When To Refurbish A Dental Office

Refurbishing a dental office is a very big step. A lot of things generally lead to the refurbishment project being put off, including the fact that it often leads to downtime and that it is expensive. However, there are many benefits that can be gained, some of which will lead to a significant return on the investment. Furthermore, there are a number of situations in which refurbishment becomes necessary, and the only other option would be to relocate.

Complying with Legislation

The first thing to take into consideration is that all dental offices and other offices have to comply with certain laws and legislation.

The government constantly introduces new legislation which can result in fines for companies that don't comply. The European Union's Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) was introduced in 2006 to encourage companies to reduce the environmental impact of their buildings. And as of January 2009, it became law.

This means that if your building is not compliant, you will have to make certain changes. Energy efficiency is a hot topic and looking into making your office greener and cleaner is also a good way to attract new patients and keep your existing ones happy. People are interested in renewable technology and sustainability, and if their dentist is committed to those issues, they will be more inclined to visit the dental office on a regular basis.

Creating an Impression

Secondly, you also need to think about the impression that you would want to make on your patients.

When you are hosting your clients or customers in the office, they will form an opinion about your business based on what they see in the building.

This is one of the areas in which you will be able to see a return on investment as well. If your dental office really looks good, it is likely that you will get more patients and those you already have will come for further checkups. An old and dated dental practice may leave a negative impression on patients. One of the additional dangers that come with an outdated office is the fact that people often talk with their friends and family members about their dentist and guess what - they are likely to talk about how the dental office looks. That will hardly be a good recommendation for the dentist. Once you feel like your practice has seen better days, the time to refurbish may have arrived.

Choosing Your Contractor

Meanwhile, although it is already clear that there are financial benefits to be gained from refurbishing your dental practice, it is also easy to see that there is a significant amount of funds that must be produced to get the project started. This is why it is so important that you find a contractor who will be able to work together with you to make sure you have as little disruption as possible. Downtime in a dental office is often unaffordable, and your contractor must be able to understand this and come up with a plan to make sure you are still able to offer dental services while the project is ongoing.

It is vital to consider refurbishment specialists, such as apollointeriors.com. What sets such companies apart is the fact that they work together with their clients, rather than for their clients. This means they will sit down with you first in order to determine how to best approach the job before they start working. They also focus on delivering on time and within the budget that you have specified, which means that you will know exactly what is happening and when. And since these types of companies have a strong focus on sustainability, you will be killing two birds with one stone in making sure that your office will be green as well.

Dental Offices - How To Refurbish In An Eco-Friendly Way

Being committed to sustainability and reducing your carbon footprint is something that all dental practices should sign up for. This is a very big reason to refurbish a dental office as well. After all, dated buildings with dated technology tend to use far more energy than is necessary. As such, although a refurbishment may be expensive, it is also a cost-saving exercise that could allow you to see a return on investment if done properly. So what are some of the things you could do in order to make sure you refurbish your dental office in an eco-friendly way?

Going Paperless

A key thing that you should focus on in your refurbishment is that it allows you to go as paperless as possible.

Not only does going paperless lead to increased efficiencies and a growing bottom line, it's also a great way for your practice to become more environmentally friendly.

This means your refurbishment project should include more modern technologies and systems that allow for paperless work. Any good refurbishment company will take this desire into consideration and come up with practical ideas to make it possible. Indeed, becoming eco-friendly is not solely about materials used.

Use Examples

Another great way to come up with ideas to make your dental office more eco-friendly is by looking at examples of what other practices have done. There are various different dental practices around the country that have made this commitment and can be used as inspiration. One example is the Trade Winds Dental.

We believe in the four Rs: Re-think, Reduce, Re-use, and Recycle. It is a common sense approach that results in a healthier office space for patients and team members.

This is a great example of a dental practice that has really looked into all aspects of green dentistry. They have added new technology that helps them to save on energy and that also wastes less water. Furthermore, they are even considering harnessing energy from sustainable sources in order to reduce their energy consumption even more.

Practical Ideas

There are also various practical ideas out there that you could implement depending on the needs and nature of your refurbishment. One option, for instance, is to use what can best be compared to over-sized Lego blocks to build your structure. These hollow plastic blocks are stacked into place before being filled with cement. They have amazing insulating properties, which leads to a significant reduction on energy bills.

Another idea is to change your roofs and windows.

When winter comes, having a southwest exposure will make sure the sun hits the windows, causing the place to heat up naturally and reducing heating costs.

Of course, you should also engage in recycling as much as possible. Old materials can be reused in innovative ways that allow you to save costs and make a positive contribution to the environment at the same time. Being green is all about being creative with what you've got.

Hiring the Right Company

In order to have a truly green dental office refurbishment, you need to work with a company that is experienced in delivering this and has an equally strong commitment to being green. One example is apollointeriors.com, who are highly committed to sustainability.

We acknowledge that the construction industry has a huge impact on the environment but whilst being a part of the problem, with knowledge and care we can be a part of the solution.

Only by working with a company that is as committed to being green as what you are will you see true results. Take some time to look into the various providers that are out there to get the best possible deal. Going green isn't boring, it is creative, fun and hugely important.

How To Minimize Expenses For Dental Renovations

Dental renovations can be incredibly expensive. Naturally, the work itself is expensive, but it also generally means the clinic has to close, or can't open yet, while work is taking place. Hence, when working on a renovation, it is very important to understand how you can minimize expenses without compromising on the quality of work. So how is this achieved?

Only Work with Excellent Contractors

The first thing to do is to make sure you only work with highly reputable contractors. You should consider companies like apollointeriors.com, who have a clear commitment towards making sure that a job is finished both within budget and on time. Although this is not necessarily a way of minimizing expenses, it is the best way to make sure you know exactly how much the work is going to cost, so that you can actually budget for it.

Understanding the Cost of Running a Dental Practice

Running a dental practice is a very expensive business, even if dentists earn a very reasonable amount of money. It is important to be aware of this and of the fact that banks are still very reluctant to lend money. Before approaching a bank, you should understand exactly what sort of costs are involved in the running of the office itself.

Dental practices across the United Kingdom are experiencing a sharp rise in costs and a squeeze on profit. Collectively, dental practices face costs equal to around 67.6% of their total income leaving little room for profit for business owners.

The cheapest way to finance a renovation, besides paying for it in full, is through a loan from a bank. Outside financing sources are almost always more expensive, charging higher interest rates or having less favorable terms. Hence, in order to minimize costs, you should work out whether the time to renovate for your business is now, or whether you should wait a little while longer.

Understanding Taxes

Another thing to look into is taxes. A number of renovation projects are tax deductible, which means you will get them at a much lower rate. Additionally, there are often tax relief options or grants available if you undertake work that is green or otherwise sustainable. This is why it is very important to work with a contractor that has a commitment to sustainable materials and also has an excellent accountant on board.

One of our key roles is to help our hardworking professional clients save money and maximize their wealth while helping them to remain compliant with the law.

In order to save money on your dental renovations, you should start by approaching contractors to receive a number of quotations on the work that you want to be done. This should then be taken to your accountant. Your accountant is generally in the best position to say whether or not the renovations are affordable at all and where they can be used or improved in terms of taxes.

A lot of people will tell you that the real savings are in the materials. This is perhaps true for home renovations, where you could choose cheaper laminate or wall tiles, but in the renovation of a dental office, the situation is slightly different. You cannot afford to cut corners and effectively compromise on quality. You have a moral and social responsibility to ensure that your co-workers and patients are comfortable and safe within your dental practice, which means opting for things that are simply cheap is not an option. However, as you can see, this doesn't mean that there aren't some ways out there to make sure that you don't accumulate ridiculous expenses either.