Furnishing Your Office.. found on webpage: http://www.chiro.org/newDCs


By Larry Markson, DC


EQUIPMENT AND FURNITURE

You will find a room breakdown of the basic equipment and furniture that 
you will need to consider purchasing for your office in another section. 
This can act as a check list to be sure you haven't forgotten anything.

ADDITIONAL OFFICE EQUIPMENT

1. Telephone system (purchased or leased)2. Answering machine - with 
call-in feature or beeper3. Photocopier - dry, plain paper4. Typewriter 
- preferably self-correcting electric5. Adding machine with tape6. 
Outside professional signs

TELEPHONE SYSTEM

As soon as you sign a lease, order your telephone equipment in order to 
have a telephone number assigned to your office. To guarantee that 
number, you may have to install the phone lines (not the actual 
telephone instrument) in your new office immediately. It's worth the 
investment, because often the phone company promises you a number, but 
is not able (for whatever reason) to give it to you . . . after you 
publish the number on your stationery and business cards, etc. Be 
careful!

We recommend that you purchase a basic telephone system if your budget 
allows or, if not, lease it from the telephone company. You need at 
least 2 incoming jump or hunt lines to start, with the capability of 
expanding to 3 or 4 lines in the future. The telephone system should 
have a pick up and hold button, an intercom, and music on hold.

Once the phone number is guaranteed by actual installation, and not 
until then, you can order your stationery, forms and supplies, opening 
announcements and Yellow Pages ad.

Ý

OFFICE SUPPLIES -- DETAILED STATIONERY AND SUPPLY NEEDS

A. STATIONERY

Before ordering, be sure you have guaranteed your telephone number.

ÝLarge letterheads (8 1/2" x 11 ")Ý1000 pcsÝSecond pagesÝ500 pcs
ÝBusiness envelopesÝ1000 pcsÝBusiness cardsÝ2000 pcsÝOpening 
announcementsÝ250 pcsÝPersonal note pads and envelopesÝ500 pcs

B. APPOINTMENT BOOK

If you are a single practitioner, you need the 4 column book, or if you 
are in a partnership, you will require a 6 column book. Be sure to order 
refills. This book will meet all your current needs and will expand with 
you as your practice grows.

C. FORMS AND SUPPLIES

Some of the forms need to be personally imprinted with your name and 
address, etc. and that requires additional time.

For some forms you will need to know:

1. Your license #

2. Worker's Compensation #

3. Medicare Provider #

4. Federal Tax l.D. #

5. Social Security #

Ý

D. MISCELLANEOUS SUPPLIES FOR FRONT DESK & BUSINESS OFFICE:

1. Two - 14" x 17" lucite clipboards. One 5" x 9" lucite clipboard for 
each adjusting room3. Numbered lucite basket for outside of each 
adjusting room4. Rolodex for important addresses and telephone numbers5. 
Two looseleaf notebooks (1 red and 1 blue with A-Z alphabet dividers)6. 
Thank you grams7. Receipts for cash patients8. Cash drawer for change 
and petty cash9. Postage stamps10. Manila folders (numerical patient 
folders from VlSIrecord Systems)11. Index boxes (1 for birthday file, 2 
for tickler system)12. 3" x 5" index cards13. Color stickers to 
categorize travel cards (green, red, black & blue)14. Scotch tape and 
dispenser15. Letter opener16. Stapler & staple remover1 7. Scissors18. 
Three hole punch19. Pens, pencils and flair pens (red & black)20. Rubber 
bands, paper clips and gummed reinforcements21. Ruler22. White-out