Reason for selling - Good:

• Doctor wants to retire.
• Doctor wants to move.
• Doctor can no longer practice due to health.

• Doctor needs money.
• Increased competition in area.
• Pending legal or financial problems.
• Licensure/disciplinary problems.
• Practice and catchment area has been declining.
• Doctor wants to set up else where in same area.
• Lease problems.
• Major tenant or business relocating.
• Insurance coverage has decreased or been eliminated in the area.

• Immediate income and positive cash flow.
• May have help with financing from existing loan or Doctor.
• Get to see a large volume of patients immediately.
• You are the owner and will continue to build your practice.
• Income potential is great.
• The location is established and will get continuous patient flow, existing and new.
• Access to clinic contacts and suppliers.
• Staff is already trained and experienced.
• You can change practice operations / procedures / staff to suit.
• Less time / energy required compared to starting up.
• Access to reactivate old patient files.
• New marketing plan / ideas may attract more patients and reactivate old patient files.

• Large initial start up / capital required.
• Clinic may require updating such as leaseholds, equipment and furniture.
• More buyers than sellers.
• Responsible for all overhead/expenses.
• Practice operations/procedures are deeply entrenched.
• Staff resists new ideas and change, may have personality conflicts.
• Get to see a large volume of patients immediately.
• Responsible for all administrative duties.
• Have to transition from existing Doctors technique/philosophy to yours.
• Have to transition from existing Doctors personality to yours.
• Patients are used to existing Doctor and feel abandoned.

• How long has the practice been for sale?
• What is for sale? Turn key, files, goodwill, equipment / furniture, leaseholds, accounts receivable, real estate?
• Is existing financing available or will the existing Doctor help with financing?
• If there is an associate or contractor why are they not buying?
• If there is an associate or contractor, are they staying? What is in their contract? Is the practice protected against competition and solicitation?
• Age of leaseholds, equipment and furniture?
• Existing Doctor’s personality? Do not want to follow a superstar, 85% of practice success is non-technical skills or personality (New England Journal of Medicine).
• Existing Doctor’s technique/philosophy.
• Existing Doctor’s gender.
• How long has the Doctor been in practice?
• How long has the Doctor been in practice at this location?
• How long has the staff been there, type of training and will they remain.
• What is the lease situation? What type? Length, cost, leaseholds, is it transferable or extendible, future plan for mall, and building or major tenants.
• Are there any financial / liability/contractual obligations of the practice?
• Are there any liability or lawsuit problems with the practice?
• Are the past financial records and tax returns available? Revenues, overhead and net income? Are they increasing, stable or decreasing?
• Are old appointment books available?
• What are the patient demographics? Age, income, education, ethnicity, gender…
• Is the practice in or near an area you want to live (urban, suburban or rural)?
• What type of practice? Acute care, wellness or mixture.
• What is the insurance coverage breakdown, WCB, auto, medicare, social assistance, native affairs, etc?
• Is the existing Doctor willing to work an appropriate transition period?
• Is the income generation transferable? Not a big issue in Canada.
• How did the previous Doctor market and advertise?