I ts time to kick start your life. You've just graduated from Chiropractic School, or spent way too long as an associate, and now you want the next office you work at to have your diploma hanging on the wall. The problem is you don"t know where to start. And why would you? You"re an expert in manipulation techniques and patient care, not marketing and management. You have no idea that forgetting to place a call-to-action in a quarter-page pullout ad could be the difference between 20 more patients next month or you having to borrow money from mom and dad to cover your light bill! Even if you give it your best, it might not be enough, because you likely don"t have all the answers.. .or the support. An article in this very magazine reported that some 82 percent of practicing chiropractors nationwide stniggle to pay their bills! Of all Chiropractic School graduates. 50 percent fail and nearly 20 percent never even use the diploma, which many spend anywhere from $150,000 to $200,000 acquiring. Today's chiropractor can't just be a skilled practitioner with an enviable bedside manner. Today's chiropractor must always remember: you arc no longer just a doctor... you"re a small business owner whose business is delivering superior patient care. Patients come first, but your business isn't far behind So the first thing to do is learn some business skills. Read books, take some classes, do whatever you have to so you can learn how to manage a staff, market your clinic, nin systems analysis and everything else that keeps your practice moving forward. You can find practice management firms to help you. but truthfully I never had any luck with those. That's not to say there aren't some good, honorable people out there, but they just never came through for me. despite the thousands of dollars I flushed away seeking their help. You can find plenty of help on your own as long as you're willing to do the research. Pick up some books on business, and most importantly, leadership. Because now you're going to be the boss whose ability to motivate your staff is going to be cnicial to your success. You'll need to train your employees EVERY WEEK and motivate your employees EVERY DAY so that your patients always have a 100 percent positive encounter. Always remember to train your team to ask the simple question, "What's best for our patients?" Then do it. Some other ways to strengthen your business sense: Attend some lectures and/or take some business classes. You'll also need to become familiar with software that will allow you to track EVERYTHING — a solid metrics analysis system that can spot short-term negative trends before they become financial quagmires. Research other successful businesses and adopt the same techniques to make your practice nin effectively and efficiently. This will lead you down the path to a systematized practice that'll eventually allow your office to operate no matter whether you're in the office or not. Most chiropractic clinics are personality dependent, which means if the lead doc takes a two-week vacation patients won't schedule their appointments until he or she returns. You need your patients to feel comfortable no matter who they interact with, and you'll do that by having effective systems in place — systems for incredible care and systems that allow you to unplug while the office runs at peak performance. Money: Why Can't It Grow On Trees? Starting a clinic is going to be expensive. Equipment. Staff salaries. Utility bills. Lease or mortgage payments. Plus a marketing budget to let people know what great services you offer. Yoifll need at least six months of capital to get you going. The worst thing that can happen is your business starts to pick up steam, but then you run out of money because you didn"t fund it properly. For most docs all this means pulling out bank loans, and that isn't as easy as it used to be. Before the Great Recession struck, getting a loan was as easy as having a pulse. Not any more, and especially not for those with poor credit and high debt. Making yourself attractive to banks is more about wliat you don't do than what you do. Don't, for example, rack up a bunch of credit card debt, and make sure to stay current on bills, especially school loan payments. Also, it's a good idea to have money saved up. Having at least 20 percent down will not only make those monthly payments easier to handle, but will make you look like you have the discipline not to default on the loan. Building a practice can be a struggle, but if you understand first what you must do to reach that point, it will be a whole lot easier. Even if you've got a successful practice now. make sure you hold on to that success by continuing to change and grow. Dr. Frank Dachller is the Director of Recruitment for IleallhSotirce C liiropractic, where he provides direct support to more than 400 doctors in the HealthSource Family through a legion of Regional Developers and other team members. He was the successful owner of three clinics in Xortheast Ohio before joining HealthSource in 2006 to help other doctors navigate the road to their own successful practices.
