Bentson Clark & Copple specializes in orthodontic valuations and transitions, but what does this really mean and involve? We are in the business of helping orthodontists during the pivotal points within their careers. We perform practice valuations, provide partner location services, offer practice sales and marketing services and help negotiate practice transactions.
Let’s focus on practice valuation. You are more than likely aware of the concept of business valuation, but may question how orthodontic practice valuations work. When an orthodontist is ready to find out what their practice is worth, they come to us. We then provide them with an information request document. This multiple page form requests the doctor’s personal information, and general information about the practice, including, the staff, hours of operation, leasing arrangements, number of locations and referral sources, among other items. After this information is collected, we then accumulate statistical and operational information. We inquire about the practice’s fees, the number of start cases and case completions, contracts receivable balance, number of active and recall patients and information on all active patients with paid in full balances.
Besides the on-site practice visit, perhaps the most important part of the valuation is collecting the practices’ financial information. We ask doctors to provide the past three years’ profit and loss statements and the most current interim profit and loss statement. We also obtain the most recent tax year-end and month-end balance sheets and a fixed assets listing. Lastly, doctors need to submit tax returns for the past three years including any other supporting statements. (Generally, we find that practices that employ practice consultants have a good grasp on key operational metrics and systems compared to practices that do not use practice consultants.)
We take all this information and determine a fair market value of a practice through a valuation report. The report briefly explains the various general valuation approaches and the valuation approach used by Bentson Clark & Copple. Through a variety of charts, graphs and statements, we explain how the value is calculated. The report includes a practitioner biography, the practice history, state and local demographics and an industry profile.
For more information regarding orthodontic practice valuations, please contact our office.