think several steps ahead. But many highly successful clinicians apply far less thought to one of the most important events of their lives… planning for the eventual sale of their practice and the chapter that follows.
In many ways, retirement planning is your next major exam. The tuition is free, but the outcome can either pay big dividends or prove surprisingly costly. Some practice owners approach it early and deliberately. Others drift forward with no clear plan, assuming they will “figure it out later.” Unfortunately, waiting often results in unexpected negative consequences
When it comes to planning for life after practice ownership, where are you on the curve? Are you ahead of it, comfortably in the middle, or falling behind? The encouraging news is that even if you are not where you would like to be today, it is not too late to make meaningful corrections. What matters most is shifting your mindset from focusing on a deadline to building a timeline.
Planning for the eventual sale of your practice is not a pessimistic exercise. In fact, it is one of the clearest demonstrations that you care deeply about your family, your staff, and your patients. Consider a difficult but necessary question: if something unexpected happened tomorrow, would your family be left with a hot mess under emotional strain? Would your staff suddenly be without direction or employment? Would your patients be forced to seek care elsewhere?
Even without a sudden, unexpected event, a lack of planning often leads owners to stay in practice far longer than what’s best for patients and for practitioners themselves. Without a compelling vision for the next chapter of life, some practices slowly become “lifestyle practices.” Collections stagnate or decline. New patient flow softens. Procedures once performed in-house are referred out. The owner remains busy, but the practice quietly loses value. Salability is diminished. This outcome is common, but it doesn’t have to be.
Staying ahead of the curve means recognizing that a successful transition is not an event; it is a process. It involves practical preparation, psychological readiness, and financial clarity. Owners who begin early preserve options. They retain control over timing, structure, and legacy. Those who wait often discover that their choices have narrowed.
Practice Endeavors exists to help dental practice owners navigate this transition. We provide free educational resources designed to help owners prepare for the next chapter of life after practice ownership…practically, mentally, and financially. These resources are available to both clients and non-clients, with no cost or obligation.
If you would like to explore where you stand on the curve, learn more about our educational offerings, or begin a confidential conversation about the future of your practice, we invite you to visit our Contact Us page.
Take control of your future
PVA℠ helps practice owners prepare for the inevitable transition of their practices to new ownership.
J. Robert “Bob” Brooks, CEPA, CBI
J. Robert “Bob” Brooks, CEPA, CBI, leads Practice Endeavors, an Ohio-based practice brokerage and dental realty company. His company provides practice owners with the tools they need to prepare well for life after practice ownership and to find the best price/best fit buyers for their seller clients. Bob was integral in starting the first of its kind dental practice broker credentialing for the International Business Brokers Association.