The £40,000\/m mistake that taught me 5 important lessons about running a chiropractic business

What you’ll learn: How to set up your practice on autopilot without sacrificing the business, team members, or quality of service you provide.

Today’s topic is definitely a challenging one to discuss, but I also believe it’s important to be transparent. So, with that said , here we go …

In fact, let me start the article with a question. A question that I need you to think about before you continue reading ( ... Seriously … it’s important to immerse yourself in this exercise. Here is why - if your behaviours/actions stay the same after consuming new pieces of information, you have not learned anything!)

My question to you: What Is The Ultimate Goal For Starting Your Chiropractic Business?

In the journey of building and scaling my own chiropractic practice, the goal for me from day one was to create a system that operates efficiently - with or without the direct involvement of the owner.

Why? One word - freedom … freedom of finances, of choice, location, who I work with, when I work, and what I work on …

However, the path to achieving this goal is fraught with challenges and potential missteps. I learned this the hard way, through a mistake that cost me and my clinic over £40,000 PER MONTH.

This experience taught me invaluable lessons about the delicate balance between automation and maintaining the quality of service, team cohesion, and overall business health.

Back Then: My practice grew really quickly. I opened back in 2017/18 and year one we did just shy of £400K. By year three, we were doing £65-70k per month. So, me being me, I wanted to step down to work on the business fully. However …

The Mistake: Not having solid and proven systems in place, the right A-players in my team, back up procedures, and a blueprint of how to structure the “step down process” meant one thing … back to square one REALLY quickly. Within 4-5 months, the monthly turnover went right back down, I was back adjusting patients, hiring team members, stressing and losing sleep. The one thing I loved and put heart and soul into was failing - my baby - my business (including the people I loved working with, and the people we loved serving).

Now: I am SO grateful to say that I learned my lesson the hard way. I have now fully taken myself away from adjusting and run a very happy and successful practice alongside a great team that I honestly cannot ask more from.

And if you’re still reading this … please please please … don’t do what I did first but try to follow the lessons learnt from my costly mistakes:

Here Are The FIVE Important Insights:

Lesson 1: Automation Should Empower, Not Replace

The first lesson was that automation should be used to empower your team and enhance patient care, not replace the personal touch that defines the chiropractic service. Technology is a tool to assist, not a substitute for the skilled hands and compassionate hearts of your staff. Implementing systems that free up your team to focus on what they do best – caring for patients – is key.

Lesson 2: Involve Your Team in the Process

Change can be unsettling, especially when it affects people's daily routines and responsibilities. One critical error I made was not involving my team in the decision-making process as much as I should’ve. Including your staff in evaluating new systems and workflows not only helps identify potential issues before they become problems but also ensures that everyone feels valued and invested in the success of the practice.

Lesson 3: Continuous Training and Adaptation

Implementing something new requires a commitment to continuous training and adaptation. As I learned, simply installing new software or protocols just isn't enough. Ensuring that your team is proficient, comfortable, and on board with these changes is vital for a smooth transition. Regular training sessions, feedback loops, and adjustment periods are essential components of successful implementation.

Lesson 4: People Need You

When I stepped away from practising and thought “I’d made it as a business owner”, I failed to show my team how much I truly cared about each and every one of them. So when I lost great team members because of it, I collected feedback in order to learn from my mistakes. The number one feedback I received was this: “Stefan, you were just never here” And although that wasn’t true, I was in the clinic “in body”, I wasn’t fully invested in CARING about how everyone from my team was doing on a personal level. When you’re a leader, people often join because of YOU, not your logo, or nice website. So you need to show up, and be present even when you don’t practise as a chiropractor and run the business.

Lesson 5: Quality of Service is Paramount

Lastly, and most importantly, the quality of service you provide should never be compromised. In my pursuit of automation, I lost sight of this fundamental principle. No matter how efficient your practice becomes, if the level of care and patient satisfaction decreases, so too will your success. Always prioritise the patient experience, ensuring that every system or process you put in place enhances, rather than detracts from, the service you provide.

There you have it guys! I hope this read was helpful to some of you, and if you found it inspiring, please share this article with someone else who may also benefit from it. For fellow chiropractors looking to automate their practices, remember that technology is a tool to enhance your business, not an end in itself. Keep your team and the quality of service at the heart of what you do, and you'll create a practice that not only runs on autopilot but also retains the core values and standards that set you apart.

My mission with these blogs is to inspire chiropractors to build their BEST practice on their own terms. To help you help lots of people, make money, and have fun along the way.

p.s. In case you missed the last blog, How We Managed To Generate 50+ Reviews From Our Existing Clients (in less than a month)!

p.p.s and if you want help with building and scaling your practice - check out my Demo Video below