You will find all that information and more on several threads here.. i will make a short list of what i think is important to me, after owning a lab for 10 years.
-do you have the time? Unless you get a scanner you will be spending 14-16 hrs a day in the lab.. almost everyday to start.. significant others and children seem to have a problem with that. .
-do you know anything about running a business..? not a dental lab. Two different things. The e-myth is a must read.
-if you want to know if youre any good, (even if you dont care what others think) post some of your work here, everyone plays nice. This is critical when you're on your own.. which brings me to my next..
-find a mentor. (Or lab guilds are all the rage these days) Business or lab related. Preferably both. .but a one man lab is a lonely road save for the techs you know and can learn from. The learning curve rises much steeper when youre on your own. Ask me how i know..
-are you a problem solver? Because equipment breaks and problems arise almost daily that need a solution and your livelihood depends on a quick solution.
-start small and keep your overhead to a minimum. Meaning as little debt as possible.
-i wouldnt start a lab today without a scanner, unless youre as good and quick as Al..which most are not. That means a minimum investment of 10-12k for just a used scanner.
-make a business plan. If you dont know what it will cost you to start or be in business then you definitely should not be starting a lab.
- take the leap! Its cliche, but true. . If you never try you will never succeed. Dont believe the hype that small labs cant make it. This forum has probably hundreds of small lab owners.
The number of accounts you will need depends on so many things that you NEED to know.. ie What will you charge? This is determined by your overhead, cost of doing business, your draw.. What are they willing to pay? Dont undercut yourself or other local labs to get accounts.. this works but you will kill yourself doing it. How many units on average does each account do? Take 10% off of what they tell you. Its simple math. X units per month times your fee minus expenses, taxes.. what is left is yours. And theres no better money to be made then signing your own checks. But dont do it for the money and dont expect to see much for several years. This is the reality unless youve got a wealthy family to support you.
Ill save my best advice for last: find a dr who wants you in-house, start small then rule the world!
My beer is finished and ive gotta get up at 5 am.. so if you like sleep, the answer is NO, DONT DO IT!
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