Skip to content
Off the Cusp

Off the Cusp

Dental industry news, trends and information from Patterson Dental.

Menu
  • Home
  • Categories
    • Business of Dentistry
      • Dental Practice Marketing
      • Practice Finance
      • Practice Growth
    • Dental Industry News
      • Industry Events
    • Dental Practice Management
      • Human Resources
    • Dental Practice Safety
      • Infection Control
    • Future of Dentistry
      • Dental Equipment
      • Dental Technology
      • CAD/CAM
  • About
    • Off The Cusp Privacy Policy
    • Off The Cusp Terms of Use
  • pattersondental.com
  • Home
  • Eaglesoft
  • 8 Steps to a Successful Year End for Your Practice
Dental Office Education Eaglesoft Holidays Patterson Technology Center

8 Steps to a Successful Year End for Your Practice

Aleksandra SobicAleksandra Sobic Aleksandra SobicDecember 4, 2017December 4, 2017
how to have a successful year end for your practice

Share

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
LinkedIn
Email
Read Time:5 Minute, 18 Second

8 steps to a successful year end for your practice

Gifts aren’t the only things that need to be wrapped up this time of year – with only a handful of weeks left in 2017, ’tis the season for your practice to dot your i’s, cross your t’s, and tie up all necessary loose ends in order to bring the year to a successful and complete close. Between coordinating holiday time-off schedules, conducting reviews, and tackling end-of-year data processing, there’s plenty to do before you’re ho-ho-home free.

We don’t want you to forget anything, and we also don’t want you to stress, so we created this list (and checked it twice ?) of 8 steps to a successful year end for your practice. Get yourself a cup of coffee, get to reading, and #GetErDone!

 

1. Review the Past Year’s Performance

team meeting to review goals

Before everyone parts ways for the holidays, get your team together and find out how you measured up against last year’s goals. Assess the areas where you met or exceeded your business benchmarks, and after taking a moment to celebrate your success, discuss how you can replicate those winning strategies in the coming year. You’ll also need to take time to talk about any areas where you fell short, and why. This isn’t a time for accusations and excuses, but for open and honest communication with the shared goal of bettering your practice.

 

2. Set Goals for Next Year

set business goals for next year

After you review your performance from the past year, spend time creating new goals for 2018 – the more specific the better. Everyone wants to grow…how much do you want to grow? By what percentage are you looking to increase your patient base? What chunk of your operating budget will you be putting towards marketing? Set goals for your practice, goals for your team and culture, and individual goals. Of course, incentives never hurt! Potential “perks” of hitting your business benchmarks include a special trip, a fancy team dinner, gift cards, and monetary bonuses.

 

3. Inform Patients of Holiday Hours

Let patients know about your holiday hours

Most businesses have a fluctuation in their regular business hours around the holidays, and there’s nothing worse than leaving your patients in the lurch when it comes to those changes. In this instance, the more places the information is communicated, the better:

  • Set aside some prime real estate on your website’s homepage to display holiday hours of operation. Add these details to your contact page as well.
  • Post holiday hours on social media pages. Pin the post to the top of your Facebook page.
  • Post signage inside and outside your office.
  • Add holiday hour information to your email signature.
  • Update your practice’s voicemail.
  • Tell people! Have your office manager communicate this information in-person.

In all of these communications, don’t forget to close the loop by sharing when regular business hours will resume.

 

4. Consider Keeping Doors Open for Holiday Dental Emergencies

holiday foods dangerous bad for teeth

Holiday favorites like candy apples, toffee popcorn, and nut brittle can be dangerous for teeth. And while it probably doesn’t sound like a bowl full of cherries to be working when others aren’t, the truth of the matter is that being open for emergency dental procedures over the holidays can be very lucrative for your practice. (Plus, pulling a disappearing act in someone’s time of need can leave a bitter taste in a patient’s mouth.) According to Howard Farran of Dentaltown Magazine, “Emergency treatment equates to big bucks. Emergency patients who come in almost always equal or offset patients who no-show, cancel, or didn’t bring their money.” So, if you’re looking for a revenue boost to close out the year, take this into consideration!

 

5. Preschedule Social Media Posts

preschedule social media posts over the holidays

You may be planning to enjoy some much deserved time-off, but an extended absence on your otherwise active social media platforms can be confusing to followers. Don’t worry, we’re not suggesting that you log on to Facebook on Christmas morning just to share a link to an article about flossing. Instead, preschedule a handful of holiday tidings and set them to go live on the dates and times of your choosing. This is easier than ever on Facebook, which now has a free scheduling feature. There are also a host of free or low-cost social scheduling tools available. If you’d rather spend your holidays creating hash browns than hashtags, get in touch with our RevenueWell team. They’d be happy to manage your social media marketing for you!

 

6. Don’t Stress About End-Of-Year Processing

year end processing help from patterson

The team at our Patterson Technology Center wants to help make your end-of-year processing process as smooth, efficient, and stress-free as possible. To help with this, they are providing several resources for your convenience. For you independent types, we offer a self-guided assist. For those seeking more guidance, we’ll be hosting end-of-year processing webinars throughout the month, as well as extended holiday customer support hours. Have you tried our live chat feature? It’s the quickest way to reach us this time of year! You can find additional details on all of the services mentioned above, by using this link.

 

7. Download an End-Of-Year Checklist

free end of year checklist

Remember those webinars we mentioned? Each event will review available resources to assist with the end-of-year preparation and processing of your Eaglesoft data. These resources include step-by-step videos, instructional documents, and free checklists! Ultimate peace of mind = checking off all the items on a checklist. Take a look at all of the available days and times, and register for the webinar the works best for you here.

 

8. Relax!

relax over the holidays

The best way to ensure a successful transition from the end of one year to the beginning of the next, is to bring your best self to work. Use your holiday time off to relax and recharge, and you’ll start the new year with a clear mind and renewed focus and motivation. Set your out-of-office message, sip some soothing cocoa, snap pictures of your pets dressed in ugly sweaters, warm your toes by a crackling fire, and hug your loved ones tight.

Is your practice prepared for a successful and stress-free year end? What are some of your business goals for next year? Is there anything we can help with, or take off your plate? Let us know in the comments below!

Aleksandra SobicAleksandra Sobic

About Post Author

Aleksandra Sobic

Aleksandra is Patterson Dental's Social Media Manager, and resident tooth pun fanatic. She believes that a healthy smile is the quickest way to make a positive "first impression."
http://pattersondental.com
Total
7
Shares
Share 7
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Share 0
Tagged checklist, data processing, Eaglesoft, end of year, End of Year Processing, EOY, holiday hours, new year, new years, relax, webinar

Post navigation

Previous

Previous post:

10 Excellent National Dental Organizations Deserving of Your Support

Next

Next post:

Patterson Profiles: Dave Misiak | Patterson Foundation

Subscribe

* indicates required

Recent posts

  • 5 Proven Ways To Keep Patients Engaged, Returning And Referring
  • 3 Steps to Consider When Selling A Multilocation Practice
  • 3 Reasons To Explore Tech-Savvy Cavity Prep
  • 3 Ways A Complimentary Eaglesoft Wellness Check Can Help Advance Your Practice!
  • How to Detect and Prevent Microleakage in Dental Restorations

Search Off the Cusp

Close
Menu
  • Home
  • Categories
    • Business of Dentistry
      • Dental Practice Marketing
      • Practice Finance
      • Practice Growth
    • Dental Industry News
      • Industry Events
    • Dental Practice Management
      • Human Resources
    • Dental Practice Safety
      • Infection Control
    • Future of Dentistry
      • Dental Equipment
      • Dental Technology
      • CAD/CAM
  • About
    • Off The Cusp Privacy Policy
    • Off The Cusp Terms of Use
  • pattersondental.com

Related Post

3 Ways A Complimentary Eaglesoft Wellness Check Can Help Advance Your Practice!

March 3, 2023March 3, 2023

3D-Printed Splint Against Noctural Bruxism

February 8, 2023February 8, 2023

How Safe Are Kids’ Smiles Today?

January 27, 2023January 27, 2023

Brush up on hand hygiene for Global Handwashing Day

October 14, 2022October 14, 2022

5 ways to celebrate National Brush Day

October 7, 2022October 17, 2022

3D-printed model with ditched dies for anterior tooth renewal

September 27, 2022September 27, 2022
Copyright Patterson Dental. All rights reserved.
 

Loading Comments...
 

You must be logged in to post a comment.