Many chiropractors end up opening their own clinics and starting their own businesses. If you’re considering opening a new chiropractic clinic, explore the essential things every chiropractor needs below.
Treatment & Office Equipment
You can’t open a chiropractic clinic without some chiropractor equipment and supplies. You’ll need a primary treatment table, but you may also need equipment to perform specialized chiropractic treatment, like a flexion table or even low-level therapy devices.
As a chiropractor’s office, you’ll also need the basics that every professional business office needs, like:
- Phone system
- Computers
- Printer
- Copier
- Reception desk
- Waiting room furniture
This can cost a lot of money initially, so start with the basics of what you need, utilizing used equipment and furniture, before expanding as your clinic gradually builds a revenue foundation.
Marketing Strategy
Once you organize your clinic and you’re ready to receive clients, you must get the word out. A marketing strategy is critical to new businesses and chiropractic clinics, especially as they search for new clients that will be reliable sources of revenue.
A marketing strategy should answer key questions about your clinic, like:
- Who is your target market? (Sports injuries, geriatrics, etc.)
- How would you define your brand?
- What will be your focus of promotion? (Online, print ads, or television)
- What strategies will you employ to retain and keep clients coming back?
If you’ve got the answers to these questions, you have a solid plan for attracting and retaining clients.
Compliance Plan
There are many legal matters that chiropractors must figure out when opening a clinic, especially a compliance plan. As a healthcare provider, you’ll often bill insurance companies that cover your clients. A compliance plan prevents your clinic from engaging in unethical billing conduct and shields against sanctions.
Making a compliance plan is relatively straightforward—the primary concerns are creating a written standards and procedures plan and designating a compliance officer. You can designate yourself, but it’s better ethically (and easier on you) to have another employee or outsourced service handle compliance issues so you can focus on clinic operations.
Insurance Coverage
Every new chiropractic clinic, like any other business, needs insurance coverage. Your clinic will need multiple insurance policies, from business insurance to worker’s compensation and medical malpractice insurance.
These policies ensure that if your business suffers from events out of your control or you make a mistake, you’re still covered and have peace of mind. Hopefully, you’ll never have to activate any of the policies, but it’s always better to have and not need it.
