I get these inquiries all the time when treating patients. While I don’t necessarily mind answering them, it does just seem to be a topic on conversation.  Just because you walk into the office and no one else is there does not mean that we are slow on that given day.  As with any other business, we go through ebbs and flows.  Spracklin Chiropractic has been around for going on 10 years to this point.  I used to ponder about how busy I am on a daily basis but at the end of the month and end of the year the numbers always seem to be just fine and most of the time grows slightly.

There is actually a thought process that you should cluster book patients on the schedule, there is a positive impact on when people come in and see other people in the office.  It gives the office credibility if there are other people seeking services from the office. I whole heartedly agree with this but when we allow for walk-ins in the offices, then there are going to be down times based on certain scheduling quirks that are planned for.

My wife and I are not paupers, of course you always want to see more patients and make a bigger impact in the communities I serve.  By making a bigger impact, normally money will follow.  Making a bigger impact does not necessarily mean taking advantage of people by making them come back for visits that are not necessary or by increasing your charges so that it makes up for the short fall on a given end.

The philosophy of the office is slow and steady, we have been growing consistently over the years but I always say that I’m able to sleep at night. There are days that we see more patients that we really want to in a given day and then the very next day we twiddle our thumbs waiting for the phone to ring…Welcome to Small Business Ownership.

I recently invested in decompression tables in the offices, I tell myself every time I purchase things in to the practice, I’m not doing this to add revenue to the office.  I think of specific patients when I buy things and purchase based on what value it can bring to the office.  A physical therapy office visit may cost you $150 just to walk in the door, if I can keep my costs at a reasonable level and provide the same basic services that other offices offer, but be able to charge $75 a visit, then it’s a win for myself, the office and the patient.

Caring about what your competition used to really work on me mentally but I’ve actually reached a point where working on my own practice and myself has become much more of a priority.  If by taking a day off bothers a few patients, I’m actually okay with that, because taking a day out of the office may actually benefit everyone involved in the practice.  Whether it be continuing education or rest and relaxation time, it will allow patients to benefit as I feel more refreshed or bringing new knowledge to the practice that could potentially benefit more people.

I like to have open conversations in the office, whether it be about the condition that is presented for the office, my life, your life or anything in between.  Don’t get me wrong, I will continue to answer the question about how busy the office is, but just know that you may come in one day and we usher you straight back and then you could return later that week or sometime later and you may wait for 10 minutes because we may be inundated on a given day.  We take the good with the bad but just know that we are happy with the pace of the office but will always strive to be busier.