Should the independent practice owner fear the corporates?

You might have read the recent boast from Oasis that it has moved to position 20th of the Sunday Times very much respected Profit Track 100 league.

This off the back of growing the number of practices it owns by a staggering 65 per cent in the past 12 months.

Oasis now serves two million patients and has a team of 3,000 clinical and non-clinical employees — impressive numbers by anybody’s measure.

And by now you must have seen IDH’s new retail branding {my}dentist. Again the execution of the brand in terms of signage and website communicates a contemporary, easily accessible and professional 21st century retail service.

{my}dentist homepage

{my}dentist homepage

{my}dentist has just launched a major TV campaign in Yorkshire — no doubt a trial before a much larger roll out.

The corporates are starting to really get their act together in terms of retail presence and they are naturally encouraged by the continued growth of the sector.

It’s a great time to own dental practices, whether it’s one or 600.

So, if you own an average practice in an average UK or Irish town should you be frightened by the corporates? Should you be terrified that they will impact the number of new patients you recruit to your practice each month, and worried that you will loose key members of your clinical and non-clinical team to them?

Or do you hold the view that competition is healthy for your practice, compelling you and your team to improve your patient experience, your marketing systems and your range of treatments?

Competition in business is important and essential for development, otherwise we would all be driving around in Ladas and getting held to ransom by national airlines. Competition by any commercial measure in dentistry is limited, with each town typically operating an informal cartel of practice owning dentists, most of whom exist in a comfort zone.

By responding positively to the corporates and lifting your game you will ultimately triumph over them. Why? You own your practice so you can be agile in reacting to service delivery needs and deliver localised marketing campaigns. Believe me, the corporates can’t do anything quickly — you can.

It’s good fun too being a David to the Goliath corporate. If you need help taking the Goliaths on, give me a ring

JJF

07860 672727

jonathan.fine@breathebusiness.co.uk

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