How I Made Model Work My Business Model

Over the past two years, I've hired two part-time technicians and we currently handle between 120-150 models per week.

After working as a technician for several years, I identified a fundamental, unmet need in the dental laboratory industry: quality model work. As we all know, models need to function correctly and be accurate. I found that many labs are looking to outsource this part of the fabrication process—either routinely or as a backup due to staff illness, time off or excessive workloads—because it’s time consuming, labor intensive, messy.

In 2015, I opened Vector Dental Solutions. I was a one-man lab starting out with limited capital, so I searched for nice used equipment. I found a lab that was closing, purchased all its equipment and supplies and got things set up. I started networking with my friends in the Utah area and became a member of the Damaged Goods Unite/DTG Affiliates group on Facebook.

My...