Welcome to part three of our series of articles introducing some of our business partners. You'll get a feel for who some of these business partners are and who you'll meet when you join our entrepreneurial network.
It's time to introduce Fahime Farahmand and Henrik Arvidsson, who together run Tandfokus.
At a young age, Henrik decided to become a dentist, inspired by his fun and friendly dentist. Fahimeh had a strong interest in chemistry and medicine from the beginning and actually dreamed of becoming a pharmacist. However, various circumstances led her to choose dentistry, which she is happy about today.
At different stages of their lives, they both realized that dentistry offers a comprehensive basic education that teaches not only about teeth but also about human anatomy and health. The mouth, which is the home of teeth, was perceived not only as a field of work but also as a place full of possibilities and importance. They understood how much a mouth can hold and all the things that can be experienced through it. From beautiful words and passionate kisses to beautiful smiles.
Fahimeh grew up in Iran and came to Sweden as a refugee at the age of nineteen. Despite an uncertain journey and many obstacles, she eventually ended up in Lerum. She quickly completed her upper secondary education and started dental school immediately afterwards. In the 1990s, when there was a shortage of dental jobs in Sweden, she traveled to England to work. However, when the opportunity to work privately in Sweden arose, she moved to Dalsland and later to Nol, where she found a private practice for sale. With a growing interest in endodontics and a strong sense of business, she continued her career.
Henrik has a different background, growing up in a safe middle-class environment in Uppsala. His career has not been straightforward, with breaks from school and temporary jobs before he started his own practice in Uppsala. Like Fahimeh, he had an interest in implant surgery and developed a patented implant system. This common interest led them to meet at a congress in Dubai in 2007, and the rest, as they say, is history.
The cooperation factor
What makes them such a strong team is that they both have the ability to work hard and long, and they usually strive towards the same goals. However, the goals are usually set by Fahimeh, both at home and at work. In the workplace, the workload can be heavy, but to Henrik's relief, Fahimeh shoulders most of the extra work. The couple explains that it's simply because Henrik doesn't love administration while Fahime seems almost unconcerned.
At home, physical work takes center stage for Henrik, especially as their home is not yet fully finished. He enjoys working on the details of the house, garden and kitchen, while Fahimeh sits at the computer and deals with emails. When it comes to flowers and plants, Fahimeh is the tireless one and can spend hours in the orangery, until she shouts "Henrik, I need two more wheelbarrows of soil!". One of our greatest strengths is that we enjoy each other and have fun together.
Dental Focus became a family business
The story of Tandfokus began when Fahimeh bought his first practice in Nol. It was there that the name Tandfokus was born. Her ambition was to become a specialist in endodontics, so she bought into a larger clinic in Gothenburg. It was during this time that the Dubai Congress took place, leading Henrik to sell his practice in Uppsala and move to be closer to Fahimeh. Fittingly, a new dentist was needed for the practice in Nol, and Henrik felt he wanted to work there. Soon after, Fahimeh had completed her specialist training and was working both at her practice and at Odontologen. However, she wanted to find a larger practice in the city where Henrik could also be more active, and so the couple acquired another practice in Gothenburg.
The couple say that what sets them apart from other private providers is the philosophy of not just focusing on patients and their teeth. Of course, this is their first priority, but they place great importance on their staff, believing that a workforce that is happy at work does a better job and brings joy and enthusiasm to patients. They make sure that all staff have the opportunity to further their education every year by attending courses and trainings. They both see how this helps boost staff confidence and makes their job more enjoyable.
While this philosophy may mean higher costs in the short term, they are convinced that in the long term it leads to both safer staff and patients, thus creating a sustainable business with a steady stream of new patients.
Today, Tandfokus is expanding and opening more clinics and when Fahimeh's son, Poria, became involved in the company, they got the help they needed to grow beyond the city limits. Poria has been responsible for the acquisition of their latest practice in Örebro and the intention is to continue with more acquisitions in the future.
Fahimeh and Henrik think their concept works well for about ten practices, varying in size, with some being larger and others smaller. Their shared passion for dentistry and entrepreneurship brought them together, and they have since built Tandfokus into what it is today.
The dream today is that Tandfokus's ten or so planned clinics will be able to run themselves without their direct involvement. Then they wish to be able to look back on this as a successful life project, while enjoying life on a beautiful farm in Österlen."