The Kids Are in College; Now What?

Becoming an empty-nester is a natural time to start thinking about your next steps, as well. While there is still tuition to be paid, a well-laid dental practice transition takes years of planning, whether that means engaging in a partnership or preparing for retirement. Here are some steps to start taking now.

Contact a broker

It takes approximately 150 hours to transition a dental practice, which is one of the many reasons to hire a professional broker. To get the most out of your sale, both financially and personally, a professional broker will help you focus on the bottom line and create an accurate appraisal of your dental practice while vetting potential buyers and removing any emotion from the transaction.

Crunch the numbers

Determine how much you need for retirement, how much debt you have left and how much you need to get out of the practice when you ultimately decide to sell it. The most important point is to plan for your transition while production is still high to ensure you gain a higher valuation. Because the most recent years’ collections are weighed heavier than past years, you’ll want to go out on a high note if a sale will take place in the next two or three years.

Know your options

With all the transition options available, you’ll want to have an understanding of your ideal transition and discuss with a broker what is currently possible and what you need to do to get to your ideal transition plan. Planning early will allow you the option to affiliate with a dental service organization (DSO), bring on a partner who will eventually buy the remaining share of the practice when you are ready to retire, or simply understand where the practice needs to be financially and strategize how to increase the value of the practice if needed.

What’s next?

Read up on sellers’ options in the e-book “Strategies for Transition,” then contact the experts at Professional Transition Strategies to get the proverbial ball rolling.