Startup Dental Practice Location: The Iconic Location Strategy

Startup Dental Practice Location: The “Iconic Location” Strategy

Tips to Find the Best Place to Open a New Dental Practice

What if one simple approach to choosing your startup dental practice location gave you:

• More new patients

• Lower marketing costs

• Faster profitability

• Cheaper real estate

• Better referrals

• A better patient experience

That’s the power of the Iconic Location Strategy.

This strategy leverages recognizable community landmarks to create trust and visibility—without the high price tag of the most expensive space in town. Used correctly, this can change your entire practice ownership experience.

What Is an Iconic Location?

An Iconic Location isn’t necessarily your practice being the icon. It’s about positioning next to an already recognizable and well-trafficked place—like the most popular movie theater, grocery store, or gym in town.

This means your patients already know how to get there. They’ve made the drive before. They’re comfortable and confident before they ever walk through your doors.

The Benefits of the Iconic Location Strategy

• You become recognizable before your doors open

• Patients arrive with less stress and confusion

• You save money on marketing and real estate

• You attract the right kinds of patients for your model

• Your startup grows faster with less effort

Dr. Mark’s Story: Putting the Iconic Strategy to Work

Dr. Mark, one of our clients in the Southeast, used this exact approach. He opened his practice next to the most visited movie theater in his region.

He didn’t start with real estate—he followed the 7 Planning Stages we use in our consulting process:

1. Vision Call

2. Ideal Patient strategies

3. Business Plan

4. Budgets

5. Banking negotiations

6. Demographic studies

7. Realtor negotiations

Only after completing all seven stages did we select his Iconic Location.

Here’s what happened:

• He paid 50% less for real estate than he expected

• His practice is now in the most recognizable spot in the area

• He attracts his ideal patient base: young families

• He spends less on marketing than comparable startups

Why This Strategy Works

When patients know where your office is—even before they need a dentist—you create trust through familiarity. And as a startup, that matters.

Imagine the experience from a patient’s perspective. They’re already nervous. They’re already running late. They’ve never been to your office before. Now they’re circling a block, unsure of where to park or which suite is yours.

That’s stress. And in dentistry, stress keeps people away.

Now imagine if they knew exactly where you were—because they’ve been to that shopping plaza or driven by your location dozens of times. That’s trust and ease—before they even meet you.

Don’t Make This Mistake

One warning: do not start your startup journey by picking your location first.

It’s like trying to shape occlusion before placing an implant. Location matters—but only at the right time. Jumping into real estate before you’ve created your vision, financial plan, and demographic analysis can lead to massive mistakes—and regrets that last for years.

Create a Patient Experience That Begins Before the First Visit

Train your team to say, “We’re right next to the movie theater,” and your patients will instantly picture where you are. That’s not just convenience—it’s part of your patient experience.

How to Build a Business That Opens (Not Just Opens for Business)

Too many doctors focus on getting their practice open—just getting the doors unlocked. But that’s the wrong goal.

Your focus should be building a business that opens—a fully functioning, strategic, pre-planned operation that starts serving patients the moment you open.

That’s the core of our StartupMBA program. It’s not just about opening. It’s about hiring your team, training them, implementing systems, launching marketing, and filling your schedule before day one.

Three Key Takeaways for Your Practice Location

1. The Iconic Location Strategy
Use landmark visibility to build trust, reduce marketing costs, and accelerate growth.

2. Follow the 7 Planning Stages
Get the sequence right. Avoid real estate decisions before completing your foundation.

3. Learn More and See It in Action
Watch our free video training to hear how this strategy works in real-world startups.

Final Thoughts

Opening a dental practice doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With proven strategies and expert guidance, you can launch with confidence, clarity, and direction.

Want to learn the top strategies for startup practice locations?

Grab your free copy of Practice Location, Jayme Amos’s bestselling book, at idealpractices.com/order-page-free-book-tr.

Here’s to your future success!