No matter how impressive your vision for your business may be, dreams require hard work, strategic planning, and a willingness to adapt to make them real. Highly successful business owners learn to set goals realistically and effectively. Master the skills of effective goal-setting, strategic planning, and assessment to find greater success in your business.

Set Incremental Goals

Start small when setting goals. Establish daily and weekly goals. It can be easy to let ambition take over while you dream of long-term goals. However, you cannot reach your long-term goals without smaller victories along the way. Setting smaller, incremental goals provides the opportunity for you to be in constant control of your business. You will know if you miss a weekly goal, and you can then adjust your strategy to make sure it never happens again. If you are only setting quarterly or yearly goals it can come as a surprise when you miss them, or your team might be left struggling to meet them at the last minute.

Make Goals Visible

You and your team need a visual reminder of what your goals are and when you plan to achieve them. Put them up on a bulletin board in the office, include them on your calendar. Write your goals in a place you look daily as a constant reminder. We all have those back-of-the-mind thoughts or ideas that might be good if implemented, but they are frequently forgotten. Make your goals visible to you and your entire team.

Goals Need to be Measured

How will you know if you achieved your goal if you cannot measure it? Goals should have a measurable standard. Perhaps your goal is to see 10 new clients by the end of each month or to increase the number of referrals by 50% before the end of the quarter. Pick specific numbers and concepts that can be defined in a concrete way. Abstract goals are harder to reach because they are too difficult to define. When goals are measurable, you will know exactly what you need to achieve your desired result.

Rethink the way you are setting your goals for your business. Your ambitious plans will be successful only if you have a road map to reach them. This is where effective goal setting comes in. Get into the habit of writing down your goals and measuring them. Effective goal-setting strategies take careful planning. Master these skills and you will be on your way to the business success you have dreamed of achieving.

For more tips on managing your business, please contact us.

Graduating dental school after four years of hard work and beginning your practice brings about a myriad of changes, which include embarking on a rewarding career. Unfortunately, many new dentists do not pay close enough attention to financial considerations. The team at Schiff & Associate can work with you to avoid the common pitfalls that new dentists often encounter. Take care to avoid these five common mistakes. 

Poor Debt Management In 2018, the median debt for dental school graduates was $280,410. Compounding interest on school loans can add up quickly. While it’s tempting to buy cars and clothes that you previously weren’t able to afford, managing student loan debt during the first years of your practice can make the difference when the time comes to get a mortgage or expand your practice. Talking with our team of professionals can help you strike a balance between paying off your debt and taking advantage of the student loan income tax benefits. 

Few or No Written Goals Having a financial plan for your life will help you set a course, even when the unexpected happens. Saving for retirement needs to happen early on. The average age of retirement for dentists is now 69, according to the American Dental Association. Not considering retirement can have you living beyond your means early on in your career. Because of schooling, many dentists are age 30 or close to it before they start earning a significant salary. Having a sound plan as soon or soon after you start working will set you up for the future. 

Ignoring Changing Overhead Costs Newer dentists are often anxious to further their practices, but what comes along with that is an increased cost in overhead when more supplies, employees and the like are needed. Review your practices every few years to determine where you can cut costs or streamline processes to reduced overhead. 

Insufficient Billing and Collections Procedures Every practice has bills that are eventually written off because of the failure of insurance companies and patients to pay. Working with your accountant to develop a plan can help minimize those write-offs and maximize profits. 

If you’re a newly practicing dentist and want to get your professional career off on the right foot, contact our office to schedule a meeting. Developing a financial plan at the outset is one of the keys to creating a sound dental practice.