When you want to start your own dental office, it’s certainly an exciting time. The branding, the premises, hiring the staff; so many of the things you have to do can be a lot of fun. The key thing to remember is that there are also some key financial and legal details that you have to get in order from day one. 

To make sure that you lay the right foundations for the successful business you want to build, we’ve put together a quick checklist. Work your way from top to bottom, take action when you need to, and sleep easy knowing that you have everything in order. 

Create a Business Plan
Your business plan is where you break down your costs, write down your goals, and give plenty of thought to your financial forecasts. Everything follows from your initial plan, and you can use it to guide you and give yourself direction as you start to dive into the details of your new business. 

Secure Adequate Financing
Having your own dental office is great, but you need the financial firepower to back it up when needed. Lines of credit, loans, overdraft facilities, and potentially outside investors are all key things to look at here. The more options you give yourself at the start, the more likely you are to be able to weather any storms that life sends your way. 

Find an Affordable Location
You need to be somewhere that passing traffic can see and that your patients can get to quickly and easily. The problem is that these highly central locations often come at a premium, which is why you need to refer back to your business plan and potentially reassess how you’re using your startup capital. The other key point is to measure up on your first viewing so that you can make sure you have enough space. 

Source Equipment and Supplies
Once you know the dimensions of your new office, you can start planning how you’re going to kit it all out. Connecting with a trusted national supplier, such as Kent Express, will allow you to get everything you need from a single point of contact. X-ray machines, consumables, chairs, handpieces, and so much more can be found with a quick call or click. Ideal when you want to be able to hit the ground running while also making your budget go further. 

Think About Staffing
Hiring the best and brightest applicants from the local area is the secret to creating a thriving dental office. Hygienists, assistants, senior dentists, and receptionists all need to be pulling in the same direction if you want to make a success of things. Taking your time to create a detailed job description that you can then share at the interview stage will ensure you get candidates who are ready to take care of everything that needs to be done.  

Pay Attention to the Legal Details
Licensing, registration, and the many rules and regulations that are enforced by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) all need to be taken into account. If this is the first time you have ever had to navigate such issues, talking to a solicitor or local legal advisor may help. They will be able to talk you through everything you need to know so that you never fall foul of key details. 

Put Insurance in Place
Your practice, your staff, and yourself all need to be protected should unfortunate issues or accidents arise. Insurance policies that cover professional liability, general liability, and property will need to be in place on the day you open your doors and accept your first patient. Making sure these are some of the first things you do will ensure that you are protected at all times. 

Budget For Ongoing Costs
Waste management, rent, utilities, marketing expenses, and, of course, staff wages, all need to be planned for ahead of time. Making sure that you have enough cashflow built into your business plan will ensure that you can meet your obligations and the demands that will now be placed on you as a business owner.  

Save Money for New Technology
The most successful dental practices reinvest a set proportion of their profits on a consistent basis. This is what allows them to continually upgrade their equipment and give their patients access to the very latest treatments and imaging technology. 

Take a moment to work through this checklist, and you will be able to see right away if there are key things you have missed or overlooked. Once you do that, you’ll be well on your way to getting your new business up and running.