Is a Partnership the Right Practice Model for You?

Gary Takacs: Welcome to another episode of the Thriving Dentist Show. I'm Gary Takacs, the Thriving Dentist Show podcast founder and co-host. We have a great episode for you today. Today's episode is titled, Is a Partnership the Right Practice Model for You? This is a topic that we haven't really covered in detail in the podcast, and we thought that now might be a good time to cover this. So, you're in for a treat today. We're gonna unpack this and share lots of information with you about the model, the partnership model, and whether it might be good for you or not. You'll enjoy this one. 

Hey, before we get to that episode though, two quick announcements to make. First announcement is coming up shortly after this episode is published, a couple of weeks after this episode is published, we have a Thriving Dentist Summit. It's happening on September 29th. It's a three-hour summit, and the summit is all about this topic, and the topic is, do you know the three numbers that control your dental practice's profit? Everything about that summit is going to be about these three numbers and help you get a better understanding of how your practice is doing. And hopefully trending towards increased profitability. You'll get 3 hours of CE that starts at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time. It's 3 hours. There is no tuition. You get that as a gift from us in appreciation for your listenership. However, you do need to register. Go to thrivingdentist.com/events  and be sure to register and grab your seat. You have 3 hours of credits, great, and maybe more importantly, great information that you can apply to better understand the economics of your practice and to increase your profitability. 

The second announcement I have is I have a returning guest. You'll recognize him. It's Naren Arulrajah. He's our resident marketing expert, and he's going to provide a Thriving Dentist marketing tip. And the particular tip that he's going to provide is this: How to futureproof your dental marketing in an AI-driven world. Very, very timely. This is up-to-the-moment information. And you're gonna learn about how to futureproof your practice and your practice marketing, given that so much of it is AI-driven these days. No further ado, here's Naren Arulrajah with the Thriving Dentist marketing tip.

Naren Arulrajah: How to futureproof your dental marketing in an AI-driven world. Hello everyone, this is Naren, the CEO of Ekwa Marketing and the co-host of the Thriving Dentist Show, and it's really important you acknowledge we are living in an AI-driven world. So how do you make sure as we move more and more into this AI world, you are not getting left behind? A few facts. One, AI is not a fad. It's here to stay, and it's only a matter of time when we have, I already have a Tesla and it drives itself. It's only a matter of time that kind of technology is available in all parts of our life, whether it's a robot for our home, whether it's doing work. So AI is becoming more and more part of how things are done today. And now when it comes to search, AI is now integrated into search. And let me tell you why AI has its place in search. See, there are situations in life or in questions we have where somebody has to do a bit of research. In other words, Google traditionally has been giving you links, at least that's what regular search was, but over time that changed, right? Google came up with this idea of one click. 

In other words, people, after they go to Google, shouldn't have to go anywhere else. They get all the information they need. So. After a while, Google started sharing Google Maps information, so you can get the reviews, you can see what are the best practices right there. You can even click on the button and call their office without even going to the website. So Google was in this transition of, hey, we want to be so useful, people don't have to leave Google to get what they need. In that same transition, AI came along and Google, already having the market share, leaned in. Today, because of that, it's worth $4.8 trillion, the second most valuable company in the world, and by far even 20 to 30 times bigger than ChatGPT and everybody else when it comes to consumer search, right? So you want to make sure that in this world, whether it's Google or ChatGPT or anywhere else, you are showing up. You are showing up not just for one or two types of services, but for every type of services, for every kind of question. 

The good way to know if you're showing up for everything is you should be showing up at least 100 times on Google, on AI, on maps, on regular search, at least 100 times every single month, for various different things, and every type of procedure you want to do well at, you want to show up. And the platforms I'll check are Google Search, Google Maps, Google AI Overview, Google AI Mode, and obviously ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. Are you showing up? So, that's the basics.

Naren Arulrajah: Now, the AI world also brings some challenges. You can use AI to, for example, create social media banners, but you can't use AI to write content for Google. 

Why? Google knows when it's machine written, it has no contribution from you. Remember, Google doesn't make money by sending you free traffic, so they decided the only way we're going to send you free traffic is you are going to not use AI to write that content, and you're still going to comply with the other rules like no duplicates. You're going to make your website more useful. So, in the old days, Google only look page by page. It used to be called Google Lighthouse Core, but now they are looking website by website. So if your website is more in-depth, more comprehensive, and also you're including your qualifications as a board-certified doctor, so that way people know that you are the right person they should be listening to. Why? Google doesn't want to get sued because some hack wrote something and somebody believed it because Google showed it in its results. So the fact that you are a doctor and the fact that your information is linked to your profile. And where it's written the right way. 

These are all things that will help you in the Google world. Structured data is becoming more important because these websites are going through hundreds of millions of websites or platforms like Google, and when they go through that, they're also using sites like Yelp and Citysearch and so forth to cross-check. So if you don't have the correct or consistent information about your business name, your address, and your phone number across all these platforms, these AI search platforms are getting confused. So definitely lean into AI. Definitely understand that AI has exploded search, meaning it's so much more searches being done today versus even 3 years ago. I think Google's traffic, for example, grew 20% in a single year. 

This is, I think, last year, so people are using search a lot more. So keep that in mind. So if you really lean in, really can create an advantage for yourself. Now, ads are getting even more expensive because as AI becomes more and more powerful in giving people the answers they want, less and less people are looking at ads as the other way to get the answers they need. So, obviously, the cost of a new client through ads is growing even further and further. So if you have an ad-driven strategy, I think it's going to get even more expensive and even less effective. So, it's kind of like a frog in that boiling pan, because the frog pan is slightly boiling and slightly boiling more every day. People don't realize it, but I really think if you are here for the long term, I would not be depending on ads. So, lean in on AI, lean in on search. Don't depend on ads, and also, if you're depending on PPO plans, definitely don't depend on them because they're paying less and less and less and making you more and more of a commodity. So, you want to differentiate, you want to stand out, you want to do the high-value services, you want to be seen as a really good practice. 

Another thing I would leave you with is Google reviews are even more important. Again, AI is reading it, people are reading it and deciding who's good and who's bad based on the reviews. So the paragraph reviews, those reviews where people are describing you, those all become really, really, really important. So go to ekwa.com/td  if you want to learn more about your marketing, what you can do differently or better. It's our gift to you. We'll spend 6 hours researching you and your competition, and we'll share all our findings with you, ekwa.com/td . And once you have this knowledge, then you can decide how you're going to respond in the AI-driven world. Hello everyone. Welcome back to the Thriving Dentist Show. This is Naren. Hope you enjoyed my tip, how to future-proof your dental marketing in an AI-driven world. Hey, go to ekwa.com/td  if you have questions on, are you doing well with AI when it comes to patients finding you or not. Looking forward to it.

Naren Arulrajah: Gary, today's topic is, is a partnership the right practice model for you? It's a great topic, and I know it's one of your favorite topics, and I know we haven't covered it recently. And I know we're gonna cover it in a very different way today, so I'm really excited about this particular topic. Practice owners often come to you about second locations, about associates, about selling to a DSO, and sometimes even thinking about retiring by adding a partner who might one day take over the practice. So there's lots of thinking to do, lots of decisions to make around this topic. So, I'm really looking forward to exploring this. Let me start by asking you the very first question I have for you, and this one came from one of our longtime listeners. I know you had very positive experience with partners and practice ownership, Gary. You talk about it a lot, even in your LifeSmiles practice, you talked about it. What are some benefits of the partnership practice model?

Gary Takacs: Well, you're absolutely right. I have had a very positive experience, personally, as a partner in a practice, and it's also been a model that we have used often in our coaching when it's appropriate. But let's talk about some of the benefits of a partnership model. Naren, one of the things that we experience frequently with a multi-doctor practice is the turnover of associate doctors. In other words, doctors who stay for a short period of time and then leave. And some practices, unfortunately, have a history of a revolving door of associates. And I'm going to be very blunt about this. I have a strong belief that every time that happens, it creates a negative effect on your practice. Every time a patient comes in, they see a different doctor, different doctors. It's eroding the trust and confidence they have in your practice. And so the last thing in the world you want to do is have a revolving door of associates. Naren, would you agree with me on that?

Naren Arulrajah: Yes, Gary, and I have seen this happen many, many times because I've been doing this for 19 years, you've been doing it for 4 to 6 years. And the number one, of course, there's a lot of reasons you're gonna get into it and you're gonna hopefully help people prevent it. It's a stitch in time saves nine. A lot of the upfront thinking and the upfront work, and even the ongoing thinking and work to maintain, imagine you get married to somebody and you don't see them for 6 months at a time, yeah. I don't think it's gonna work out. It's tricky, right? So you have to make an effort, you need to know what to do. So, that proactiveness, I think, is probably the number one reason why the ones who succeed, succeed, and the ones who fail don't succeed, because they don't know what to do. And partly, you can't blame them. We don't go into partnerships every 3 minutes. Yeah, you do dentistry every 3 minutes, but partnerships is a very unique topic. Personalities involved. Not just the doctor's personalities, your team. So it's like a landmine if you don't navigate it properly. So, yeah.

Gary Takacs: So some of the benefits, one specific benefit is a partnership model can be a great doctor retention tool, they have skin in the game, they have investment in the practice, and that can be a great way, assuming we have the right doctor, that can be a great way to retain someone, and to have continuity in your practice. When we have continuity of doctors and team members, it leads to being more relational. The same thing I said about turnover of doctors applies to team members as well. If every time they come in, they have to see a different hygienist, they have to see a different assistant, they have to see a different admin team, it's more transactional, as opposed to being relational.

Gary Takacs: But let's go to a different direction on benefits. Another benefit of the partnership model is the ability to have a better chance at achieving work-life balance. Work-life, in many of our clients' situations with our coaching, we've had a solo dentist that has typically worked 4 days a week, and we bring on a doctor who becomes a partner. And then they both end up working 3 days a week. So maybe one works Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, another one works Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. And the presence of a second doctor can really allow you to have a better shot at achieving work-life. That's the model we followed at LifeSmiles. Paul was a solo dentist, 4 days a week until we grew enough to support a second doctor. We added Doctor Tim, and they did that very same schedule. Paul was Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Tim was Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. Later added a third doctor that, again, we did the same model. Another benefit, to go another direction, is better economic success when we have more production in the practice to support the fixed overhead. Think about it, 

Naren. If you have an office that you're the only dentist, and maybe you're in an area where real estate prices are high. Maybe you own your building, but you had to pay a lot of money for your building. Consequently, your mortgage is high. Or if you're leasing your building, you're in an area where it's very expensive. We only have one doctor to support that lease or mortgage. You have to produce an awful lot to get that in the right percentage. But now if we have another doctor, a partner, that can help you reduce your overhead. So, lots of good reasons. Another benefit is maybe you, as the owner, solo owner dentist, have a rather limited range of clinical services, and you'd like to add to that range, so maybe we look for a partner that does services that you're not interested in. So now we can keep it in-house. In your office, covered by a doctor that appreciates doing that kind of dentistry. Maybe you don't like to do endo, but you bring on a doctor who becomes a partner that does enjoy doing endo. Another example of a partnership model that can lead to that benefit for sure.

Naren Arulrajah: Thank you, Gary. I think you said it perfectly. It can really, really benefit you if you do it right and for the right reasons. Let me ask you a different question. Let's say if one of our listeners is considering a partnership model, how do they determine if, A, they are the right people for this partnership model, and B, if the person they're considering is the right fit?

Gary Takacs: Yeah, yeah, this is the critical factor right here. This is where the rubber meets the road. You have to spend the time in advance to determine if your potential partner is the right fit. And what I would encourage you to do, this isn't just a Zoom interview, or even a face-to-face interview, you need to spend significant time with a doctor to determine whether they're the right fit for you. And so often, dentists are looking at the wrong things. They're purely looking at clinical compatibility. 

Now, I'm not saying clinical compatibility isn't important. It's absolutely important. So let me ask you this, Kelly, how would you look at clinical compatibility? Well, ask to see examples of their work. Even dental students will have examples of their work. They'll have photos, they'll have radiographs, they'll have records. Ask to see examples of their work. That's a very appropriate discussion to have. But it needs to go much deeper. What I'm really looking for is a values fit, a values fit. Are the values the same? And I'm talking about broad-scope values. Do they look at the world in a similar way? Are they service minded? Are they of-service-to-others minded? Do they have a history where it will show that they know how to treat people? And I'm not talking about clinically. They know how to interact and what's their job history before becoming a dentist. Do they know how to treat people? Do they have a record of treating people well? What are their values? And you're only going to get that by spending time together. And oftentimes with my clients, I suggest that this not be just doctor to doctor, but let's say you're married. And your potential doctor partner is married, involve the spouses. Involve their partners, and do it in a social environment where we spend time out to dinner, and we talk about families, we talk about values, we talk about interests, but you really spend the time, spend the time in advance, and you might discover that there isn't a fit, and you think, then did I waste my time? No, that was time well spent to determine if there isn't a good fit. You also need to look in the mirror. And you need to look at yourself and ask yourself if you're a good partner. Are you a good partner?

Gary Takacs: Naren, I like the idea of a two-doctor model, and that could be an owner doctor and associate, that could be an owner doctor and a partner. I like that model a lot because of some of the reasons we mentioned earlier. But one of the reasons I like that is to be able to get to a very practical 3-day doctor week. 

Now, in my current client base, I have 5 clients in our Thriving Dentist coaching that are solo dentists by choice, that work 3 days a week. So it can be done. You can do that. However, it's more difficult for all the reverse reasons why you might want to have a partner. However, it can be done. And I remember asking one of our clients, why is it that you are not interested in having an associate or a partner? And we were on a Zoom call and she looked me right in the eyes and she said, I don't play well in the sandbox with other dentists. That's a verbatim quote, 

Naren. I don't play well in the sandbox with other dentists. And I looked right back at her and I said, A plus for self-awareness. A plus. I am not gonna try to talk you into having an associate doctor or a partner doctor, 'cause you know yourself. So, doctor, how well do you know yourself? Do you play well in the sandbox with other dentists? And do you have evidence of that? Do you just think you do, or do you have actual evidence of that? And if you do, then you're passing that test yourself. But it's really about knowing yourself, and one of Doctor Pankey's key points, 4 things we need to know. You need to know yourself. In this case, we also have to know your potential doctor. And I would always say that they're not gonna go straight into partnership. I'll suggest the format a little bit later in a further question. But generally, if we're looking at someone that we've spent time with, we feel like there's a good fit. You're not really gonna know until they come into your practice. Would you agree with that? Are we gonna know 100% if that's a good fit?

Naren Arulrajah: No, I got it. We won't know.

Gary Takacs: I think you can know, you can have a good feeling about it, but you're gonna know 100%, not in, just like, Teresa and I just celebrated our 44th anniversary about a week ago. We celebrated our 44th anniversary. Did we know 100% when we said I do? That this was, we had perfect, perfect partners. No, but we had a strong feeling, we did. It needs to be the same way. If you treat it anything less than a professional marriage, you are not doing the process justice, right? Yeah, it's a professional marriage. I know it sounds awkward, but the way I would structure it is, to any doctor, I would say the first year is gonna be a straight associateship, and here's how it's going to work. Now, I wouldn't even go into this if I didn't think we were a good fit, and I would ask you to do the same screening. Are we the right fit for you? Is this somewhere you want to spend the rest of your career in? And if the answer is yes on both fronts, then the first year, we're gonna date before we get married. I know it sounds awkward, doctor, but that's how to think about it. If everything goes swimmingly, if it goes as well as we think it's going to go, then at the end of the year, we'll talk about what a partnership will look like. And that gives you the chance to fully vet that situation. And I will tell you, 

Naren, with very, very few exceptions in our client base, when we get to the end of that year, the conversation goes like this. Well, it went exactly as we thought. We are a very good fit in so many different ways. Are you still interested in partnering? I'm still interested in you as a partner. Are you interested in partnering? And the answer has been absolutely, and then we proceed forward, with very, very, very few exceptions, because we did the vetting ahead of time.

Naren Arulrajah: This is really, really interesting conversation, my, and I'm thinking about it as you're speaking. And the thing that jumps out to me is, am I fit to be your partner? I know some of us are not, you know what I mean? We like to do it our way, we don't play well in the sandbox with others. And if that is the case, then you could bring in somebody as an associate where they buy into your way of doing it, and they are OK with it, so you set the expectations, right? So, it's that self-awareness and thinking on what does great look like, knowing what I know about me and my team, and then, is that what's great for me, great for them, and then finding that match? Is that kind of,

Gary Takacs: yeah, and by the way, no judgment on my client that said, I don't play well in the sandbox with other dentists, no judgment, but she does get an A plus for self. How good are you at self-awareness?

Naren Arulrajah: Yeah.

Gary Takacs: And that really is an important point. But be sure that we're not just looking at the potential candidate, but you're looking in the mirror at yourself. Are you a good partner? And maybe if you're not, maybe you need to improve, if you would like to have a partnership, maybe you need to work on your own personal development to become a viable partner.

Naren Arulrajah: Thank you. That's the direction you want to go.

Naren Arulrajah: Let me ask you another question. Do partnerships always need to be fifty-fifty or equal?

Gary Takacs: Not at all. In my own situation, we were initially, we were 50/50 partners, and it wasn't 49.9% for one, 50.1% for the other, it was 50/50. When we added a third doctor, we diluted our shares to a third, a third, a third, 33 1/3, 33 1/3, 33 1/3. Now, that was our design, that was the model that we wanted to follow. By no means does it have to be that way. At all. In fact, in many situations, I've seen, for example, a particular client, I'll leave the doctor nameless, but a female associate doctor in his practice. She had been there for 5 years, very, very, very good fit, and it was time for her to now become an equity partner, and up to 50% was available for her to purchase, but economically it was too big of a leap for her to purchase 50%. So she purchased 30% of the practice, with the first right to buy the other 20 at a future date. So it was more of a stepwise process. So no, it doesn't have to be. 

And furthermore, you could have a practice model where you're the owner-doctor, but your partner or partners, if there's more than one, own minority percentage shares of your practice, and that can be done because there are advantages to your partner to doing that. There are advantages. For example, when you're an associate doctor, there's very few tax advantages when you're an associate doctor. However, when they have equity in your practice, there's, even if they own 10%, 15%, 20%, and that could be a way for someone to buy in that's more economically viable for them. So, the quick answer to your question, do partnerships always need to be 50% or equal if there's more than two doctors? The answer is no. It doesn't have to be. It can be structured any way you like.

Naren Arulrajah: Right.

Naren Arulrajah: How can partnerships create a structure, both in terms of compensation, how it's set up, and even decision making where there are no misunderstandings? I've heard horror stories, Gary, where the team doesn't like them, or the doctor is overstepping, or the doctor feels like he's not part of the team, there's all kinds of complications that end up, right? It's not just numbers and a piece of paper, it's more than that, 'cause if I were to use an analogy, you have a family and you're bringing somebody new into that family, and that person has to do well with the rest of the family, right? And partly it's chemistry and partly it's expectations. I'm thinking X and you're thinking Y, and we're not on the same page. I know, and it's very difficult to have those conversations after the fact versus have them before the fact, and everybody agrees, yep. We sign on the dotted line, so to speak, not just on the numbers and the structure, but also on the details.

Gary Takacs: Well, I'm gonna tell you what to not do. Don't go to your attorney for the structure. Attorneys function in a win-lose model. Every bit of law is win-lose. So I'll give you an example there. One of our coaching clients brought on an associate doctor. First year was a straight associateship, went extremely well. At the end of the year, it was agreed that the associate doctor was gonna purchase 50% of the practice. They're gonna be 50/50 partners. So the senior doctor, the owner doctor, went to his attorney, and the attorney drafted a 98-page document about how decision making happens if they don't agree. One doctor wants to buy a CEREC, another doctor doesn't. The other doctor doesn't. How does that? It was 98 pages. It was the worst structure ever. It was win-lose. I would not do it that way at all. First of all, you're gonna have extreme legal fees, by the way, the more pages your legal document, money your attorney makes. I know we don't have many attorneys listening, and if we do, sorry, but, yeah, don't use an attorney for this. A useful structure. So in that very case, 

I suggested this. I said, come up with a dollar amount. A small dollar amount that both of you feel comfortable with that either person can make the decision on their own without consulting the other doctor. And in this case, they decided $5,000 at random, it could be any number you want. They decide $5,000. So if one of the doctors is out at a convention and he wants to buy a new pair of loupes, and that costs $1,500, they don't have to call the partner and make a decision. They can buy it. If it's less than $5,000, they can make that decision unilaterally. Does that make sense, sir?

Naren Arulrajah: Yes.

Gary Takacs: However, if it's above $5,000, then it needs to be unanimous between the two. And if it's not, then we use an alternating possession rule, an alternating possession, like they do in basketball. So, if I was the owner-doctor, I would say, let's say the associate doctor who's becoming a partner, I'd say, let's let you have the first decision if it's above $5,000. And then I'll have the 2nd decision, and we'll just go back and forth, and we agree to accept the other person's decision. And we just go back and forth with that alternating possession. So, here we are, Naren, 7 years down the road with having that structure in place, in that very example that I'm giving. The younger doctor that became the associate still has the possession, it never changed. And why did it never change? Did they always agree on everything? No. Just like a marriage. Not always agree on everything, but they had enough self-respect to talk with each other about, well, here's why I'm thinking this might be a good decision. What are your thoughts? And they would come to an agreement, they'd come to the mutual agreement to do it or not do it based on that. So that's just a creative way of having an agreeable structure for decision making for any kind of a partnership. That can be customized.

Naren Arulrajah: How do you deal with the personal things? Is there any way to deal with that, the relationship? I'll tell you a true story. One of my clients, he joined a parent's practice, even a family member, but the office manager sides with the old boss, of the situation, he bought in slowly but surely over 6 years. 6 years later, still, the office manager really works for the old boss. She doesn't work for the new 50/50 partner. How do you deal with all of this, Gary?

Gary Takacs: We need structure for this as well. HR structure. How do we determine hiring and dismissal when needed? How do we determine that? And again, it needs to be on a give-and-take basis, but it needs to be fair. It can't be one-sided. Those things you bring up are very, very, very real. We need an agreeable structure for decision making within the partnership, something that we agree to. Then it can be, and we have wonderful examples of this model in place in practice. But really what it comes down to is when we're not in agreement, then we talk about it. And we try to see the other perspective, we try to convey our perspective, and we do it in an agreeable manner. That's what makes a great partnership. And again, look at personal partnerships, marriages. I also like the idea that some structure can come into place. One of the things we can do is have individual LLCs, individual limited liability corporations, within the practice structure so that if one doctor wants to expense some things and get the tax advantage of expensing them, they do it within the LLC. 

They don't do it within the practice business structure. Let's say one doctor wants to take 200 hours of CE a year, because maybe he or she is looking to achieve a credential, and another doctor wants to take 50 hours of CE a year. How do you deal with that? Well, maybe some of that gets expensed through an individual LLC where you still get the tax advantage of doing that, but it doesn't affect your partner. Anytime you're making a decision, you need to ask the question, how does this affect my partner? If you can't think that way, and I know people that can't, then don't do partnership. Because all you do is think about yourself. And there's many, many, many, many doctors that meet that definition. If all you're doing is thinking of yourself, then you're not a good partner candidate. Again, back to looking in the mirror. But structure can help, individual LLCs where you can have creative accounting on how you handle expenses, so it doesn't affect the other partner. But you still have the advantage of doing that from a structural standpoint, there are tools that can be used for that. Your accountant can suggest those.

Gary Takacs: Naren, let me pivot and ask you a marketing question. So let's assume everything passes the litmus test. We have an owner dentist, he or she looks in the mirror and says, I think I can be a very good partner. He or she finds a candidate, they go through bringing that doctor into the practice initially as an associate. Everything is going really, really well, heading towards meeting at the end of the year and designing a structure for that newer doctor to become a partner. What needs to change regarding marketing in a practice partnership?

Naren Arulrajah: Great, great question, Gary. So, I'm gonna give you the ideal answer, and I've done this maybe with a few dozen doctors, so I've tested it, it works. So, we have what's called a three-year marketing conversation. Before the partner joined, it was one family, now it's a new family, right? What do I mean by that? Perhaps they want to add new services because the new partner wants to do new things. Perhaps the definition of an ideal patient stays the same, but maybe it changes a little bit, or we're also gonna take care of sedation, or we're also gonna do this. So, start with the end in mind, and this is the first thing I talk about in this three-year marketing conversation, anytime somebody as a partner is This is our understanding of your ideal patient. Is it changing? 1.2, this is our understanding of your desire or your goals from a marketing standpoint, the type of patients, how many, is it changing? So we get a clear understanding of what was the goalpost and where is the arrow pointing on day one versus today. That's where we start. And then we know the delta, for example, we need to attract sedation patients, so we're going to work on that and improve that. 

We need to increase the number of new patients from 20 to 30, we are going to work on that. And we are expanding the practice, so in the beginning, maybe it was known for these 3 things, now it's going to be known for a 4th thing. So how do we tell that story? Through Google reviews, through videos. Go through cases, right? And then once we know what to do, then it's a matter of execution, G. And of course, the best clients, they even plan this beforehand. So, in other words, before they even hire a partner, they get ready. For example, they increase the number of new patients they want, right? They think it through. So, because imagine a new person joins and he has half the day that he's doing nothing. He's gonna be upset. So I think that proactiveness, thinking, starting with the end in mind, and then working on those things that are important to us, I think is critical.

Gary Takacs: Well, let me reinforce what you said, Naren, 100%. The number one reason why an associateship or a partnership fails is not enough patients to support the owner dentist and the associate or the owner dentist and the partner. Not enough patients to support it. And so you've got to invest in marketing, you have a different appetite for new patients. So like you said, maybe different services, maybe we just need more. So, be proactive about it. Don't wait until your associate slash potential partner is sitting around. If they're sitting around, you know what they're gonna spend their time doing? Looking for their next associateship, not building your practice. So be proactive about it. Build your marketing up before, not afterwards. 

Don't get behind the eight ball on this one, do it ahead of time. And also be thoughtful about supporting the doctor in his or her areas of interest clinically, so we're supporting it. A reason why many associates leave is they don't feel supported. So let's support it with strong marketing in place, and the right marketing in place. And if you haven't done it already, I would recommend that you set up a marketing strategy meeting with Ekwa, so they can evaluate what your needs might be now that you have another mouth to feed, if you will, in your practice. Naren, what URL should they use to set up a marketing strategy meeting with Ekwa?

Naren Arulrajah: E-K-W-A, ekwa.com/td . ekwa.com/td , TD for Thriving Dentist.

Gary Takacs: Yes, yes, yeah, well, guys, it's been a fun episode. I hope that you all find this useful. We could cover many, many more details, but I think we've given you some information to allow you to knock the top off it and think about it. Having been a partner myself, I can tell you that it was absolutely a fantastic format for me personally and my partner and partners down the road. I have also seen this work very, very well in our client work. It's not 100% always the right decision. Not always. You need to vet that yourself and determine if you're a good partner yourself, but it can, and I'll emphasize, can be a very useful practice model with many benefits, while in other cases it's absolutely not the right practice model. When my client said, I know myself. I don't play well in the sandbox with others. I said, I am not gonna spend one second trying to talk you into a partnership. She knew herself, and I give her no judgment. I give her massive, massive credit for knowing herself. 

But if a partnership is something you are considering, or would like to explore, consider scheduling a coaching strategy meeting with me. Go to thrivingdentist.com/csm , we'll work through the structure, the numbers, whether partnership makes sense. I'll help you be able to determine if you're a good partner candidate and what to look for in your potential partnership. We strongly encourage you to do that. Again, thrivingdentist.com/csm . There's no charge for that. Consider it our way of saying thank you for being a podcast listener. On that note, Naren and I will look forward to connecting with you. This has been fun. I've enjoyed this. Hope you've enjoyed it. Naren, thank you for your contribution to this episode. And we'll look forward to connecting with you on the next Thriving Dentist Show.