Joy Helou DDS, Inc. Client Highlight

Joy Helou DDS, Inc. 

1434 S Grand Ave
Glendora,CA,91740

Joy Helou DDS is a professional dental corporation located in Glendora, California. Joy purchased an existing practice due to the previous owner’s philosophy of practice and existing clientele, which proved to be a great fit. Joy is a relative of the Dean of Business and Public Management, she reached out to him for help with a business plan since the dental school didn’t equip graduates in that area.

Joy’s biggest challenge was the lack of a business background. Since dental students spend years gaining skills in medicine, they would not have time or instruction dedicated to running a business. “My background in the sciences like biology and dentistry. I graduated with a B.S. from the University of La Verne in biology. The hardest part was having to buckle down, look at the business plan with Sean and make decisions with numbers. Currently, I look at that plan almost daily because it gives me a refresher on what I need to be looking for”

Joy quickly found that due to COVID-19, banks became less willing to lend. With many businesses closing and the public health restrictions at the time, Joy described her challenge with the business plan. “Obviously having an appropriate business plan was the key to get a glimpse into what the plan was for in this practice and how their money was going to be spent.” Joy also had some difficulty finding a bank willing to lend the money despite the type of business she was looking to purchase.

Sean Snider became Joy’s consultant and really walked her through the whole process. “He (the dean) introduced me to Sean and I was able to sit with Sean and he was able to explain what my needs were and guided me step by step through the whole process,” Joy explained. Once the business plan was complete, Joy had another hurdle of finding a willing lender. After many introductions and subsequent meetings from personal contacts and those provided by the University of La Verne SBDC, Joy was ultimately able to find a bank that would fund her purchase. Joy boiled it down this, “It was really a case of people who know people to help people.”

Joy also was advised by Malcolm Geffen who was able to help with the leasing contract and other loose ends to ensure a smooth transition during the purchase process.

Joy received an investment of $149,000 and was able to purchase the practice for $110,000. Since purchasing the practice, Joy has seen 50% growth in new patients even during COVID-19. “Once they realized the old doctor was cutting down his hours dramatically to 2 days a week. Being there more full-time, I have been able to see a lot more patients, who are referring new patients and it has been really wonderful growth,” Joy explained. Joy is also in the process of doubling the current staff to handle the influx of new patients and updating the practice including new equipment and digitizing records.