September 11, 2018

10 Steps to Buying a Dental Practice

You’re ready to start the dental practice buying process. But how? Before getting the keys turned over to you, there are a few steps you’ll need to follow first. Here’s what you can expect from the transition process.

Get pre-qualified

Providing your net income, stress and how much debt you can handle to your bank will help gauge your debt-to-equity ratio, debt-to-income ratio and credit score.

Make an offer

While approval by the bank will be dependent upon the type of practice you are considering, getting pre-qualified before making an offer will give you a ballpark for what you can be backed for financially.

Perform a practice analysis

Allowing adequate time for a practice analysis — sometimes as long as a year — can lead to a better understanding of the type of fit for your qualifications, both personal and financial.

Work with a broker

A good broker should be a part of your transition dream team, making sure all the agreements are in place and identifying ahead of time any issues that may arise.

Present letter of intent

The official offer letter is not actually a legally binding document but rather expresses your intent to follow through with the transaction.

Negotiate

As with any private sale, price, terms and closing date are all on the table between the two parties.

Initiate due-diligence process

Getting all your advisers in one place to review the financials and various aspects of the transition will leave little room for error in the long run.

Outline asset purchase agreement

In a straight buy-out, it’s important to outline what assets are included in a practice — most notably, the equipment.

Assess operating agreement

In the case of a partnership or merger, it’s important to determine who is going to pay for marketing, any staffing conflicts, and whether the doctors will be paid based on collections or a percentage of the practice.

Complete practice loan

This is all the terms and conditions that need to happen for the purchase and sale to go through, including the timeframe of sale and final asking price.

What’s next?

Read more about the steps of a transition in the e-book “Transitions: Your Next Adventure Awaits,” then contact the experts at Professional Transition Strategies to streamline the buying process.