Q:

Hello Dr M.

I have been concerned about the growth I my practice lately. I am 
not really sure where I should be right now. I am focusing on 
numbers and I am not happy lately with what I am doing. I have been 
in practice since 2/99 and my highest week ever was 87 
adjustments. I really want to get to 150. Lately with the summer 
months I am seeing about 50-60. That really drives me nuts but I 
think it has to do with the summer. It happened last year as well. 
Well here is my current problem. I am directly across from the 
gwinnett place mall in a 2700 sq ft space. The area I feel is getting 
old and alot of the riff raff is moving in. I have noticed that most I 
my patients are either paying me cash at 25 per visit (20-35%) or 
insurance who  can not afford to pay  their copays (25%) and the rest 
are good paying patients. My lease is up at the end of august and I 
want to move down the road 4 miles. If I did this I would save in 
rent money. It would go from 2800 per month to 1500. I am sure that 
Ii would lose some patients in the move but I feel I would be moving 
into a nicer area of the community. However the shopping center 
itself  for about a year will require an arranged u-turn of about 75 
feet to make a left into the center. The nice thing is it is only about 
70 feet off the main road. To say the least I am confused. If you read 
who moved my cheese I feel like Hem and Haw. Well can you help me 
with these things with your experience? What do you think I should 
do about my weekly numbers? can you give me an idea of what some 
of these drs are doing a week after ten years?

A:

Thanks for the e-mail. Your question is quite common as we all look 
around and are never satisfied with our own practice growth and 
stability .. and I think it is good. What is bad is to get overly 
distressed and burnt out before even kindling a flame.

First off .. numbers come and go. I really canžt tell you what is 
successful or not as some new DCžs have huge numbers from the 
start while others gently build a successful practice.

The key is persistence and follow through. If you have game plan and 
stick with it your practice will grow week by week. The game plan 
must entail both practice management and public relations. As you 
know from my class .. and the smart start book .. efforts to manage 
the practice from within is as or more important than getting new 
ones from without.

Do you have monthly themed promotions in the office .. are there 
regular communications links with patients .. surveys and workshops 
with knee to knee educational concepts .. referrals being asked for 
and family concepts promoted .. do you provide information about the 
dangers of whiplash .. sports .. work routines and general ergonomics 
.. do you know where they work and have you requested they ask if 
you can speak there on and on (this is a good e-mail newsletter 
theme .. I will use it this week). 

Rather than dwelling on numbers .. take the time you have and 
dedicate a portion of it for promotion without felling the pains of 
whether you are doing as well as others or not. Begin a campaign for 
growth and plant the seeds .. this is a perfect time for Fall and 
Winter. Create a Community Outreach Program and promote to your 
PR farm .. let them know you are developing your Fall and Winter 
calendar of programs and donžt want them to lose out. 

Summer months are slow as is Christmas time or anytime if you do 
not have active programs in place. What ties you over the slow 
periods is the seeds that germinated during the good times. This is 
the perfect time for rebirth and renewal .. think of it as a challenge 
and create an internal and external PR program. If you want .. send it 
along and Ižll fine tune it for you.

I encourage you to make the move into small quarters. If the turn 
around is not great burden it shouldnžt be a problem. Once you 
promote and lay out a map of where you are located they will come. 

I will be having a Smart Start Seminar August 26 in Marietta from 
9-2 .. $40 if pre-registered and $50 at the door. Sort of a cliff not 
version of my Smart Start Book and ideas to get a practice going. As 
far as I am concerned .. every day is a new Smart Start. If interested 
in attending e-mail me or call my office at 770-491-3639

Have a Great Day

Dr. M