The Hidden Cost of Disengagement: Why Half-Hearted Practice Ownership Destroys Wealth

You built a $1M+ practice through dedication and excellence. But what happens when you step

back to 75% or 50% capacity? The financial devastation extends far beyond lost income—it

destroys your practice's sale value and negotiating position.

The Compounding Revenue Decline

Year 1 (Full Engagement):

• Collections: $1,000,000

• Net Income: $500,000

Year 2 (Reduced Engagement Begins):

• Collections: $800,000 (20% decline)

• Net Income: $400,000

• Loss from Year 1: $100,000

Year 4 (50% Engagement):

• Collections: $512,000

• Net Income: $256,000

• Cumulative Loss: $524,000

Each year of disengagement typically results in a 20% decline in revenue. This isn't just about

working fewer hours—it's about lost leadership presence, eroding patient confidence, and

deteriorating practice culture.

The Hidden Destruction: Lost Equity Value

While the income loss is painful, the equity destruction is catastrophic. Here's what happens to

your practice value:

Market Multiples Plummet

• Engaged Practice: 0.8-1.2x collections = $800K-$1.2M value

• Declining Practice: 0.4-0.6x collections = $400K-$600K value

• Lost Equity: $400K-$600K+

Buyer Perception Shifts

Strong practices attract premium buyers and competitive offers. Declining practices signal:

• Management problems

• Market share erosion

• Operational inefficiencies

• Higher risk investments

Negotiation Nightmares: Why Buyers Hold All the Cards

Owner-Operator Buyers

Independent buyers of declining practices demand:

• Steep discounts (20-40% below market)

• Extensive seller financing – do you want to be the bank?

• Longer transition periods – or none at all

• Clawback provisions tied to future performance

DSO/PE Rollups

Corporate buyers are even more ruthless with distressed practices:

• Below-market multiples with heavy earnout provisions

• Reduced upfront cash (often 40-60% less)

• Stringent performance metrics for earnout achievement

• Limited negotiating leverage due to obvious desperation

• JV Only underperforming practices bring down the value of HoldCo. stock.

The True Wealth Destruction

Total Financial Impact Over 3 Years:

• Lost Income: $524,000

• Lost Equity Value: $600,000-900,000

• Total Wealth Destruction: $1.1M-$1.4M

This doesn't include opportunity costs on lost investment returns or the stress of negotiating from

weakness.

Three Strategic Options

Option 1: Full Re-Engagement

Commit 100% to rebuilding systems, staff morale, and patient relationships. The practice can

recover, but it requires complete dedication.

Option 2: Strategic Partnership

Bring in a committed associate or partner who can maintain full engagement while you transition

to oversight.

Option 3: Immediate Strategic Exit

Recognize that even a declining practice has more value today than after further deterioration.

Work with experienced brokers to maximize current value before further decline.

The Bottom Line

Operating at 50% capacity doesn't just cost you 50% of your income—our example shows nearly

50% income loss plus massive equity destruction. The mathematics are unforgiving:

Your practice generated $1M in collections due to your full engagement.

The question isn't whether you can afford to stay fully committed—it's whether you can afford

not to.

Every month of disengagement costs you income today and equity tomorrow.

Stay engaged and contact a full-service broker like Frye Practice Sales to transition strategically.

Or run the risk and watch $1M+ in wealth slowly disappear.

Karl Frye is CEO and Designated Broker for Frye Practice Sales, specializing in dental practice

transitions through private sales and DSO/DPO transactions. For a confidential practice

valuation and exit strategy analysis, contact FPS at 480-599-6958 or

visit www.fryepracticesales.com.