News and Articles

The Benefits of Selling your Equipment through Consignment

There are many reasons why you might choose to sell your dental equipment. Maybe it’s time for change in your office, looking to upgrade, or just retiring and sailing the world. Whatever the reason may be, selling your equipment may not be as easy as you think. If you don’t have someone lined up to buy your practice with all of its fixtures and equipment, then you’re probably going to be looking at selling your equipment to another dentist.

Avoiding a Shady Used Dental Equipment Dealer

You have no doubt heard some of the horror stories associated with buying used dental equipment. Before buying anything that has been previously owned, it’s a good idea to make sure that adequate research is done on both the equipment being purchased as well as the seller actually selling you the equipment. Before sealing the deal on a used piece of dental equipment, make sure the company you are purchasing from is reputable and has credible sources to attest to their reliability. Ignoring this advice may end up in you making a mistake on a rather large purchase decision.

Tips for Buying Used Dental Equipment

There are many reasons why a dentist would want to purchase used dental equipment. Whether you are looking to start your own practice, upgrade the current equipment that you have, or looking for a somewhat cheaper alternative to buying equipment at brand new prices, buying used items is a smart choice.

Preventative Maintenance Saves Your Equipment

Purchasing dental equipment for your practice can involve a lot of research, contact with a lot of different sellers, and will ultimately require an investment of some kind. Depending on the equipment that is being purchased, your investment may be minor or major. Regardless of whether your investment was small or large, your chief concern after purchasing used equipment is to make sure it lasts as long as possible. This is where the concept of preventative maintenance comes in.

Controlling Overdue Accounts

Actually getting paid for the services your practice provides seems like a no brainer, doesn't it? You'd be surprised how many practices don't succeed in actually receiving a high enough percentage of money they are owed. This is because of many reasons, one being that many dentists and their teams are uncomfortable following up on late payments and delinquent accounts. It is important to remember a dental practice is a business that requires payment for services rendered, so that it can continue to provide the highest possible quality of care to its patients.

Managing Your Reputation Online

Think about your favorite restaurant. They may have a ton of positive reviews online but they will also have some bad ones. No business will ever have 100% positive feedback.

Now jump to your practice. More often that not, people that leave a review are people that had a negative experience. What are you going to do?

Counter that by really encouraging patients to leave positive reviews. That way, even if you do get 1-5 negative reviews over time, you should have many more positive reviews. Positive reviews will drown out the negative ones.

Escape the Seller Gloom

Everyone, no matter their line of work, looks forward to the day they will retire… even if they thoroughly enjoyed their career. Specifically in dentistry, practitioners often fail to anticipate the changes that come with selling their practice, both emotionally and financially.

Using An Inventory System

One way to save money when operating your dental practice is to make sure you are not overstocking supplies. You may overstock to be safe, but some supplies are dated and can expire, which means they are heading for the trash.

This system is very simple and is utilized by many businesses of all sizes. The hard part is getting motivated to actually reorganize your entire practices stockroom. The work is worth the reward, as you'll be in control by always knowing your supply levels and where everything is located.

Developing a Proper Practice Name

Developing a proper name for your existing practice or for a new upstart practice is very important to the early and continued success of your business.

Why Should Your Practice Use Social Media?

Last week, we talked about how to deal with social media as both a private citizen and as a dental professional. This week, we want to talk about why it is important, and easy, for your practice to have a social media presence.

You'd be surprised, but "Why Should Your Practice Use Social Media?" is a very easy question to answer. Social media is one of the most effective, and cheapest, forms of making contact with patients. Here are some reasons: