Strategic Planning

To kick off the theme of Strategic Planning this week, here is how we outline and define this topic at the Dental Business Club. Steps to develop an exciting three year vision for your practice and your life:

1. Learn your history to date

2. Review your current practice

3. Organisational structure

4. Finances

5. Brand and marketing

6. Customer relationship management

7. Operational systems

8. Location and physical facilities

9. In the case of a new practice

10. Determine whether a purchase or squat will be more suitable

11. Develop a 3-year vision for your practice and your life

12. Create a 12-month plan of action

13. Agree 90-day goals

14. Determine your “end game” – how you will ultimately exit from your business

DBC Case Study Elmsleigh House Dental Clinic, Farnham I have been working with Tim Thackrah and the team at Elmsleigh House for over seven years now and it has been fascinating to see the way the practice has doubled in size and simultaneously increased the management team from one to six people. Tim is a classic example of a visionary business leader who wants to fulfill his full potential both in terms of clinical excellence and also the evolution of one of the most celebrated specialist referral centres in the United Kingdom. At all stages in this process I have worked very closely with Tim in helping him to evolve and adapt his business vision to changing circumstances both internally within dentistry and also externally within the market place as a whole. Tim has been one of my Elite clients for many years now and I particularly enjoy attending the quarterly management meetings where individual members of the management team report back on financial systems, marketing systems, patient journey systems, clinical and non clinical operating systems and human resources. By creating a superbly qualified management team around him Tim has ultimately achieved his objective of delivering 100 days per year of dentistry, taking plenty of holidays and spending the rest of his time as the leader of the management team. This is a classic example of strategic planning at its finest.