Co-owner, Dr. Amit Jilka details the firm’s journey from a solitary business to a multi-site Staffordshire venture with high customer satisfaction and centralised services.
Not many business owners take the time to look back at all they have achieved, but there is ample reason why Dr. Amit Jilka, co-owner of Staffordshire-based Abbey House Dental, should. After taking over one practice with his wife in 2012, the business has scaled to multiple sites across the county and a 120 strong person team.
The past three years have been successful with over 11,000 new patients and 8,000 gained via word of mouth. There have been more than 2,300 five-star Google reviews, plus feedback scores reaching 98%. Abbey House Dental are also now the official dentist of Stoke City Football Club, putting the business firmly on the map in the region.
However, it’s for their high-quality patient care and talented and growing team that Dr Jilka wants the brand to be known for.
High-quality, centralised services
The factors that determine business success are something every owner wants the answers to, and in Dr Jilka’s case, it was their commitment to delivering high-quality dentistry in a patient-focused environment: “We saw an opportunity to create a more complete patient experience,” he explains.
“At the time, many advanced and specialist treatments often required referral elsewhere, meaning patients had to continue parts of their care outside of the practice they knew and trusted. Our goal was to create a practice where patients could access all aspects of dental treatment under the care of one team.”
Offering the entire spectrum of dental services from routine dental exams to advanced procedures, Abbey House Dental gives patients the peace of mind that all their dental needs will be taken care of in the ease of one location with familiar staff, a godsend to nervous patients, which is a common customer concern in the dental space.
A well-run business is like a ship sailed by a well-organised and experienced crew; it will navigate them well through all types of waters, rough and smooth. Here, Dr Jilka has a solid leadership approach to his business, and it is defined by structure and communication.
The power of communication
This includes use of an Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), a practical framework developed by entrepreneur and business author Gino Wickman, helping teams develop a clear vision and culture. Sales and Operations staff have weekly meetings while clinicians also meet weekly to discuss dental cases and maintain operational consistency across locations.“What truly sets us apart is that growth is supported by systems rather than simply adding sites,” he explains.
“We place a strong emphasis on alignment across teams, ensuring patient experience, clinical standards, and communication remain consistent as the business progresses.”
Current and ongoing challenges
With any successful business, not every aspect of the Abbey House Dental journey has been plain sailing. The dental practice industry comes with its own unique challenges, such
as the high amounts of investment they require, as well as being compliant with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the regulatory body for both NHS and private dental practices.
“These are all hurdles we overcame but it can make the launch more stressful,” he admits.
An ongoing but positive challenge is also managing operations as the business continues to grow: “Processes that worked when we were smaller no longer provide the same level of
structure needed for a larger, more complex business. We’re currently refining the core business functions including marketing, sales, operations, and finance to ensure there is
stronger alignment and a more scalable structure behind future growth.”
While site upgrades, including full refurbishments and new technology, feature in future plans, Dr Jilka is keen to optimise what they already have by “ensuring each location, team, and system is operating at the highest standard before pursuing further expansion.”
When a business grows and becomes known in its area, the next step is often to make a positive impact in the local community and Abbey House Dental has done just this.
Making a mark
Last year, they hosted their first charity ball in support of social causes dear to team-members, with another charity ball to follow this year, plus a Growth Day for the team
to decide on future social impact causes; “It’s something we hope to make an annual part of the business moving forward.”
Solid investment and operating systems aside, Dr Jilka values the contributions of his firm’s people in driving growth. “Building the right team, mentoring clinicians, and creating clear direction are just as important as business strategy,” he states.
Despite the success metrics, and there are plenty, for Dr Jilka and his team, the ultimate goal is simple, namely “building a long-term healthcare brand within the local community.”
Well, considering the business has grown from a single site to a county-wide multi-site business with a high customer reputation, he’s on the right track.
