Barry D. the Lab Guy

“We knew we could no longer build a value proposition around technology that can be procured by anyone,” says Lab Owner Mike Hill. Read about his strategies for engaging clients on a new level.

In our industry, where the economic barriers to entry are relatively low, it’s all too common to hear stories about employees leaving a lab and then winning that lab’s customers, or worse, other staff members. Of course, from the lab owner’s perspective, the former employee didn’t...

When it comes to hiring a new technician, should you wait until case volume exceeds your production capacity, or hire before you’re overwhelmed by case volume?

Lab Owner Mike Hill explains his reasoning for accepting rush cases and how he handles them internally.

Several years ago we received a case that sparked a complete shift in the way our lab is run. A doctor asked us to make two zirconia crowns for a 17-year-old girl. The crowns were to replace teeth #8-9 and the prescription specified that the length of the centrals be 18mm long! We called to clarify the...

In the latest installment of Barry D. The Lab Guy, Laboratory Owner Mike Hill explains his strategies for protecting the bottom line.

New in LMT: Laboratories often experience the same problems on a daily basis but rather than grumble about them, Mike Hill, President of 6-11 Dental Studio, Inc., decided to take a humorous approach. He started sketching cartoons related to real-world laboratory situations and writing commentary to explain how he handles the problem. Here’s the first installment of this new LMT Series.