How to Mix Business and Family at Your Dental Practice

Your spouse just graduated from dental school, and your background is in business management. In theory, it’s a match made in marriage heaven. What could go wrong with opening a practice together? Well, lots if not done properly. Here are some serious considerations to make before going under each other’s wings.

Ask the right questions

Rather than wonder how going into business with your spouse would affect your marriage and, in turn, the business, there are a few other nitty-gritty questions you’ll want to ask yourself first. How do the two of you plan to lead? Identify your strengths and weaknesses, different leadership styles, and have a strategic plan to lead the team.

Define roles

Any dentist will naturally have input over how their business is run so it’s important to draw the lines where who is going to be handling what. How much input will the dentist have with hiring, design of the space, and so on? How much freedom should the dentist be given to focus on patient care?

Come up with a marketing plan

Once establishing how your business will operate, you’ll want to make sure to promote the fact that it is family run. More than that, define how that makes a difference in the service patients will get, whether that’s an extra personal touch or understanding the needs of a growing family.

Sort the logistics

An all-important conversation to have is how much work to bring home at the end of the day. That includes dinnertime conversations, as well as the ride to and from work if you’ll be maintaining the same hours. What’s more, if kids are in your picture, who will handle sick days and after-school activities?

What’s next?

Contact the experts at Professional Transition Strategies to get your business off the ground and running.