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Discover Why Starting A Squat Practice Need Not Be As Risky Or Stressful As You Thought. (From A Dentist That Survived The Experience.)
- Dr Bobby Bhandal
- Aug 11
- 4 min read
By Dr. Bobby Bhandal | Founder, Squat Success
You know what's riskier than opening a squat practice?
Opening a restaurant.
Starting a retail business. Launching a transport company.
In fact, you'd be taking on nearly four times more risk if you decided to open a coffee shop instead of a dental practice.
Here's the statistic that stopped me in my tracks when my bank manager shared it: “Healthcare businesses have just a 7.3% failure rate – making practice ownership statistically safer than buying a franchise, starting an online business, or even opening an accounting firm,” he said.
Yet when I get into conversation with any associate dentist fantasising about practice ownership, the conversation will inevitably turn to how ‘risky’ and ‘stressful’ it is.
The Great Dental Myth
Somewhere along the way, the dental profession convinced itself that practice ownership is inherently dangerous. That only the brave (or foolish) dare attempt it. That stress and sleepless nights are inevitable.
The truth is it can be risky and stressful.
I’ll be honest with you, I made almost every mistake in the book, my experience was unnecessarily risky and hugely stressful ...
and I had more than my fair share of ‘squat insomnia’.
But through my mistakes, I can now help my fellow dentists ‘de-risk’ the process of starting a squat.
The Three Things Riskier Than Opening A Squat
When my bank manager showed me the business failure statistics, the comparison was stark:
Restaurant/Food Service: 12.8% failure rate Nearly double the risk of healthcare. Yet thousands of people open restaurants every year without the clinical skills, stable demand, or essential service advantage that dentists possess.
Retail Business: 12.8% failure rateAgain, nearly double healthcare's risk. Retail faces constant threats from online competition, changing consumer habits, and economic downturns. Dental care remains essential regardless of economic conditions.
Professional Services: 12.2% failure rate Even professional service businesses – things like consulting, marketing, legal services - they fail at higher rates than healthcare practices. These businesses often depend on discretionary spending, while dental care is both essential and desirable.
When I saw those numbers, everything clicked. As dentists, we're not taking some massive entrepreneurial leap into the unknown. We're actually entering one of the most statistically stable business sectors in the economy.
The Stress That Wasn't Necessary
So, what about the stress?
Most of my stress came from not knowing what I was doing. I made decisions based on panic rather than process. I hired the wrong people because I was desperate. I chose builders based on price rather than reputation.
The stress didn’t come from practice ownership itself – it was from going in unprepared.
My experience taught me that the stress typically comes from three predictable sources:
Financial Fear – Usually based on worst-case scenarios rather than statistical reality.
Decision Paralysis – Not having frameworks for the critical choices (location, timing, business model).
Team Building Chaos – Using outdated recruitment methods that attract the wrong people.
Every single source of stress I experienced had a systematic solution – at the time I just didn't know the systems existed.
In fact, I largely had to ‘invent’ them.
The Method Behind The Madness
Throughout my squat adventure I documented everything. Not just what worked, but what didn’t and what was creating the stress.
From that experience I’m now in the process of creating the Dental Freedom Blueprint, a practical book/manual being written in real-time that addresses both the statistical reality of practice ownership and the systematic approach that eliminates as much risk and stress as possible.
Unlike traditional dental business education that focuses on inspiration, my approach provides specific frameworks:
The Certainty Compass for stress-free decision making
The A-Team Algorithm for finding the right people first time
The Invisible Waiting List for opening with momentum rather than hope
I want dentists to know that practice ownership can be challenging without being traumatic – and with the right preparation and systems, it's entirely manageable (and even enjoyable!).
The Preparation That Changes Everything
For dentists ready to move beyond myth to reality, the Dental Freedom Blueprint provides the systematic preparation that makes practice ownership feel manageable rather than overwhelming.
Current readers report:
‘I finally understand what I need to prepare for – and it's way less scary than I thought it would be.’
‘The risk assessment exercises showed me I'm actually in a much better position than I thought.’
‘Having clear frameworks makes this feel entirely achievable.’
The book/manual includes the specific tools I wish I'd had:
Statistical risk analysis comparing practice ownership to other ventures
Stress-prevention checklists for every major decision
Step-by-step preparation protocols that eliminate most common pitfalls
Financial planning templates that show realistic scenarios rather than worst-case fears
From Myth To Reality
The dental profession's perception of practice ownership risk is decades out of date. Based on anecdotal horror stories rather than current statistics. Focused on dramatic failures rather than systematic successes.
In my opinion, we've let fear override facts. Successful practice ownership simply requires good preparation. So does buying a house, changing jobs, or making any significant life decision. The difference is that practice ownership has better statistical outcomes than most major decisions we make.
Get Advanced Access To The Dental Freedom Blueprint
For dentists ready to move beyond the fear-based narrative that dominates dental culture, the Dental Freedom Blueprint offers a fact-based, systematically sound approach to practice ownership.
See for yourself why practice ownership might be less risky and stressful than you’ve been imagining by accessing the Dental Freedom Blueprint, right now!
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