PRAC TICE MANAGEMEN T
Tips for Finding the Right Business
Management Company
by Tom Owen III, and Todd Osborne, D.C.
HILE MOST CHIROpractic col-
leges do an outstanding job
of preparing students in the
art, philosophy, and science
of chiropractic, unfortunately they fall short
in preparing their graduates on the business
side of running a chiropractic practice. As
a result, many chiropractors turn to man-
agement companies to help them run their
practices. You may be considering hiring
one in the future, so we wanted to pass
along some tips to aid you in your search
for the right company for you. There are
many management companies out there
and it’s important that you know what to
look for to ensure it will be a
good experience for you and
your staff.
You should hire a company
which will change the focus of
how your practice communicates your most important job—
changing your patients’ lives
through the healing art of chiropractic. This is very difficult to
accomplish unless your learn how to effectively communicate
with your patients about how their bodies are functioning, what
is causing their pain, and what chiropractic can do to restore
their ailing bodies to health.
If the focus isn’t about the quality of your life, more money
won’t change what ails the practice. It’s important to choose
a company that cares about YOU and not just increasing the
bottom line of your practice. If they really get to know the doctors whom they are helping, they will understand that “change”
doesn’t come easily and it takes awhile to change from the inside
out before excellence is processed as the norm.
Research each company you are considering very carefully,
but don’t allow a small amount of negative feedback to unduly
influence you. Many chiropractors talk about wanting change,
but a much smaller number are actually willing to embrace it.
There are many companies in the chiropractic management
business and, if you dig deep enough, you can find someone who
has something negative to say about each one of them. Have
you ever looked on the Internet at the many “message boards”
out there devoted to chiropractic? There are many hurting
doctors who are posting on those sites. Differentiate between
Wthose who may be bitter because success was going to “cost” them more than they were willing to pay (and we’re not talking about money here) and those who really did
receive sub-par service. (And, keep in mind,
busy doctors who run successful practices
don’t have time to post on message boards
on the Internet....)
Another way to research a company is
to schedule a telephone conference with a
representative of each company you are considering. There should never be a charge for
this type of consultation. You should expect
to speak with someone who is knowledgeable about the company, but also takes time
to listen to you and the circumstances of your practice. If they
don’t have time for you in that
initial conversation, they’re
not going to have time for you
when you become a client.
However, if you feel you’ve
connected with the “heart” of
the company and sense their genuine love for chiropractic and
concern for those who practice in this fine profession, then you
should further consider adding them to your team. This initial
conversation can help you decide if this is a company that helps
you achieve goals you have for your practice and are not just
focused on cookie-cutter results.
Another way to determine if this is the company for you is
by asking for at least three or four references that are current
clients. Every consulting company will tell you that their best
compliment is a referral, and satisfied clients are more than
happy to tell you about their success with a particular company. Taking the time to speak with these doctors will help
you determine if the company is a good fit for your practice.
It also is an opportunity to hear a client’s perspective about
working with the company. They can familiarize you with the
company philosophy and make sure they're compatible with
you and your team.
Look for a company that teaches you how to track. Crunching
numbers helps you know where you're doing well and where
you're doing poorly, and how to make adjustments accordingly.
Certain consulting companies teach you and your team how
to appropriately monitor the practice week to week. Tracking
“You should hire a company which will change the focus of how your practice communicates your most important job ”
