Project Information
A joint venture between Michelle Keane and Jay Pala to create The Dental Works Essex. They met at a previous practice and decided to start their own squat practice together. We helped them develop the plan and strategy, assess sites set up and launch their exciting new practice.
- Client : The Dental Works Essex
- Date : 2024- Present
- Skills : Squat practice
Result Driven
Deep analysis of purchase vs. squat
A market appraisal of the location analysing, demand, local competition, and demographic data.
Financial forecasting for the new practice to help make big decisions
A beautifully created brand that delivers their messaging seamlessly to patients
Expert funding partner selected for fit-out
Tax structure built and maximisation of allowances claimed on fit-out
Nurtured the leadership team to give clear structure for all levels of the team
Growth parameters clearly targeted
New patients delivered from the start
Zero to £100k+ per month in less than 12 months
Exponential growth continued in Year 2
Challenge & Solution
Challenge 1: Tax
Michelle and Jay needed a robust financial forecast for the first year of their new business to secure funding for the practice fit-out, and needed the business structured correctly from the outset to suit their individual circumstances.
Challenge 2: Marketing
As a squat practice, there was no inherited reputation, no existing patient base and no goodwill to trade on. Michelle, Jay and the practice needed to be known locally before the doors opened, so that day one wasn’t spent starting from zero. Brand and market position wasn’t a nice-to-have; it was the thing that had to earn trust and recognition in a market where several established practices were already competing for the same patients.
The opportunity was that the local market had demand the existing practices weren’t fully meeting. Our job was to find that gap and build the brand into it, rather than launching as another lookalike practice competing on the same terms.
Challenge 3: Consultancy
Most partnerships don’t work out. Dentists often enter them for the wrong reason: a short-term argument about sharing costs, with no shared vision behind it. So before sites, brand or forecasts, the first question was whether Michelle and Jay should be in business together at all.
A dentist partnering with a non-dentist raises the stakes, and our abstraction model explains why. Dentistry is fee generation: the patient has the treatment and pays at the desk. The value is immediate and easy to count, and an associate would be paid 40–45% of it. No new venture can pay that, and a clinician can’t help keeping count. A managing director works in the outer layers: operations, strategy, leadership and culture. That value takes years to arrive. It shows up in what the business is worth, not in this month’s takings, and it can never be pinned on one person. A squat then asks both of them for two years of flat-out work without being properly paid.
Our Process
HEAR FROM MICHELLE
“From the moment we had the idea for our practice, we needed a team that truly understood the dental market — not just in theory, but right now, in the current climate. Dan and Ross brought exactly that. They are knowledgeable, approachable, and refreshingly honest; the kind of advisors who will tell you what you need to hear, even when it’s not what you want to hear.
Simon’s expertise in dental accounting gave us the financial credibility we needed with banks and funders. His forecasting was not only accurate — it told our story. As a non-dentist partnering with a dentist, we had a unique proposition, and Dan, Ross and Simon made sure our funders understood exactly why our backgrounds and experience made us a compelling opportunity. Simon’s trajectory projections were spot on, and they gave our funding team the confidence to back our vision.
Luc in the marketing team rounded out the picture perfectly. He completely understood our brand brief — how we wanted to look, how we wanted to feel, and how we wanted to stand out. That kind of instinctive understanding is rare.
The Best Thing About Working with the Hive Team
Every meeting with the Hive team leaves us better than we arrived. They are honest, warm, and genuinely invested in our growth. They give us the confidence to keep pushing forward, and they’re not afraid to tell us to take a breath when we need it. That combination of straight-talking advice and real encouragement is something you simply can’t put a price on.
How Hive Helped Us Set Up Our Practice
Hive were with us from day one — literally from the first conversation about the concept. They helped us develop and shape our idea, connected us with a broker to negotiate our funding, and worked through every cost with us to keep us on track (even when we were tempted to blow the budget).
The marketing team were involved from the very first concepts, helping us build a brand that was strong, authentic, and built to grow with us. It truly reflects our vision and culture, and positions us exactly how we wanted to be seen.
Building a squat practice is one of the hardest things we’ve done. There were long days when we genuinely weren’t sure we could see it through. Hive was there for all of it — not just as advisors, but as a constant source of strategic direction and encouragement when we needed it most.
Why I Recommend Hive to All Dentists
Simply put — they know their stuff, and they’re the nicest team you’ll ever work with. Nothing is ever too much trouble. They are trusted partners, not just service providers, and that distinction matters enormously when you’re building something from scratch.
Whether you’re a dentist setting up your first practice or looking to grow an existing one, Hive will be in your corner for the long haul. They will be our partners for the life of this project and, we hope, for everything that comes next.”
Michelle Keane, Director at The Dental Works Essex
About Us
