Dr. M We have been open for about a year or little more than a year. We are going broke and quickly. Not even sure if we can pay the rent for nest month. We have tried everything from free scans to 34.99 x-rays 4 views and exam to placing ads in the news paper which did not work at all and still owe them a lot of money. What have we done wrong. If we had just enough patients to make the bills it would be great. Should we get a MD in the practice or what should we do. I am at a lost. In fact it is so bad that after we have been together for 16 years we are now splitting up because of all the bills. I know you usually don't answer such questions like this but I am desperate. Do you have any quick suggestions? P.S. I believe we were in PT class with you. Thanks for your help. Q: Thanks for the e-mail. I am sorry you are having a time of it. Trust me .. you are not alone .. I receive many e-mails like yours. My reply is always the same .. chiropractic is a business and like all others some thrive some die. Good business sense tells us not to throw good money with bad .. choose a wise location .. build a solid base from which to grow .. all that stuff. After a year or so of practice where did you slip .. what could you have done if you were to roll back the clock .. were funds spent wisely .. did you encourage growth with leg work or just flyers and newspaper ads? Has the friction between you two exaggerated the problem .. can you spend anymore personal energy to recapture your work to date or are you truly and literally burnt out? What to do .. wow. First .. you owe money .. you must communicate with your creditors and determine how best to pay them off .. over time .. in the meantime spend your personal energy rather than other peoples money. Ask your landlord to work with you a few more months and just get paid at 50+% now and the rest later .. work something out with everyone else. A financial noose around your neck can stop any forward movement and stifle any emotional energy left. Next .. create a plan to build the practice .. one new patient at a time. Free offerings may help but it is meaningless if they won't come in. You must spend the time knocking on doors and setting up workshops .. health fairs .. screenings etc. You have to offer them a valuable promotion after they understand what it is worth and why health and wellness is far superior than sickness and disease and your office is a beacon attracting the entire community So .. get to work on a strategic plan .. what steps you plan to do today .. a phone call .. a letter .. a meeting with the manager of a store or warehouse .. there is no limit. You must also meet people where they work and hand out. Senior citizens at a church .. municipal workers downtown Jasper .. lawyers .. teachers etc. Yep .. there is no easy answer but what makes our profession great is that people need us .. they just don't know why .. that's up to you. Also .. you can change your financial picture literally overnight with a few good "hits." I tripled my practice in one day after an AT&T ergonomic workshop way back in 1985. New patients are like fruits hanging from a tree just waiting to be picked. They are out there and there is where your financial salvation is. My best advice is to stop the bleeding financially and concentrate on building a practice with little money but lots of leg work. This a survival .. spend mornings (at least three days a week) building practice .. marketing .. phoning .. walking the streets .. visiting churches and speaking with program chairpeople for future programs and screenings. Get your script and act together to consolidate the close of your programs so they see the value your offer and follow through. Okay .. don't kill the messenger with the message. This is tough love .. it's either sink or swim. I recommend you travel to Atlanta the weekend of April 6 and 7 and attend the Fernandez Seminar. If you have never been you can attend as my guest and go for free. The topic is 24 steps to a successful practice. I would sit in all of Dr. Pete's classes and take tons of notes. Then return on Monday with a renewed spirit and recharged energy. Call them at: 1-800-882-4476 and be sure they know you are my guest for free As far as the MD/DC thing .. it is complicated and must be done with guidance. Hope this helps .. please e-mail me for any clarifications. Be sure to take loads of time on my webpage under Cyberconsulting and Practice Tips. Tons of Q & A in Cyberconsulting and lots of great tips in Practice Tips .. check it out Have a Great Day Dr. M