LIVIN’ THE LIFE | Flexible Business Model Offers Chance To Pursue A Hobby in Travel

Name: Dave Pearson

Launched His Dentist’s Choice Franchise:
April 1997

Service Area: Southern and Central Idaho

Tired of the long workdays and arduous hours as a mechanical engineer, Dave Pearson began seeking out opportunities to own his own business. Not only would this provide him the flexibility he desired, but after 30 years in engineering, he was ready for a change. He researched several different franchise concepts and decided The Dentist’s Choice provided him the perfect opportunity. The franchise concept appealed to him, since he found the industry interesting, the business was a relatively low investment and he would be able to work from home. 

QUESTION & ANSWER

DC: What hobbies or passions has the flexible scheduling of owning a Dentist’s Choice franchise allowed you to pursue?

Dave: As a mechanical engineer for 30 years, you don’t get accustomed to a lot of time off. The days are long and I worked a ton of overtime. So for a while, vacations weren’t really an option. Now that I’m a Dentist’s Choice owner, I have flexible scheduling that allows me to travel, which is something I’ve always really enjoyed and wanted to do more of. My wife and I go to Hawaii once a year, and we’ve also been to most of the states. We really like going to Arizona and Washington. I’ve also been to the Panama Canal and Alaska since I’ve been a Dentist’s Choice franchisee. It’s just really nice to get out of town for a while and see new places.

DC: Are you able to spend more time with family now versus when you were in mechanical engineering?

Dave: Yes, I’m able to travel a lot with my wife and spend a lot more time with family. It’s really nice to get away from the office once in a while, and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to do that. Most Dentist’s Choice owners take on an owner/operator model, but you can definitely hire employees if you want to. I have an office manager that takes care of things and new business opportunities while I’m gone, which allows for a lot more flexibility. Spending those extra few moments with your family is always really enjoyable.

DC: How has your lifestyle changed since owning a Dentist’s Choice franchise?

Dave: In addition to spending more time traveling and with family, it’s just nice to have some freedom and flexibility within your schedule on a daily basis. As a business owner, you have complete autonomy. Of course, a business is what you put into it, so it requires hard work, but you can definitely make your own schedule. Some days, I work three to four hours, and other days, I’ll work eight hours or more. It just depends on your workload and what you’re hoping to accomplish on any given day. I usually start my days off with doing necessary repairs, getting them out to clients and then going out and doing sales calls later in the day if I have time. It’s never a bad thing to continue building up your client base, even if you already have steady business. But, it’s just nice to have that flexibility in my schedule, and I can work more or less if I want to, take time off for appointments and other obligations if need be.

ABOUT THE DENTIST’S CHOICE

Founded in 1993, The Dentist’s Choice is a nationwide network of community-focused dental handpiece repair experts, providing quick and cost effective repair services on handheld tools used by every dentist. Local franchise owners pick up handpieces from dentists’ offices in their markets, repair them in their lab and typically return them within a week. Focusing solely on handpieces, The Dentist’s Choice concentrates on high speed, slow speed and electric handpiece repairs, sonic scaler and attachment overhauls, and fiber optic replacement services. For more information, visit thedentistschoice.com. For franchise information, visit dentistschoicefranchise.com or call 239-222-5581.