"The past is where you learned the lesson, the future is where you apply the lesson."
My mom always taught me to be invaluable.
In the simplest terms, she would say to "go the extra mile" to get the job done.
In my world that means go the extra mile, and when the pavement ends get really serious. I WANT and NEED to set a path where nobody has gone before.
I often get asked if I worry about competition. Mostly from people that are trying to grind for a better price. I understand that, it's business to watch your overhead. More important to me however was to look forward and find efficiency. Getting a better price comes during my exam...after that we need to start some life changing treatment planning!
Something I call TIMEfactors.
TIMEfactors is finding ways to perform my job more efficiently. My iPhone is my office! I use it for entering orders (Portal App), for research, email, text, Facebook messages, Stock trading, and so much more.
In an average day I will respond to 300+ messages. I will usually respond appropriately and urgently with educated and experienced advice. Whether your office is on fire, you need a new team member, you are selling your practice or looking for an associate or want the price on a cotton roll in 5 different varieties...or want to find a better TIMEfactors way to control that parotid gland...
If you want to be average, that's cool. There is plenty of others that want to just get up, go to work, do what they are "paid" to do and then go home. In time, the damned people who go and work a little extra and start doing things we aren't paid to do start to screw it up for the rest of us!
The clinic across the street that started doing "same day crowns". Screw that! There is no future in that, right? Or the same day endo....pffft. And why do we need an instrument washer, what's wrong with an ultrasonic cleaner. Or for that matter the people we hire have two hands and they are AMBITIOUS!!
Hahahahaha, what a goofball spending all that money to computerize their office just so they can look at crappier quality digital images of teeth. We already know what they look like and the job that needs to be done. There is NO REASON that anyone needs to drop that kind of money to see a picture of what you already know.
The hygienist can absolutely push that scaler a little harder and make it last. The receptionist has all the time in the world to do the recalls in between checking people in, answering the phones and checking the answering machine that is now full. You can always call that patient back tomorr....oh wait, they went across the street where they can get in that evening and get a same day crown.
The boss is watching, but it shouldn't matter.
I WANT and NEED to feel like I accomplished something every day. It isn't selling cotton rolls. My boss absolutely pays me to do that. No problem el-bosso. The customers I work with demand high quality and something better and different that will help bring them incredible team members, who in turn attract an incredible loyal patient base
NOW WE ARE TALKING!
INVESTING IS ABOUT THE FUTURE, NOT THE PAST
I am that guy. I invested early in google, netflix, amazon, facebook. Also Henry Schein and Align tech. A dozen other companies you didn't hear of that performed just as well.
This life is about being eyes wide open. Of exploring what SHOULD be. Not what USED to be. Explore what you WOULD do - and "JUST DO IT". Quit procrastinating! Sometimes a skill set doesn't match the job - so add people to your network that can. With those people on your team stop wondering if you COULD.....
Start saying you DID.
Are you ready to take a leap and start looking at the future, or are you focused on the guy across the street. Will you sit and just watch what everyone else is doing...then sit idle and criticize or will you get off your butt and just do it?
TIMEfactors
35 years of consulting - I can tell you this much....
Look for opportunity to be efficient. Invest in efficiency and constant improvement. Especially with your own skills and your teams skills. Every minute of production from a skilled PERSON is EXTREMELY valuable to your bottom line.
Some local clinics I work with have been using the TIMEfactors formula for many years. Practices with great profit margin and large gross income!
TIME is MONEY!
You can grind TIMEfactors down to a simple formula.
Take your gross annual production. Divide it by the amount of hours you work, right down to the minutes.
Example - $1,000,000 annual production with 48 weeks of 35 hours working.
$595 per hour. $9.92 per minute.
Let's do some other calculations!
How many operatories do you work out of? 5? Average production of $119 per operatory.
How many patients did you see last year. 3600 visits? Average production of $277.78 per patient.
Figure out your most productive per minute procedure, least productive. Estimate your hygiene, evaluate the time lost with non-income generating opertory turnovers...get those patients in the chair on time and move it!
We can do this a zillion different ways. This is ALL BUSINESS!!
What is TIMEfactors?
TIMEfactors (simplified) is about reducing labour costs and increasing gross production using equipment, techniques, skill and product. More predictable results while reducing failures.
A simple example is curing lights. If you KNOW you can cure 2mm of materials in 10 seconds with proper technique, then curing for 30 seconds is wasting labour. Be sure, but be smart.
If you work at $595 per hour, it's $9.92 per minute. If you save 10 minutes a day curing you gain $99.20 of efficiency.
It's not just the 10 seconds of curing. It's the IDEA of mastering time. Using a curing light, bulk fill material, better technique, increasing skills, using your team, talking less and working faster... It's a matter of MASTERING technique instead of trying to cook 100 things at the same time and half of them not turning out well.
SKILL is EVERYTHING! Using technique and products and equipment can HELP you master a skill, but it doesn't replace you and your hands.
A $4,000,000 a year clinic I know runs out of 8 chairs. Extended hours. Weekends. They NEVER have team members wandering around looking for a lost instrument. Every operatory has every supply needed for every procedure at their fingertips. Nobody has to get up mid procedure to find something. The drawers are color organized and restocked accordingly. The dispensary is color co-ordinated. They make the most of their equipment, sqeeze every last minute of out it. They use every technology to be efficient. Every room has intra oral cameras, they rarely refer any procedure. Hygiene is booked day, night weekends and they can always accomodate a new patient. Recall systems are in place, doctors and team are always attending CE courses together and treatment plans are accepted beyond any fee guide or insurance barriers. Aligners are placed, molar endo performed, surgery, grafting, cosmetics, implants, CT scans, airway, sleep...you name it - they not only do it, they are masters.
DUPLICATE SUCCESS!
There are not many businesses (or maybe even consultants) that will SHARE information for free. The answers to your HIGH VALUATION are out there! If you want to get that job that is the highest paying - learn to be the most productive person!
Find ways to do what others do in LESS TIME and BETTER!
You don't have to physically learn to shovel or dig faster....you can be SMART and use all the tools that many people have already proven! Just do me a favor and never take it for granted that it's as simple as buying a solution. You STILL must INVEST, LEARN and APPLY SKILL. It's HARD WORK, but once you start applying the principles you will start to see the MULTIPLES in your value!
Here is a list of TIMEfactor products to consider for your job or practice.
Reception and practice management:
-Dentrix practice management
-Recall Max recall manager
-Demand Force recall and reputation manager
Assistants:
-Instrument Management System - efficient instrument management and organization
-Zirc Color Code system - supply and instrument management
-Adec ICV Evacuation system - plug in your HVE and Saliva between patients and hit a button!
-Turbomax alginate mixer - perfect mix every time
-Excellent materials to consider for easy clean up, cost per use, faster to use, efficient. Integrity Temp, Maxitemp, Maxcem elite chroma, RelyX, Fuji Restoratives in direct dispensers, etc.
-Intraoral cameras!
-Sterilization Systems and cabinets
Hygienist
-Products - Nupro Varnish, Medicom Halo, 3M vanish,
-Oraquix patient comfort
Doctors:
There is a long list of products that will make you time efficient! Consider anything on this list.
Equipment
-Digital Doc - an intraoral camera is the #1 TOOL for any high production office I evaluate! Every operatory, in particular Hygiene! Consider the Dexis cam, Acteon Sopro, you can now find basic intraoral - dealer supported and installed (important) cameras for under $2000 (CDN) EVERY ROOM PLEASE!
-Digital Scanners - Cerec Primescan, Planmeca Emerald, 3 Shape Trios
-Rotary Endo Systems like the Sybron TF Adaptive, obturate using the Elements Free
-electric Handpiece systems - Kavo, NSK, B and A Schein!
Extend your skills and services - no more refer-o-dontist in your practice!
-Invisible aligner system Clear Correct, Invisalign
-Using a 3D scanner for patient acceptance- an intraoral camera on steroids!
Materials
-Sonic Fil, Surefil SDR
-Master your procedures and extend your practice horizons with extended education for you and team, Spears, Kois, LVI
-Implant courses - Biohorizons
-Business courses - Schein Dental team courses