This particular issue of The Professional Advisory celebrates 75 consecutive publications proudly distributed to Ontario dentists since May 2001. That first issue’s opening introduction paragraph detailed the The Professional Advisorypurpose that essentially hasn’t changed a bit in 15 years:
What is success to you and your family? While the answer to this question is uniquely personal and relative to you and yours as individuals, it is probably safe to say that generally, you need much more than just good clinical skills to achieve your goals and whatever level of success that you seek. Don’t misunderstand; we are not downplaying the absolute importance of good skills. Rather, we are making the point that the world in which you live also requires that you address a host of practice management, legal, accounting and tax issues, risk and personal financial management, transition planning and retirement planning issues, estate and investment issues, and so on.
Interestingly, of the authors presenting articles in today’s The Professional Advisory #75, three of them – Ian Toms, Ron Weintraub and David Chong Yen – were original authors in that very first publication. Two other contributors – Mark McNulty and David Rosenthal – were closely associated at the time with two of the original authors Barry McNulty and Barry Spiegel. And contributors Colin Ross and David Lind were closely associated with original author Graham Tuck who passed away in 2014.
Certainly things change over time, even if it’s only 15 years. Statistics tells us that Canada’s population in 2001 was 30,007,094 while today it’s over 36,000,000. In 2001 there were 7,870 dentists in Ontario and 18,590 in Canada: today Ontario can claim almost 9,000 and Canada 21,000. And the good news is that life expectancy in 2001 was 80 years of age compared to 84 today.
Like statistics and life expectancy The Professional Advisory has also seen changes, but all for the better.
In 2007 Volume #32 changed its cover format and grew from 10 to 12 pages and again in September 2011, another new cover and now 16 pages. In respect to content – and there have been a total of 511 articles published over 15 years – the only change the contributors ever make is to do their very, very best to comply and improve their original intent in, making the point that the world in which you live also requires that you address a host of practice management, legal, accounting and tax issues, risk and personal financial management, transition planning and retirement planning issues, estate and investment issues.
Just look how Volume #75 deals with the goals so clearly described in the 2001 Volume #1. Ron Weintraub’s Evolving Dental Practices: a 15 Year Retrospective certainly deals with changes in practice over the life of The Professional Advisory and Mark McNulty addresses retirement issues with Investing To Fund Your Retirement Cash Flow. Taxes were important in 2001 and still as much today as shown in Use Your Family to Relieve Your Tax Burden by David Chong Yen and Louise Wong. Ian Toms even goes beyond his 15 years with The Professional Advisory when he describes What I have Learned In 30 Years Of Lease Negotiation. What about legal matters? No doubt more complicated than 15 years ago as David Rosenthal outlines 17 important points to consider when dealing with Legal Matters When Selling a Dental Practice. In his Patients – Attract and Retain, Colin Ross tells readers of the major shift in the dental market that has occurred in the past 15 years and how to deal with it.
No, 15 years isn’t a great long span of time, but the production of 511 articles by outstanding contributors within that period is truly an accomplishment. The good news, as we celebrate Volume #75, is that we can look forward to more and more worthy information that contributes so much to the success within dental practices and the fulfilment of personal well-being.PA
