I've taken up running. Don't laugh, it's true! As I was pounding - OK, puffing - my way around the neighbourhood, I was pondering how the running programme I was following could easily be adapted for other things.
The programme starts you off with small, one minute runs, building you up over eight weeks so that finally you can run 30 minutes without stopping. Each stage involves fairly small incremental rises in activity, so that you don't feel it is totally unachievable.
It occured to me that if you were a novice to marketing, you could take a similar approach. All dental practices need to market themselves these days, it's become a do or die activity. But it may be that you haven't so far, because you don't feel you have the time, or the budget, or both.
So, start small and work your way up. Start your first month with setting aside just 30 minutes a week to take care of your marketing, and allot yourself a small (but not so small you can't do anything with it!) budget.
After a month or two, you will have got used to this concept, especially the time aspect. So step up the time you devote to it, and increase your budget a little.
As time goes on, you will find it easier to spend time and money on marketing, because you will notice the benefits - and the more you put into it, the greater the reward.
Why not start right now - carpe diem.