Hello Dr. Joel
I did not have the pleasure of having your class in school since i didnt know it was 
available until all of my classmates were ranting and raving over it.  Currently i am looking 
to purchase office space.  I have considered retail and a converted home in a good location.  
i am not sure what factors to consider when trying to decide which type of building would 
be better. 

A:

The issues are location and demographics. I would make a beeline to the school bookstore 
and purchase my Smart Start Book before they run out. I discuss demographic components 
.. retail .. residential .. clerical .. labor. If you have a number of these components where 
you'll open an office you have the people to promote to. The location ans facility is 
secondary to the number of peole available as patients .. therefore this is crucial.

I own a self standing building and rented a similar bldg for 19 years prior to this. Therefore 
I am prone to recommend a stand alone bldg. .. but they are far and few between in the 
Atlanta area (I assume you are here in Atlanta). The office spaces in a shopping center is 
okay if the location there is okay .. if it is next to a popular resturant and therefore all the 
parking spaces are always taken it causes a capacity problem .. so if the price is right (but 
not in a dead shopping strip) it could work out .. but the demos are most important 

The problem I confront a lot is the size of places .. some folks finally find a location to be 
shared with other healthcare providers or other configurations. One person told me their 
area would be only 425 sq. ft. with a shared receptionist. If they .. in the haste of starting 
up .. would have taken this space they would have immediately limited their growth 
potential. This is business and these decisions have to be taken into account.

Have a Great Day

Dr. M