Alonge Enterprises Newsletter
In this Issue:
1 – Introduction to Alonge Enterprises
2 – Building a Dental Office – First Steps
3 – Why do I need an
4 – Dental Office Cost
1
- Introduction – Alonge Enterprises Values - Quality and Integrity First
ALONGE ENTERPRISES, LTD. is proud to offer a special newsletter for you to see our work “behind the scenes”; our goal is for you to understand the industry of commercial construction service from a contractor’s point-of-view. We hope to present an opportunity to visit a little history of how we came down this road, and where we intend to go. We would like you to tell us what you need, and if we cannot deliver it, we will help find someone who can. Our extraordinarily high quality craftsmanship has always been the cornerstone of our goals. A company is only as good as the quality of the people in its family.
ALONGE ENTERPRISES, LTD.
has been in business for over thirty years servicing the Northern Virginia
Metropolitan area. As a design build, Class
A Contractor in the Building, Plumbing, Electrical, Mechanical and Gas trades,
we have specialized in residential and commercial design - building new
construction, remodeling, and completing service work. We are dedicated to providing the utmost care
and attention to detail.
We hope this newsletter will give you helpful insight into the pride we take in our work.
ALONGE ENTERPRISES, LTD.
703-560-2181 & 703-560-7622 (Fax)
E-mail: sales@alonge-enterprises.com
2
– Building a Dental Office – First Steps
The landscape of Doctors who are building dental offices sure has changed over the years. In the past, we would get a call to set up a meeting, today contact is made using online resources, personal referrals, email contact, and direct telephone contact. It may be from a dentist who is working in a practice as an associate or an established practice owner looking to expand. For the associate, this doctor has often been told he / she would be able to be a co-owner of the business with all the expected benefits that come from that. However, in time he / she then decides to start their own practice.
What they often do not realize is what is involved in establishing this new practice. Taxes, employees, office space acquisition, location, equipment repairs, accounting, and cash flow management factors are constantly changing and there will be learning curve for both the established and new Dentist So, when the Dentist starts looking for a space – he / she may contact a realtor, a dental representative, or maybe a contractor to build this new office.
Yes, everyone, or almost everyone, would like to be in business. Is it hard? Yes. Can it be successful? Yes, it depends on who you are, and how much backing and support you have.
Giving you access to our experience, staff, and network of skilled specialists can greatly enhance getting your practice established. So, give us a call and schedule an appointment to an initial consultation.
A key factor in long term success is an office constructed with an attention to quality and serviceability. Below are samples of what we at Alonge Enterprises encounter when we are preparing an office space for build out and how Alonge Enterprises remediates these type of issues so that your office will operate without interruption.
3 - Do I Need an
We hear this question frequently when we are designing a
medical space, or even a veterinary clinic, where most of the patients are
animals. The reasoning is always the
same - ”I really don’t have that many patients in wheel chairs. Do I need an
Well, over the years, we have seen many changes in the
American Disability Association requirements. The
So as you can see,
4
– Dental Office Cost
The phone rings and often one of the first questions I or one of my staff is asked is: ”How much do you charge for a dental office?”
Unfortunately, there is no way to have a standard price for a Dental office, there are too many variables in the cost equation. Examples of some of these costs are:
· Total square footage of the space
· Number of treatment rooms
·
· Staff lounges
· Reception area
· Waiting areas (with Wireless access, games for young patients, handicapped clients accommodations, etc)
· Equipment closets
· Sterilization center,
· Lab
· Storage areas
Added to these items is where the office is located, whether it’s on the ninth floor of a twelve story building, or on the second floor of a town house office park; or maybe it’s in a shopping mall with adjacent businesses. It takes time to gather all the data associated with building and designing a space
The
Estimation Process
1. Make a visit to the job site.
2. Look at all the existing conditions.
3. Understand what the owners require at the job location and if it’s a tenant fit out.
4. What jurisdiction we are working in.
5. The location of the office with respect to the locations of materials and services.
6. What kind of office we are going to build? A drill and fill with no frills, a Taj Mahal, or something in between?
7. If you are buying a space, please do not purchase anything until we take a look at it. Once you buy it, that’s it. Would you buy a home without a home inspection?
8. No good contractor, dental company, realtor, lawyer, account, friend, or advisor should ever tell you to buy or lease without going through a checklist and doing your homework. This is to ensure that you get as much as you can for your cost. Once you sign, that’s all you get, trust me.
9. We have much more on the list. The only way to get it close to right is to take the time to gather as many facts as possible. With over thirty years of experience, we have really learned a lot. We look at each project, keeping in mind all the issues and successes we have had with all our completed projects, and apply those to the current project. Our business has not only grown in experience, but also in knowledge. Knowing the potential designs and limitations of a space is important, as it can drive the cost of a project. We have a responsibly to give all our years of exposure and clarity to our existing and future clients.
Do
I Remodel, or Build a New Office?
We get many calls every year - from long-term clients, or a new client referred to us by an existing client. The questions are many; some would like us to consult on either remodeling their existing practice, or buying/leasing a new space and building a new state of the art business. There are a lot of real questions and every one’s a little different. In order to try to get it right, you really need to do your homework. With enough information from the client, even after just the first meeting, we can get a real sense of what direction to go.
Let’s play it out in an example. Meet with a Doctor that has been in business
for over twenty years on the second floor of a five-story building. Twenty years ago, it was state of the art
with nice bathrooms and great parking – it was clean and fresh looking. Over the past ten years, the building has
been sold five times. The new owner is
an out of state insurance company and have a management company who has not
been so great. These new owners did a
little facelift on the core of the building. It had a new outside look,
wallpaper, carpet in the halls, some new lighting, and paint in the core
bathrooms. Then they raised the rent.
Some issues have developed over the years - the heating and cooling system is
not always up and running; it was down for four days one week and seems to have
issues at least four to five times a month. The existing core bathrooms do not
meet
Sterilization looks a little rough, and the flow of the office is tight. More seating is needed, along with more check out space and an updated computer system. Positives about the location include great parking and access to the office. Everyone loves the doctors – the two of them have been partners for years, a success in itself. Both would like to retire in about five years and sell the practice.
So
where do we begin?
Some of the questions we ask at our initial meeting:
1. Have you had the practice valued?
2. Do you have a report on your practice and its value?
3. Will both Doctors retire at the same time?
4. Will you stay on for a period of time to transition the patients to the new Doctor or Doctors?
5. Do you have an amount that you believe you would like to spend on a remodeling or facelift project?
6. Do you have an amount that you believe you would like to spend on new equipment and millwork?
7. Have you talked with your accountant about the costs you will encounter, including the loans? Also about the tax credits available, and other benefits?
8. Have you looked at the tax credits and other incentives from supplies and new equipment?
9. We like to look at the whole picture. Knowing as much about what we have to work with is an important tool to develop the direction of the final outcome.
10. If you decide to undergo a facelift, a partial remodel, or a full-blown remodel, that will drive the requirements from code issues, to existing infrastructure conditions that drive costs. So knowing how much money you plan to put into the program is key. Remember, you plan to work another five years and sell the practice, hopefully at the high part of the market when you have the most value in it. This is your Exit program.
11. Remember, also, that you have another five years or so to practice, working in an environment that is old and frumpy will work your staff and patients. At the end of the day, unless you pay your staff a lot of money and great benefits, people need to have a great physical working environment, as well as a good mental one.
Simple
Checklist
Always check with your accountant, bookkeeper, or financial advisor. Many of the items and projects may have a tax advantage to complete before the year’s end or to put to the following year. The list below will help you look at your existing office. We can set up an office visit to go over your projects and goals. Many times, we phase the projects out over a timeline, to minimize the disruption to the office, and to work within your budget.
Paint the office.
New flooring in the common areas.
New flooring in the treatment areas.
New flooring in the support areas.
New lighting.
New ceiling tiles.
Rework / remodel the front waiting area.
Rework / remodel the front reception work areas.
Rework / remodel the sterilization area.
Rework / remodel the lab area.
Rework / remodel storage areas.
Rework / remodel staff lounge.
Rework / remodel equipment area.
Rework / remodel treatment areas for new dental equipment systems.
Rework / remodel treatment areas for new dental lights.
Rework / remodel treatment areas for new ceiling, wall, cabinets.
Rework / remodel treatment areas for new monitors and x-ray systems.
Rework / remodel treatment areas for new millwork.
Rework / remodel treatment areas for better flow.
Rework / remodel office for network systems.
Rework / remodel electrical systems.
Rework / remodel plumbing systems.
Rework / remodel H.V.A.C. sys
Rework / remodel Dental systems.