Ten years ago, Mary Pham launched Lollipop Dental with a simple goal: to provide the largest number of children as is possible through orthodontics and dental care for children. The couple, who are both dentists and an orthodontist respectively recently graduated and were saddled with a massive sum of money in debt. They found a cheap office location located in Placentia, CA, that was just stocked with supplies and equipment. So, Lollipop was born.

The name is derived from lollipops made of xylitol that they handed out to patients in their goodie bags. Since its start, Lollipop has grown to seven locations and 200 employees. The year 2022 was the last time they treated more than 50k patients! Skytale CEO, Ben Hernandez, spoke with Mary Pham about her suggestions to scale the size of a dentist's practice. It is possible to download the episode here or continue reading for some key lessons.

Tips for Scaling a Dental Practice From a Successful Practice Owner

Here are some of the best methods to follow that Pham along with her colleagues have utilized to ensure a profitable company:

Delegate

As her practice expanded her practice, she realized that what worked in one place might not translate to a different location. With so many locations, it's not possible for a business owner to handle everything on their on your own. In reality, Pham thinks you can only manage five to seven people. Then, you need select the best people to delegate your tasks to.

She also states that team members' responsibilities are approximately six months. As the company grows it's changing rapidly, including the tasks of employees. Ensuring employees know what they are doing and the importance of having strong managers in place is crucial to ensure that every office runs efficiently.

Offer Growth Opportunities

One time the dentist of Pham inquired whether there was any potential for growth for her, beyond becoming an associate. Pham asked her to create an inventory of the areas of the town she was interested in serving or living. A lot of other dentists joined in the study as well. Pham recorded each of the locations, and conducted an analysis of demographics to figure whether there was an need for the establishment of a Lollipop site there.

The end result was that these new locations provided dentists with a brand new avenue of growth under the Lollipop umbrella. This was a clever way to expand the practice and also support the employees.

Plan for Challenges and Difficulties

Pham suggests focusing on growing by staying strong, resolving to emergencies quickly, and relying on your team. "There is always going to be fires you have to get out and put out, but do not let it bring the best of you," she advises. One of the company's main principles is solving problems. Employing people who are able to solve problems, and creating an organizational chain of command you can be assured that any issues are dealt with by first response personnel.

In addition, Pham explains that "every time we make a choice and we look back, we wish we had taken action sooner." Troubles are likely to get worse and become more severe and more complex, which is why it's better to be proactive rather than reactive.

Be an Early Adopter

Lollipop Dental is an early adopter of the latest technology. Lollipop Dental will invest in any technology that is interesting and could result in the more pleasant experience for patients. "The investment should have an end or help grow the company," Pham says.

Perhaps artificial intelligence (AI) in dentistry or another technologies could be the next step to expanding the dental practices you have? If so, you should consider adding capital costs to the budget. Budgeting can help you to determine the next steps to take for your dental practice.

Improve Employee Retention

In the beginning, Lollipop Dental wasn't retaining the number of employees they'd like to. That's why Pham along with her staff made the decision to investigate the reasons employees were leaving and how they could do to make it better.

They realized that the company had to be more effective in explaining what the possible duties and roles of the job were for applicants. Additionally, they decided to check the new employees more often between the 7, 14, 30 60, and 90 day dates. Lastly, during their interview, they started looking for applicants who have shared core values and no obvious red flags. Not just warm bodies.

Find Creative Ways to Market

The majority of Lollipop Dental's customer acquisition is organic. Lollipop Dental doesn't invest a lot of in marketing. However, they do invest in people, specifically two: a person on the PR team as well as a Social Media Manager.

Lollipop has an impressive internet presence with excellent reviews and constant social media posts. Patients who are interested in the practice can participate in community outreach, contests as well as FAQs and connect with the team via social media. However, at most, this is all about "serving the requirements of patients as best that we are able," Pham says. A positive experience is usually the basis for more visits and referrals, which can ultimately aid in the growth of a practice.

Learn More From the Skytale Podcast

Do you know we often publish podcasts featuring industry experts such as Mary Pham? We believe that taking lessons from leaders around the world is among the best ways to improve your company and make it flourish. Listen to the complete podcast featuring Pham or browse through other Podcasts on this page!