I’m constantly surprised that many veterinarians think they cannot sell their practice.  Don't believe the gossip you hear on the golf course or at the local veterinary society meeting.  Not every practice sells...but practices sell regularly, and many for a surprisingly good price. 

Why do people buy practices?

• Scratch startups take more time, effort, and risk.

• It may be the only way to enter some markets.

• To earn above average salary.

• Often more profitable than a startup (even after purchase loan payment).

What do practices sell for?

There is no single magical formula to valuing any business, especially a veterinary practice.  Though many people still want a rule-of-thumb; so here are a couple rules-of-thumb:

• Most practices will sell for between 1x to 4x annual net earnings.

• Most practices will sell for 60% to 80% of annual gross collections.

Why is the Price Range so Wide?

One factor is practice type.  Average practice price ratios and ranges differ for a dentistry practice vs. a chiropractic practice vs. a family practice vs. a cardiology practice vs. an optometry practice, etc.  Why the general differences?  Certain types of practices tend to have more equipment, or higher doctor compensation expectations, or rely upon professional referrals, or are more dependent upon the doctor’s personal reputation, etc.

Within practice type, there are a number of factors that determine whether your practice will sell for above or below the average.  At Medical Practice Brokers we look at 41 different practice characteristics to help determine practice value.  Sample factors include:

• Profitability

• Income history  

• Transferability of goodwill

• Location

• Facility

• Equipment

• Provider hours worked & production

• Patient mix (small animal, equine, large, etc.)

• Demographics

Our data show that IM practices sell for an average of 69.7% of annual gross, with a standard deviation of 20.3%.  Most practices will sell for ±2 std dev below or above the average sales price.  In the below graph, you can see that the highest percentage of practices (i.e., 15.2%) sell for between 75%-80% of annual collections.  But some are selling for less than 15%, and others for more than 100% of annual gross.   As you can see, there is a very wide spread. 

Can you sell your practice?

Chances are that yes you can sell your practice.  Most practices in or near major metropolitan areas will take 6 - 12 months to find a buyer.   Call today for a free telephone consultation at (719) 487-9973 or email dave@practicebrokers.com.