Business Planning For Doctors

In previous podcasts and articles I have touched on the importance of business planning for Doctors in Private Practice. In this article I will highlight 3 reasons why you should not overlook business planning for your practice.

To Establish Your Finance Needs

Whether you are starting or growing your practice, funding will play a vital role in your success. The types of finance you may require include: fit-out and equipment loans/leasing, practice rooms purchase, etc. You should map out your funding needs for the next 3-5 years and establish how you will finance this.

To Manage Your Profit Margin and Cash Flow

If you are not careful, your practice expenses will easily get out of control and erode your net income. Staffing costs in particular can quickly escalate. You need to monitor your monthly profit and loss figures and cash flow against your Budget, which you would establish as part of your business plan. Pay particular attention to ratios such as staff wages as a percentage of total income.

To build fire-breaks rather than putting out fires

Without a business plan you may spend most of your time fighting fires, such as dealing with staff issues and IT problems. By implementing robust processes and procedures systems as part of your business plan, and delegating responsibilities, you can spend your own time in a more productive and rewarding way.