I need your opinion ..

[Hayden40]

Hi guys,

I was working as a dental lab tech since 1998, and I was switching from one job to another in USA . Unfortunately, many dentists consider technicians more as machines than as persons.

I'm thinking about opening my own removable dental lab, and I'll probably start from home.

What do you think would be the bigger challenge as I start my own business. Any feedback would be highly appreciated. Thank you!

 

[desertfox384]

http://dentallabnetwork.com/forums/...own-lab-what-kind-of-advice-can-u-give.19162/

this thread has all of your answers.

 

[Hayden40]

Thank you for your reply, but all these questions and answers are related to crown and bridge labs.
I'm thinking about starting a Removable lab for less than 10K.
Thanks

 

[CoolHandLuke]

well, wax is cheap. stone is cheap. teeth are cheap. yeah you could probably do up a cheap joint. but the business practices outlines in the above thread apply to removable just as much as c+b.

find a place to send your partial frames, you'll keep costs down.

 

[rkm rdt]

"Unfortunately, many dentists consider technicians more as machines than as persons."

As long as you think this way,I would hold off starting my own business.

 

[Hayden40]

"Unfortunately, many dentists consider technicians more as machines than as persons."

As long as you think this way,I would hold off starting my own business.

What do you mean?
My point is when you work hard with any dentist you will not get any extra payments but when you work hard in your own lab you will get more.

 

[Hayden40]

well, wax is cheap. stone is cheap. teeth are cheap. yeah you could probably do up a cheap joint. but the business practices outlines in the above thread apply to removable just as much as c+b.

find a place to send your partial frames, you'll keep costs down.

Thank you for your reply.
Exactly what I'm thinking to do, I'll keep the prices down

 

[Jason D]

What do you mean?
My point is when you work hard with any dentist you will not get any extra payments but when you work hard in your own lab you will get more.

You definitely need to do some work on understanding the economics of starting your own business.
during your initial years you will make much LESS as an owner and have more headaches.
After your business grows and is successful, yes an owner can and should make more and earn according to their abilities. However from what you have said here I think you have a misunderstanding of business ownership.
You are caught in the 'grass is always greener' mindset and will be very unhappy owning your own business if you do not go into with your eyes wide open.

 

[Doris A]

You won't be able to do it for anywhere NEAR $10,000! If your city allows you to have a lab in your home you'll be lucky, but then your homeowners insurance is going to go through the roof. You're going to need lathes, suction unit, boilout machine, processing tank, polishing bench, duplicating machine, a press, fume hood, etc. etc. etc. Look around the lab where you are now...do you think you could get all of that equipment for 10 grand....it's not going to happen!

 

[CoolHandLuke]

What do you mean?
My point is when you work hard with any dentist you will not get any extra payments but when you work hard in your own lab you will get more.

well that's not exactly true is it.

if you are working for a dentist hand in hand, to make dentures strictly for that one dentist, you are going to be tied to his chair; he only has so many patients and can't just make everyone get something that you make.

but in a lab you ideally would have a pool of clients to work for, and that means deadlines, rush cases, emergencies, and working on cases for welfare patients.

so more volume. that directly means you work more. working more means spending more time at the lab, which means the product you produce is worth less.

working for a dentist hand in hand in his basement lab means you make less volume but work less hours.

the difference really is how much time you put into the work. if your time is worth nothing, then absolutely go for it and set up something on your own; but youll have to do pickups, deliveries, office work, and all the lab work, and deal with the multiple appointments.

it may mean that you can take home less money if you think about how much on an hourly scale it costs you to operate.

but as i said, all your consumables are literally dirt cheap.

 

[user name]

Hi guys,

I was working as a dental lab tech since 1998, and I was switching from one job to another in USA . Unfortunately, many dentists consider technicians more as machines than as persons.

I'm thinking about opening my own removable dental lab, and I'll probably start from home.

What do you think would be the bigger challenge as I start my own business. Any feedback would be highly appreciated. Thank you!

Youre not going to like this, but it needs to be said.

"Just what we need...Another cheap lab doing crappy work and not putting out a professional image"

You will fail because you have no confidence. No idea what it takes to put a professional business together. Youre drastically under funded. You clearly havent created a business plan.

Youve got your head in the clouds friend.
Get your feet on the ground. Read some business books. Get a mentor. Save some money. Build your credit. Create a plan. Expect to have no income for 6 months. (you might, but if youre not ready you cover your behind while youre learning, you will not only fail at your business, you will loose everything else too.)

Also...get an accountant and a business lawyer. Right now youre thinking you dont need those. That shows youre not ready. I rest my case.

 

[rkm rdt]

 

[user name]

Isnt there a 'dito' emoticon?

Thanks.

 

[CoolHandLuke]

i am also with stupid.

je suis stupid!

 

[rkm rdt]

 

[JohnWilson]

Everything said here is true. Even the stupid stuff.

With that being said I started this exact same way, I have outlined it before and shared all the mistakes I made and how I turned things around. I never ever like to be a dream killer but the OP has it SO much easier than I had it. There is so much information at his finger tips to side track all of the pitfalls most start up companies make. The internet and forums like this are a wealth of knowledge, use them to your advantage. There are several guys on this forum that are extremely successful in this trade and many of them started with humble beginings.

Heed the advice shared with you in this thread. Write a business plan and if you have no clue what that entails buy a simple $100 program that will help you ask the questions you need to be thinking about, then plan accordingly


Good luck!

 

[desertfox384]

Thank you for your reply, but all these questions and answers are related to crown and bridge labs.
I'm thinking about starting a Removable lab for less than 10K.
Thanks

You are making the mistake of thinking making dentures is your biggest and only hurdle.. The problem is you are a technician (maybe even a skilled one) and you think that making dentures will make you a bunch of money, yet you are forgetting completely about the "business" side of your lab.. Which will take up as much time/effort/thought as making dentures will ESPECIALLY in the beginning days of opening your lab.
It's a great dream to open your business and all but please read the thread I linked you to. Just being able to make dentures does not mean you can run a successful business, so please read up on the other threads and get your ducks in a row before throwing hard earned money away.
Go to your barnes and noble and check out a book called "the E-Myth". Before I started my lab I sat down in the bookstore and read it front to back.. then I put it back on the shelf (I was broke lol) But its well worth buying.

 

[2thm8kr]

Before I started my lab I sat down in the bookstore and read it front to back.. then I put it back on the shelf (I was broke lol) But its well worth buying.

No library in your town?

 

[desertfox384]

W

No library in your town?

whats a "library" ?

 

[rkm rdt]

W

whats a "library" ?

It's a building with reading material in it...

....like this only bigger