“Shout Out to All Chiropractic Students” is a post from: Dr. Jim Hitson

Be the Master of Your Domain is a post from: Dr. Jim Hitson

9. Equipment. Right now there are so many offices closing and for sale that you can get some great deals on equipment. My advice would be to lease all of your big ticket items, then search diligently for deals on all the other small stuff that you’ll need to get.

8. Perfect Market. I don’t know if there is such a thing as a perfect market, but I have sure come close to finding them. Do your do diligence when seeking the market that is right for you. Most importantly make this decision based on reason not emotion.

7. Great Location. Please thoroughly read through every page of a lease agreement before you sign anything. There are a lot of great spaces available in this tragic real estate market so keep your options open and always remember that everything is negotiable.

6. Perfect Staff. There is no such thing, but remember that the staff reflects their leadership. So if you are seeing problems in the office look in the mirror before you start pointing fingers. Be that “Good To Great” Level Five leader that you know you can be.

5. No Holiday Slow Down. This doesn’t even have to exist as long as you don’t let it overcome your thinking. Keep you foot on the gas with all aspects of marketing and office procedures and you shouldn’t see a change in volume at all.

4. No Equipment Breakdowns. A lot of the things in our offices are very mechanical and require monthly attention. You absolutely need to do monthly quality control on all your equipment to avoid those unforeseen hang ups.

3. Cheap Advertising. Folks there are many opportunities within your community for cheap or even free advertising. This takes some searching, but you need to get off your butt and look for these different outlets. The problem probably isn’t that there aren’t any in your area; the problem probably is that you haven’t looked for them.

2. Paying Patients. Friend if your patients aren’t paying than you have a problem. They are obviously not seeing the importance of the care that they are receiving nor are they respecting your time and knowledge. Get serious about being the Doctor, because the patient will only take their condition as seriously as you do.

1. NEW PATIENTS!!!!!! I don’t know how many times I hear this from doctors. The problem is usually not new patients, the problem is they can’t keep the new patients that they do get. If you don’t know how to do this than I suggest finding a professional that can show you how to have a self sustaining referral based practice. So when they do flood your office with new patients you will understand how to make them stay, pay, and refer.

MERRY CHRISTMAS DOCS!!!!!!!

Ten Things A New Chiropractic Office Wants For Christmas is a post from: Dr. Jim Hitson

You may be thinking, “What do mean Dr. Hitson, I thought if you were the best adjuster you’d be successful?”

My friends that couldn’t be farther from the truth, I’ve seen even the Docs with the greatest adjusting skills go down in flames.

Well you say, “I’ve got this great niche and skill that no other Chiropractor does?”

Well that is fantastic, that is something that you will definitely need in this competitive market of today. But remember that fads and niche marketing will only last so long before they go out of style.

Then you say, “Well I finished top in my class and have gotten a diplomate in every specialty possible?”

Well congratulations, but my friend let me tell that not once has a patient ever asked me what my GPA was in Graduate School nor what all those letters after my name really meant.

“Well than what it is that will increase my chances of having a successful Chiropractic office?”

I will tell you that there are a number of factors that will increase your chances of having a successful Chiropractic office, but the greatest of those is your attitude, actions, and concepts.

“My attitude, actions, and concepts?”

Yes, absolutely.

Number one starts with your attitude.

Have you ever heard the old adage that what is loved grows, you have to absolutely love what you do everyday in your Chiropractic office and if you don’t then I suggest you find something to do that you do love. A person that loves plants will daily feed, water, and sometimes talks to that plant. They are constantly working to keep that plant alive and as beautiful as it can possibly be.

Well just like that plant, our practices our living things and we absolutely have to love and spend time daily working ON the growth of our practices and not just working in them.

You see what happens to that plant once the owner begins to neglect it, it will wilt and die, exactly what our practices will do if we don’t give them the proper attention. So love what you do and take action daily for the growth and prosperity of your living animal, that practice.

Lastly, continually be working on raising your concepts. Surround yourself with people who have what you would like to have. Perfect your technique and strengthen your philosophy of chiropractic daily. Get rid of all that negativity that is entering your subconscious and replace that with positivity daily.

Remember you are exactly what you feed your mind, garbage in garbage out. You are going to have to think anyway, so think positive. I’ve seen too many colleagues fail because they couldn’t control what was between the ears, don’t be another statistic. Until we meet again, many blessings.

Opening A Successful Chiropractic Office Starts Between Your Ears is a post from: Dr. Jim Hitson

In this crazy economic environment it is as if the well has run dry for new small business start up. This is where I take off my chiropractic hat and put all the information I learned from real estate investing to start thinking outside the box.

Obviously as students you usually don’t come out of school with much but a degree and a lot of dreams. So traditionally you would approach Mr. Banker for consideration of a small business loan.

Believe it or not that avenue still exists but you have to come prepared. You need to find the right people to help you put a full proof business plan i.e. bank proforma together and you have to be prepared not to take “no” for an answer.

Also don’t stop after the first “no”, certain banks are in a position to lend for small business and some of them are not. So your job is to find the one that is ripe and ready for small business lending. This may take going to 15 to 20 banks before someone says yes, but remember that “no good effort is ever wasted.”

Don’t forget about SBA, small business association, right now are lending the most to small business. Only, I would make them a last resort because you know how much red tape you have to go through when dealing with government agencies. But hey, if that’s your only option to get you into practice then go for it.

Also keep in mind that if you are a woman or of different ethnicity that works in your favor with SBA because they consider that to be a minority small business and are more likely to loan to you. Another option is family members.

Don’t be afraid to approach people in the family, but most importantly don’t approach them like your begging for money. They should be approached just as you would any banker of whom you have no affiliation with.

You need to come to that family as prepared or even more prepared than you would be if you step into that banker’s office. Remember, you are selling yourself and your ability to operate a profitable chiropractic office.

If you don’t have confidence in yourself to do that than I would highly recommend finding a group that has the tools and ability to give you that confidence, they are out there. There are other options that you can find online through private investors and hard money lenders that are willing to take that risk on you albeit at a much higher price.

Finally, especially for students who are in lower semesters in school. I would highly recommend working part time while in school, living well below your means, taking out your max in Stafford loans and begin putting money aside that you cannot touch for start up capital after you graduate.

Hey folks, this is gut check time. How bad do you want it? If it’s not burning in your system to do this and open your own office, than I highly recommend that you do not. Being a business owner in any profession is not for the faint of heart.

First and foremost love what you do and do what you love. I hope this finds you all well and continue to push forward for what you want out of life. It is better to have tried and failed than to never have tried at all. Keep the faith. Talk to you again soon.

Need Funding To Open Your Chiropractic Office? is a post from: Dr. Jim Hitson

The Bible says in Proverbs 11:14 “ Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.”

There is no truer statement than that. Take it from me, I opened a clinic without the multitude of many counselors and after 6 months of doing everything the wrong way the Lord brought some people into my life who helped to put me on the road to success.

Even if you have been at this profession for some time, this is the hour when you have to be willing to put all pride aside and face the facts. We live in a different day and time in the healthcare industry than ever before. What was done in the past no longer exists. Don’t be afraid to humble yourself and ask for help.

As for my student readers, you know as well as I do that our educational institutions, no matter how much you love or hate them, do not prepare us to be business owners and entrepreneurs. You most definitely need someone in your corner with your best interest at heart to help guide you through all aspects of running a Chiropractic office. So please heed my advice and seek knowledgeable counsel in all areas of business.

Find a qualified attorney that can help you with corporate structure ect.. for all of your future and potential legal needs. Seek out a qualified accountant, especially someone knowledgeable in the healthcare industry to handle your impending tax implications and bookkeeping so that you will have access to all the possible tax advantages available to you.

Most assuredly seek qualified counsel with all aspects of practice and patient management. You are not reinventing the wheel here and there isn’t anything that you are going to do that someone else hasn’t already done before you. I have found that seeking advice and listening to experience has saved and even made me much more income than I could have encountered for myself.

Finally, Chiropractors, listen to your innate. I call this Holy Spirit Lead reasoning. Throw all emotional decision making out the door. Allow your innate or Holy Spirit lead reasoning to guide you into what decisions are best for you to make.

The best way to do this is to take the time needed before every decision to allow innate to speak to you. No more off the cuff decision making. We are so fast paced these days that we do things without ever confiding with our innate. I promise you that if you do this you will make much wiser and sure decisions with a lot less buyers’ remorse and regret. Keep fighting the good fight, we need you. Many Blessings.

Don’t Open Your New Chiropractic Office Alone is a post from: Dr. Jim Hitson