FDC Dental Clinic CEO: Business Growth Must Prioritise Impact Over Revenue

Founder and CEO of FDC Dental Clinic, drg. Ita Lestari, MARS, has urged health business owners not to view growth solely in terms of increased revenue and number of branches. According to Ita, a business must be assessed by how much benefit it can create for customers, the team, and society.

The message was delivered by drg. Ita at the Clinic Growth Masterclass for Owner organised by Aksoro Business School. Ita outlined FDC’s journey from a simple health business to a technology-based dental care ecosystem. According to her, growth requires a change in the founder’s growth mindset, from merely running a business to building systems, people, and impact.

Through a case study, she invited participants to answer three important decisions for a business owner. What decisions will you take as a business owner in an expansion situation: Where to Grow, Who to Build, and What Impact to Create.

Clinic owners are considered to need to determine expansion based on the problems and needs of the community they wish to solve, not merely by looking at market potential. FDC itself grew from efforts to address three barriers the public faces in accessing dentists, namely the perception of high cost, fear, and processes considered lengthy.

“Company growth should enlarge benefits, not just revenue. When a business grows larger, access to health, service quality, opportunities for the team to develop, and impact on society must also grow,” said Ita.

Growth also demands that founders develop their team. In the material Leadership Journey: From Me, We, Us, drg. Ita described the change in leadership from leading myself, to leading people, and ultimately leading impact.