Dr. C built a successful endodontic practice for over 30 years in rural Virginia. Her practice generated solid revenue through disciplined operations and low overhead, but when it came time to transition out, she faced what many would consider an impossible sale.
Located in a small community that corporate groups wouldn’t touch, with revenue levels below what most DSOs target, Dr. C was planning to simply close her doors and walk away from decades of work with nothing to show for it.
“I was ready to just close,” Dr. C recalls. “After 30 years, I thought I was going to get nothing for everything I’d built.”
The Reality Check That Changed Everything
When Dr. C reached out to Practice Transitions Group through a referral, Thomas Allen delivered the honest assessment she needed to hear: “This could take two or three years to find the right buyer.”
Most brokers might have oversold the opportunity or declined to take on such a challenging case. Instead, PTG set realistic expectations from day one, explaining that specialty practices in remote locations require patience and a different approach than practice sales in higher population areas.
“Most brokers would have told me what I wanted to hear, that they could sell it quickly for top dollar,” Dr. C explains. “Thomas was different. He told me the truth about what we were up against.”
“We knew we were looking for a needle in a haystack,” Thomas explained. “But Dr. C had built something valuable; we just needed to find the right person who could see that value.”
The Challenge of Small Market Realities
The obstacles were significant:
- Remote location that eliminated most corporate buyers
- Revenue levels below DSO thresholds
- Limited pool of endodontists willing to relocate
- Specialized practice requiring specific clinical expertise
Many practice owners in similar situations accept that closing without a sale is their only option. The alternative, working with advisors who make unrealistic promises, often leads to frustration and wasted time on both ends.
“There were times I wondered if we’d ever find anyone,” Dr. C admits. “But Thomas kept reassuring me that we just needed the right person to see what I’d built here.”
Finding the Perfect Match Through Persistence
PTG’s patient, methodical approach ultimately identified exactly what Dr. C needed: an endodontist who had been working at a group practice, had relocated to a different area, but was reconsidering a return to Virginia.
This buyer already understood the area, the patient demographics, and the referral patterns. The timing was crucial; he emerged just as Dr. C was preparing to close permanently.
“When Thomas called me about this buyer, I knew immediately it was going to work,” Dr. C remembers. “He already knew the area, understood the patient base. It was exactly what we’d been hoping for.”
While the final offer reflected rural market realities at 40-50% of collections, it represented success compared to the alternative of receiving nothing.
Results That Made the Difference
After two years of marketing, the transaction closed successfully. Dr. C extracted meaningful value from her life’s work rather than simply closing her doors. The buyer acquired an established practice with existing relationships in a market where such opportunities never emerge.
Most importantly, the rural community retained access to specialized endodontic care that Dr. C had provided for three decades.
“I’m so grateful we stuck with it,” Dr. C reflects. “Two years felt long, but Thomas was right; it was worth the wait to find the right person.”
The Takeaway
Dr. C’s situation seemed impossible: a specialty practice in rural Virginia with limited buyer options. Many advisors would have made unrealistic promises about quick sales.
The difference was working with a team that understood the market realities and had the patience to execute a two-year strategy. PTG’s honest assessment allowed Dr. C to plan accordingly rather than face repeated disappointments from false expectations. Dr. C also had a timeline and attitude that made a two-year strategy a possibility.
For practice owners in challenging situations, this case shows that successful transitions are possible when you have the right expertise and realistic timelines. Sometimes the best outcomes require patience, but they’re worth the wait.
“If you’re in a situation like mine, don’t give up,” Dr. C advises. “Find someone who will tell you the truth and stick with you through the process. It made all the difference for me.”
Today, Dr. C is enjoying retirement, spending time caring for her husband and finally having time for golf.
Note: Details have been anonymized to protect client confidentiality.