If you’re thinking of starting a dental practice, you’re on the right path as it can be a lucrative business if done right. It’s important to know the steps to take that stand to help you grow your business within a reasonable timeframe. Here are four of the steps that you could take to get your dental practice underway and get the best possible outcome.
1. Research
In order to improve your chances of starting a successful business, you need to do thorough research before you begin. Find out things such as the specific market that you want to serve and whether you can cater to a niche market. You also need to know what the right location is, what your competition is, and how to go about hiring staff. Finding out these details before you begin will be beneficial to you since there will be a lower chance of being surprised by unexpected circumstances. With proper research, you can also write a business plan and know how to go about executing it. You’ll find out information such as that the law requires a workers’ compensation claim to be filed within two years of the date when the accident took place. Alternatively, it should be within two years of the last payment of workers’ compensation benefits, whichever one is later.
2. Secure Your Financing
Financing is another crucial aspect of your business, so you need to figure out where you’ll get yours before you begin operations. From your business plan, you should know how much you need for startup costs as well as how much your running capital is. When you have these figures, you should come up with a plan to buffer yourself as much as you can from potential issues with finances down the road. Find out which institutions are willing and able to fund you so that you can be secure in the fact that, come what may, you have a good chance of avoiding running into issues like bankruptcy.
3. Get Licensing and Registration
It’s also important to keep your operations on the right side of the law. Do this by finding out the licensing and registration that you need to have in order to successfully start and run a dental practice. These include regulatory compliance and permits that are specific to your state. Working with a lawyer is the best way for you to know exactly what you need to have and how to get it easily, so consider enlisting the help of one. You should also know about the general concerns in the dental industry. For example, concern about the potential health hazards of medical waste grew in the 1980s, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. This was after medical waste started washing up on a number of beaches on the east coast.
4. Set Up a Website
Last but certainly not least, you should think of setting up a website for your practice. Your website should be good and professional if you want to get the right attention from potential customers. This means that you should have it designed by a professional. Even a simple landing page, which may be cheaper to set up, will be better than not having a website at all. When you do this, it will be easier to reach a wider market and sell your services to more people, possibly getting many customers fast.
Use these four tips to give your dental practice a good chance to grow within a reasonable timeframe. If you choose to buy an existing practice or consider selling yours in the future, note that most sales of dental practices can be made within 150 days of listing. Proper planning is necessary for a successful business, so be prepared to work consistently and diligently.