A few pharmacists asked me this question at the recent APP conference. In particular, a couple of owners in the latter stages of their professional career, considering whether the value of their business has peaked and was likely to diminish significantly in the near future. Nobody likes to be trying to sell at the “bottom” of the market!
A strong financial plan covers more than budgeting. It should include:
Clearly proposed changes such as these can be stressful, however the impact upon business profitability, cashflow and future values of pharmacy businesses cannot be measured until after the event.Whether you’re a business owner, professional or investor, the right plan today can make a significant difference to your future.
Our team can help you create a tailored plan that gives you confidence and peace of mind.
If we only consider the “worst case” scenarios and use that perspective to make business decisions, would it result in an outcome we ultimately regret? Or alternately, is it wiser to monitor the impacts progressively as they unfold? Yes, it is imperative to have a gameplan. But the way we manage our pharmacies will evolve in future, as we identify ways to become more efficient and grow in other areas. Hopefully also the next CPA will deliver some positives to help compensate for the 60DD reduction in income.
In the last 6 months, we have had only one client sell their pharmacy (partly for personal and business reasons). Otherwise, most pharmacists have embraced change and are preparing for the next challenges. Correspondingly we are still seeing steady interest for potential purchases, both from existing owners as well as first time buyers.
The relative value of pharmacies in the marketplace may have softened a little in the last year or two, but from our observations certainly not to the extent for panic.
Senior Consultant
Pharmacy Advisory
Specialist
Neil works with pharmacy owners and businesses to improve performance, build value and achieve long-term success.
Our team is here to help you make confident financial decisions for your business.
The market for pharmacy acquisitions has changed significantly over the last few years. Whilst many sectors in the economy have suffered, community pharmacy has strengthened because:In today’s fast-moving environment, having a clear financial plan can help you navigate uncertainty, take advantage of opportunities and build long-term security.
Say 5 years ago, a prospective pharmacy purchaser might have been happy to generate a return on investment (ROI) on their pharmacy business of between 15%-20% (depending upon location, demographics etc). This ROI is expressed as a percentage, BEFORE interest and income tax. But these days, some purchasers are happy to buy the same pharmacy, which currently only returns 12% -15% on their investment. So, in some of the examples I’ve seen, this has resulted in a relative increase in market selling price of up to 25% on the same pharmacy, compared to the market only a few years ago.
If a pharmacist bought a business generating a profit of say 12% return on investment (before interest and tax) but pays interest on their loan of around (say) 5%, then the net return on their investment implied is 7% before tax. By the time you allow for tax and repayments of principal on your business mortgage, that doesn’t leave much “buffer” of cashflow. So, if the economy suffered a “blip” or there was an interruption to normal trading, it doesn’t leave much room for error. In this hypothetical scenario, one may argue that the purchaser may have paid too much for their business.
Accordingly, before you make an offer to purchase (or become a partner) ensure that you:
Be diligent and seek professional advice before making any offer to purchase a pharmacy or become a partner. A poor decision can prove costly over the long term; a wise decision could be enjoyed over many years to come.
Senior Consultant
Pharmacy Advisory
Specialist
Neil works with pharmacy owners and businesses to improve performance, build value and achieve long-term success.
Our team is here to help you make confident financial decisions for your business.
The UTS Community Pharmacy Barometer is an annual report collating research tracking the confidence, perceptions and opinions of pharmacy owners and employees in relation to impact of perceived future changes. The report published late last year provided many interesting observations and interpretations, including:
Over the last couple of years there has been an increased demand for pharmacy services such as vaccinations and also a need for deliveries to customers, putting a greater load on staff’s time. Some team members have also reported being uncomfortable dealing with frustrated customers in situations where certain stock have been in short supply and customers were frequently disappointed.
On the back of the challenges to community pharmacy (and businesses generally) due to Covid, many pharmacies have experienced ongoing difficulty in attracting, recruiting and retaining staff. Especially those pharmacies located regionally. Pharmacy owners have needed to manage staff rosters carefully (eg splitting into teams in case staff became unavailable due to illness) requiring extra staff numbers to cover the need. But with access to additional experienced staff limited, then existing owners and staff have had to work longer and harder to meet customer needs.
It also appears anecdotally that an increasing proportion of pharmacy students are choosing to work in hospitals as their career pathway, rather than explore community pharmacy. The perception of many students is that community pharmacy may be a more difficult or less satisfying choice, compared to working in a clinical environment. So if fewer students join community pharmacy, then the shortage of professional staff will not be resolved in the immediate future.
For those students who are choosing to become community pharmacists, or those pharmacists currently employed in community pharmacies, they also should consider the option of ownership. If the remuneration prospects of remaining as an employee appear promising in future due to scarce supply, is there sufficient enough incentive to become an owner (or partner)? For those pharmacists who love the engagement of working closely with customers in their local community and being part of a small team, what could be compelling motivators to take the next step? There are numerous other motivators for becoming an owner, but some of the most common include:
Once a pharmacist has embraced community pharmacy ownership as their long-term career, I would also challenge them to also reflect carefully upon the business side. This should occur both before purchasing the business, and also as an ongoing exercise whilst being an owner. Every successful business requires astute planning to ensure confidence about the future. Thus, owners should regularly ask themselves these five questions:
For the right person, community pharmacy can provide an extremely satisfying career. The combination of professional interactions, relationship building and remuneration can still be a compelling option. It also provides an additional entrepreneurial opportunities, should the pharmacist be attracted into ownership.
Senior Consultant
Pharmacy Advisory
Specialist
Neil works with pharmacy owners and businesses to improve performance, build value and achieve long-term success.
Our team is here to help you make confident financial decisions for your business.
Everyday business decisions of business owners and managers include directing staff, advising customers, replenishing stock and planning cashflow. When your team is experienced and harmonious, decisions tend to flow smoothly. We learn to adapt and compromise as necessary based upon the circumstances at the time. Small issues can generally be resolved as they arise. The glass feels “half-full”. But sometimes, a business may experience serious conflict. Either from external sources (eg landlord, suppliers, customers) or internally from employees or fellow owners.
When a problem arises the first step should be communication. Identify the perceived issue, substantiate why this is a problem, then suggest potential solutions. Keep communications simple, clear and respectful. Hopefully sensible dialogue will pay-off. If the matter is more objective in nature (rather than subjective) possibly the parties may be able to resolve the dispute themselves, by referring to the partnership (or shareholder) agreement that should have been put in place at the commencement of the business. These agreements are invaluable.
Legend has it, that the directors of the Australian global software company Atlassianuse “Rock, Paper, Scissors” as a tiebreaker! However, for most other businesses, if the matter is not so simple or there is friction between the parties (especially if there are more than just two partners) then you may need professional help. Your lawyers are obviously the appropriate people to consult in these situations. They should understand all relevant legislation or case law, and hopefully able to advise the best solution.
But in extreme cases, a dispute cannot be resolved. Which might result in one of the partners deciding to exit the business or be “removed” from working in or owning the business. Here the lawyers representing party become even more important, because the longer the business continues to operate with dysfunctionality, the more potential damage to goodwill (internally with your staff and externally with customers etc).
The lawyers will rely upon all relevant documentation (eg partnership agreement) as well as their interpretation of the facts. The outcome may involve some process of mediation to determine middle ground. Or possibly just an objective interpretation of the agreements implemented originally. A sound partnership agreement should include documented mechanisms that apply in cases of disputes, or ultimately exit of a partner.
• Processing data regularly and prepare monthly management reports (P&L and balance sheet) on a timely basis
• Lodging BAS on time
• Ensuring annual financial statements and tax returns are up to date
• Maintaining consistent accounting policies and procedures each year
If the partners encounter a significant falling-out, an objective valuation of the business will be required to identify the fair market value of the business upon exit. The partnership agreement normally suggests who they already accept to be the appropriate valuer in these circumstances. Often it is either the partnership’s external accountant, or one of the industry accepted valuers.
The general technique normally is to calculate the future maintainable earnings of the business (FME) or more accurately described as EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation) based upon recent trading history.
A valuer considers recent trends within the business (eg sales, gross profit margins, script numbers, costs of rent, wages and other overheads). They also analyse the impact of external non-recurring transactions or events (eg impact of Covid on foot traffic, income subsidies including Jobkeeper or rent relief, sale of RATs, high cost drugs etc).
Once the valuer is comfortable with the estimated EBITDA dollar value, they allow for a market salary for the owner’s hours working as pharmacist in charge or managing partner. Accordingly, the residual profit is a true representation of their monetary reward for their investment in this particular business.
The final piece of the puzzle is to identify the required the market “return on investment” or ROI (also referred to as capitalisation rate or rate of return). The higher the perceived risk of the pharmacy (investment) then the higher the ROI needs to be, to attract the pharmacist to be the owner. The risk assessment requires the valuer to consider the specific ingredients of the business such as customer demographics, competition, nearby prescribers, location (city/suburbs/regional) style of store (shopping centre/strip/medical centre) etc.
The range of ROI can differ significantly, so the valuer looks for recent comparative sales as relevant indicators. This can be an involved process and the owners are best advised to consult a valuer who specialises in the pharmacy profession. We are happy to assist pharmacists in identifying resolutions to a dispute.
Senior Consultant
Pharmacy Advisory
Specialist
Neil works with pharmacy owners and businesses to improve performance, build value and achieve long-term success.
Our team is here to help you make confident financial decisions for your business.
We’ve seen a lot of sport on TV recently, from the Olympics to the various football finals. It reminded me that to be successful in any profession (including business and sport) requires commitment, dedication, hard work and hopefully some luck. There are no accidental success stories, and you need to put yourself in a position to take your opportunities along the way. YouTube the Australian ice skater Steven Bradbury back in 2002 Winter Olympics! A classic example!
A pharmacy owner’s needs change many times throughout their career. Initially the responsibilities of running a business can be overwhelming. As well as the clinical, patient care side of the profession, an owner needs to manage resources such as staff, stock, cashflow etc. In those early days, you might rely heavily on the advice of your accountant, your peers, close family and friends. But over time, your experience, systems and procedures help you navigate the usual demands of business.
However, avoid becoming complacent. Especially if you have owned your pharmacy for a decade or more. Sometimes a problem can develop gradually without you being aware (for example poor inventory management, product pricing, rostering etc). A mature business might not suffer much ill effect initially. However eventually (when the business needs to be valued by the bank, or when an owner decides to sell their business) the impact might be significant on long term viability or ultimately the sale price upon retirement. Accordingly I recommend that even the most experienced pharmacist regularly talks to their “coach” (often their specialist accountant) to review current performance, benchmark against competitors and identify areas for improvement. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do, having someone you trust and respect in your corner can make a great difference. Whether it is in sport, business or your personal life, an experienced coach or mentor can be the missing ingredient that allows you to do the best you possibly can.
Sure, it is the individual that actually has to do the hard work along the way, but the coach helps devise a game plan at the outset, then work alongside you to keep things focussed and on track.
Does Roger Federer still have a coach after all these years? Absolutely!
You might have the appropriate attitude, energy and resilience to be an excellent community pharmacist. But keep in mind that financial data is a major part of a pharmacy’s early warning system. Reliable, timely monthly financial statements can be a most an effective management tool.
Owners can sign up for cloud based accounting software to help them run their business. There are a number of inexpensive yet powerful applications which have the ability to produce management profit reports, BAS, organise accounts receivables and payables, and maintain payroll records. As the software appears simple and easy to use, it is understandable why they are so popular.
However, just because you bought an aeroplane, it doesn’t make you a pilot.
Anyone can buy the software licence and start processing data. But to do so without some form of specialised training, and expecting accurate reporting is illogical. It takes three years full time at university to obtain an accounting degree, to learn the fundamentals as well as the deeper management and tax knowledge. Processing your own data without some professional direction can be dangerous, especially if you are relying upon inaccurate reports.
A strong financial plan covers more than budgeting. It should include:
This may result in paying too much income tax/GST, delays in processing of BAS refunds, underpaying staff wages or super, decline of finance applications, incurring penalty interest on a loan due to non-compliance with a lending covenant, overestimating the sale price approaching retirement etc. The consequences of these types of problems can be expensive and stressful!
So if you are a new pharmacy owner, invest some time and effort at the beginning in implementing a sound management reporting process. If you are an experienced owner, remember to touch base with your coach regularly.
Whether you’re a business owner, professional or investor, the right plan today can make a significant difference to your future.
Our team can help you create a tailored plan that gives you confidence and peace of mind.
Senior Consultant
Pharmacy Advisory
Specialist
Neil works with pharmacy owners and businesses to improve performance, build value and achieve long-term success.
Our team is here to help you make confident financial decisions for your business.
The saying “play to your strengths” is applicable in your work, play or family life. Building a team of confidantes is a prerequisite to a balanced and “successful” life. Your team helps you avoid potential problems, plan for the future and simply be a sounding board. They allow you to focus on what you are best at, and what you love spending your time upon.
When I first went into my own practice, we developed a list of simple suggestions for our clients so we could fine tune their relationship with us! A brief summary:
Communicate your individual needs.
Do you need monthly profit/cashflow reports or can you estimate your tax position from your own observations? Are you totally confident in your point-of-sale system, or do you need independent information to compare it with? Can you prepare your own BAS or would you prefer to focus upon on more profitable/enjoyable activities etc?
Discuss your short, medium and long term goals together.
The more background your accountant has the, the better quality advice you will receive. Share your current activities, goals and future plans. As your plans change, recognise this may have a significant effect on the financial strategy employed (so keep sharing)!
The cost of accounting fees should not be the biggest issue.
Some advice may be invaluable. You may save thousands of tax dollars when negotiating a business purchase or selecting the right business structure. Similarly, capital gains implications on selling a business, shares or investment property. Strategic use of CGT “roll-over” concessions or SMSF can be life changing.
Never say “I only want you to do my tax”.
Compliance work is only one of your needs, but there are areas where your professional team can have greater impact (eg forecasts, feasibility studies, investment advice etc). You would never ask your doctor to treat only one of your ailments at the exclusion of all others. Your finances are no different!
Be organised and pay attention to detail.
This reduces unnecessary time attending to routine tasks (such as reconstructing lost records) and allow accurate reporting on a timely basis. It should also help avoid unexpected tax issues.
If you are not satisfied, say so.
You are allowed to be critical, but don’t expect someone to be able to read your mind. When a customer walks into your business, you need to rely upon their input to provide the correct solution.
Your accountant must be intimate with your business and your specific needs. This helps generate new ideas and facilitate regular feedback.
You must be aware of what you really want from your professional and personal life. If you aren’t sure, confide in your team and develop an overall concept. Your accountant should be in the best position to advise you on all aspects of your financial strategy.
BAS, GST and STP require data to be processed and reported upon on a regular basis. Technology has empowered even the smallest business to have access to relatively inexpensive and reliable bookkeeping software, but this requires direction. Just because you bought an aeroplane, it doesn’t make you a pilot!
So, take some care in building your team and it should pay dividends for over your entire professional career.
Whether you’re a business owner, professional or investor, the right plan today can make a significant difference to your future.
Our team can help you create a tailored plan that gives you confidence and peace of mind.
Senior Consultant
Pharmacy Advisory
Specialist
Neil works with pharmacy owners and businesses to improve performance, build value and achieve long-term success.
Our team is here to help you make confident financial decisions for your business.
In today’s fast-moving environment, having a clear financial plan can help you navigate uncertainty, take advantage of opportunities and build long-term security.
Financial planning provides a roadmap for your business and your personal goals. It helps you make informed decisions, manage risks and stay focused on what matters most. Without a plan, it’s easy to get caught up in day-to-day demands and lose sight of the bigger picture.
A strong financial plan covers more than budgeting. It should include:
Whether you’re a business owner, professional or investor, the right plan today can make a significant difference to your future.
Our team can help you create a tailored plan that gives you confidence and peace of mind.
Director
Pharmacy Advisory
Specialist
Michael works with pharmacy owners and businesses to improve performance, build value and achieve long-term success.
Our team is here to help you make confident financial decisions for your business.
In today’s fast-moving environment, having a clear financial plan can help you navigate uncertainty, take advantage of opportunities and build long-term security.
Financial planning provides a roadmap for your business and your personal goals. It helps you make informed decisions, manage risks and stay focused on what matters most. Without a plan, it’s easy to get caught up in day-to-day demands and lose sight of the bigger picture.
A strong financial plan covers more than budgeting. It should include:
Whether you’re a business owner, professional or investor, the right plan today can make a significant difference to your future.
Our team can help you create a tailored plan that gives you confidence and peace of mind.
Director
Pharmacy Advisory
Specialist
Michael works with pharmacy owners and businesses to improve performance, build value and achieve long-term success.
Our team is here to help you make confident financial decisions for your business.
In today’s fast-moving environment, having a clear financial plan can help you navigate uncertainty, take advantage of opportunities and build long-term security.
Financial planning provides a roadmap for your business and your personal goals. It helps you make informed decisions, manage risks and stay focused on what matters most. Without a plan, it’s easy to get caught up in day-to-day demands and lose sight of the bigger picture.
A strong financial plan covers more than budgeting. It should include:
Whether you’re a business owner, professional or investor, the right plan today can make a significant difference to your future.
Our team can help you create a tailored plan that gives you confidence and peace of mind.
Director
Pharmacy Advisory
Specialist
Michael works with pharmacy owners and businesses to improve performance, build value and achieve long-term success.
Our team is here to help you make confident financial decisions for your business.
In today’s fast-moving environment, having a clear financial plan can help you navigate uncertainty, take advantage of opportunities and build long-term security.
Financial planning provides a roadmap for your business and your personal goals. It helps you make informed decisions, manage risks and stay focused on what matters most. Without a plan, it’s easy to get caught up in day-to-day demands and lose sight of the bigger picture.
A strong financial plan covers more than budgeting. It should include:
Whether you’re a business owner, professional or investor, the right plan today can make a significant difference to your future.
Our team can help you create a tailored plan that gives you confidence and peace of mind.
Director
Pharmacy Advisory
Specialist
Michael works with pharmacy owners and businesses to improve performance, build value and achieve long-term success.
Our team is here to help you make confident financial decisions for your business.