Startup or Acquisition? Avoid Paste Advice and Choose What’s Right

Startup or Acquisition? Avoid the Paste Advice and Choose What’s Right for You

If you’re thinking about owning your own practice, one of the biggest questions you’ll face is this:

Should I start a practice from scratch, or buy an existing one?

You’ve probably already seen the paste responses. You know the type: blanket statements like “acquisitions are always safer” or “startups are always more profitable.” The problem is, those answers ignore the most important factor: you.

In this episode of the Ideal Practices Podcast, we break down what really goes into making the right ownership decision—and why there is no one-size-fits-all answer.

The Truth Behind the Startup vs. Acquisition Debate

Let’s clear the air: both options can work. Both come with risk. And both require strategy.

What matters most is matching the decision to your long-term goals, your risk tolerance, your timeline, and your values.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why the right path is different for every doctor

• How to analyze the variables in your own career

• Candid insights into both models (including personal stories from the trenches)

• Financing considerations most doctors don’t think about until it’s too late

• The most overlooked analysis for startup planning

• How to avoid defaulting to paste strategies that don’t align with your vision

Paste Won’t Cut It—You Need a Personalized Plan

Too many doctors rely on paste-style advice: following what others did, hoping it will work for them.

But successful ownership starts with clarity. Clarity about what kind of leader you want to be. What kind of patients you want to serve. What kind of lifestyle you’re building this practice to support.

If you’re wrestling with the decision between starting or buying, don’t just copy someone else’s path. Build your own.

Start with our Startup vs. Acquisition Comparison Article for a side-by-side breakdown of the pros, cons, and real costs of both paths.

You Don’t Have to Figure It Out Alone

We’ve helped over 900 private practice owners navigate this exact decision. And we created a free video training to walk you through the startup vs. acquisition framework step-by-step.

Get access to that training right here.

It’s designed to help you avoid expensive missteps, eliminate the guesswork, and make a decision you can feel confident about.

Final Thought

The best part of practice ownership isn’t the income or the title—it’s the control. The ability to shape your future. The opportunity to lead with your own vision, instead of someone else’s paste template.

Whether you choose to acquire or start from scratch, just make sure the decision reflects you—not what worked for someone else.

Want more real-world insight? Subscribe to the Ideal Practices Podcast and get weekly guidance from advisors and dentists who’ve been where you are now.

Let’s build a practice that’s built for you.

— Stephen Trutter
President, Ideal Practices