WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN YOUR NEW DENTAL OFFICE
You may relocate your dental office for many exciting reasons. Maybe you have outgrown your current space and need more room for all the patients you are seeing. Perhaps you are ready to invest in new technology and want more modern architecture representing the face of your practice. Regardless of why you are moving your dental office, choosing a new location is different than buying a new home, or even finding a new space for any other type of business.
Dental offices require certain space requirements and unique characteristics in a building in order to allow your business to reach its desired productivity. When choosing a new location, dental space advisors suggest that you pay close attention to several things.
POPULATION STATISTICS AND LOCATION
Moving your dental office to an area with fewer people can turn a thriving business into a dull workspace. Before you choose a location for your new dentist office, you should research at least three different areas, and determine if the population levels in each area would be able to support a new dental practice. You may be better off in an expanding community, because mature communities typically have several already established dental offices.
Some landlords will handle this research for you, and may be able to give you population statistics before you view a possible location for your new practice. Your dental space advisors can also help you to compile the correct information.
TRAFFIC PATTERNS
If your patients are forced to navigate back roads and dangerous alleyways to get to your practice, they are likely to choose a new dentist office. You want a location that is close to a major highway or thoroughfare, and most dental offices prefer that patients make less than two turns off an exit to reach the building. You want your practice within five miles of the closest major thoroughfare.
Areas with higher traffic patterns may offer more services to consumers, and you can obtain past traffic counts from city records to help you determine which areas in a particular region are most popular. Your business will benefit from higher visibility if potential patients are stuck in slow-moving traffic as they pass your building.
SIGN RESTRICTIONS AND VISIBILITY
Along with the traffic count in your preferred area, you want to check and determine if there are any sign restrictions in your potential building. You also want a building that allows signage at the top of the building or in a highly visible area. Without proper signage area, it’s difficult for patients to find your business.
SQUARE FOOTAGE AND SPACE
The square footage of your potential building is incredibly important, but how the space is used may be even more so. As a dental practice, you have a unique traffic flow through your building, and you must determine if the building makes it easy for your patients and staff to move through the area. The space of your building can greatly enhance or hinder the productivity of your business.
When relocating your business, your dental practice in particular, you’ll benefit from doing some research before making a decision. At Phelps & Frias Commercial Realty, our dental space advisors are available to help you determine which location sets your business up for the best chance of success.
