Five Surefire Ways to Boost Your Bottom Line

Over one-third of respondents to LMT's 2008 Fee Survey say their profitability has increased in the last two years. Here are the top five strategies they're using to boost their bottom lines:

1. Streamline internal operations. Respondents are looking at their daily procedures with an eye on maximizing efficiency, enhancing productivity and improving the final product. For instance, one owner-respondent has eliminated unnecessary steps from production, allowing him to take on more cases. "By converting from the submerge to the steam method to cure my acrylic appliances and pouring up groups of appliances at once rather than one at a time, I've become more efficient," says Cade Tippett, owner of Cadetech Ortho Lab, Stephenville, Texas. "As a result, I'm doing four to six more cases a day at about $36 each. It's like I've gained a whole additional account."

Other respondents are investing in CAD/CAM equipment to automate processes,...