Kats Chiropractic Consultants CHIROpulse

Podcast 184 Moving Your Chiropractic Practice

• Marisa Mateja

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Welcome to the KC CHIROpulse Podcast.  


This week’s topic: Moving Your Chiropractic Practice

The KC CHIROpulse Podcast is designed for Chiropractic professionals ready to elevate their practice to new heights, and is hosted by Kats Consultants coaches Dr Michael Perusich and Dr Kelly Fredricks.  Both docs are seasoned experts in Chiropractic care and business development.  This podcast provides invaluable insights and actionable strategies to help you create a flourishing and sustainable Chiropractic business.

In this episode, we discuss:

  • The pros and cons of moving your practice
  • How moving your practice can be a benefit to your bottom line
  • Why moving can cost you more than you plan
  • Why your staff must be involved in the planning process
  • …and so much more…

In each episode of KC CHIROpulse, we delve into crucial aspects of building a successful Chiropractic practice, covering topics such as establishing a strong foundation, adopting a patient-centric approach, mastering marketing techniques, achieving financial fitness, fostering effective team building and leadership, integrating technology and innovation, and navigating common challenges in the field.

Whether you're a seasoned chiropractor or just starting your practice, the KC CHIROpulse Podcast offers a wealth of knowledge and practical advice to help you navigate the intricate world of Chiropractic business. Join us on this journey as we explore proven strategies, share success stories, and connect with industry experts to empower you in your pursuit of building a thriving Chiropractic practice.

Don't miss out on the latest insights and expert guidance. Subscribe now and unlock the secrets to taking your Chiropractic practice to the next level. Your success is our priority at Kats Chiropractic Business Advisors.



DISCLAIMER:  The information presented in this broadcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended to offer legal, investment, accounting, or medical advice.  Seek the consultation of a professional for advice in those areas. And remember…your results using this information may be different than described.



Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to the Kats Consultants CHIROPulse Podcast
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KC CHIROpulse Podcast. Helping Chiropractors keep their pulse on success. Thanks for listening.



Dr. Michael Perusich:

Doctors, are you thinking about moving your practice? Hi, everybody. Welcome to the KC ChiroPulse podcast brought to you by Kats Consultants and ChiroHealth USA. I'm your host, Dr. Michael Perusich, and I'm joined by my guest host today, my good friend, Dr. Kelly Fredericks.

Dr. Kelly Fredricks:

Hello, everybody.

Dr. Michael Perusich:

Hello, Kelly. I can hear the crowd roaring in the background. Anyway so Kelly, you and I both Have gone through practice moves. I've done it several times. You just recently had a move

Dr. Kelly Fredricks:

rush off the move. Yes. Yes.

Dr. Michael Perusich:

Fresh off the moving truck. Really

Dr. Kelly Fredricks:

five days off the move. Yes. Yeah.

Dr. Michael Perusich:

Awesome. And by the way, your new clinic is absolutely gorgeous. Love it. Yeah, I've had the opportunity to go visit. So just so everybody knows Kelly and I live in the same area of Florida. So we have the pleasure of getting to see each other often and she takes care of my family too. So I thought today, I think it'd be interesting to just talk about the pros and unfortunately there's some cons to, to moving. And I know when we moved, for example. One of the reasons why we moved was because we had just flat outgrown our space. We were just cram packed into 1, 400 square feet. I don't even think it was really 1, 400 square feet. It was supposed to be, but I don't think it was. And we moved to 6, 000 square feet and Even outgrew that place after a while, but that's neither here nor there, but we did it to just upgrade our location, upgrade our facilities and just get into more space. And you did the same. You've definitely upgraded your space and move, but you also had another interesting issue. You had. A building that was no longer going to be a building.

Dr. Kelly Fredricks:

Yes. So we had actually been in this building for 17 years and thankfully we knew what was coming in the future in regards to the landlord unfortunately passing away, but we knew that his family was then going to want to sell the building. So luckily I had a long time to prepare for this, but. I learned so much along the way. So they were getting ready to sell the building in the midst of them getting ready to sell the building. They took the street and closed off the street in front of my office because they were building

Dr. Michael Perusich:

parking.

Dr. Kelly Fredricks:

Yeah. So we had no parking. It was. a nightmare. So for us to move and get, we have two parking lots now, which is a godsend. So it's really nice to be in a new, fresh location. Our patients are loving it, but there was a lot going on that really became challenging to run a clinic and stay focused and then also try and move at the same time.

Dr. Michael Perusich:

Yeah. Yeah. So I know one of the, one of the reasons why doctors sometimes move is to increase their visibility. But I want to talk a little bit about visibility because the clinic we were first in was on the backside of a office building. You couldn't really see it from the street and the building we moved to was on the backside of a shopping center and you couldn't really see it and you're on the second floor of an office building. So neither one of us really had. Any of this traditional frontage visibility that a lot of docs look for or have. And I guess my point to that is we still had very thriving practices. And so it just points out the fact that people come to you because. You've built a relationship with them.

Dr. Kelly Fredricks:

Exactly. A hundred percent. And we're also not looking for that walk in crowd either. So I don't feel like it was that important to be visible. And also when it comes to the economics of moving, I was not originally Looking for second floor, but then when I started looking at prices and how much it was, rent per square foot, then I realized once you go second floor, you actually save quite a bit of money. We just started running numbers and you and I and figured out that, this was going to be the best place. And. And it's, people are coming to us from word of mouth anyways, so they don't need to see us on the big busy roads. And also we see families, and I don't necessarily want my moms getting out of the car with the strollers on big busy streets, in busy parking lots. So those were a lot of things that we had to work out. So ahead of time in regards to what do you want your clinic to look like, visualizing everything, putting it up on a board, where do you want your parking lot to be? How many rooms do you want? Like you have to have all of that ready to go in your mind and know exactly what you're looking for. So when you're out looking for that space, you can either say this fits the criteria or it does not fit the criteria at all. And then you can move on to the next one.

Dr. Michael Perusich:

Yeah. Yeah. It's a very good point. I want to explore this whole second floor idea a little bit because I talk to doctors all the time who are looking for space and everybody's just dead set on that frontage real estate space. And I get it. If you're just starting out in practice, that kind of visibility. Might be important. However, we also know many practices that are tucked away in office buildings like you on the second floor. Our good friend Patrick very thriving practice known in the entire city pretty much. And it's a big city. He's on the second floor as well, so it's not necessarily what floor you're on or what visibility you have. I think it has more to do with besides having built relationships with people, it has more to do with access. So getting into your clinic is incredibly easy. Great parking, easy building access. You've got an elevator if that's needed, and it's just right around the corner from your door, your hallways are wide, your door openings are wide, those are really, I think some of the things that are more important and your office flow is fantastic.

Dr. Kelly Fredricks:

Thank you. Yeah, exactly. I always had in my vision. Oh, I want, them to be able to get out of the car and walk right into the office. And again, when you start looking at things, then you realize that you have to change things up a little bit. But yeah. Access to all of those things is very important because I didn't want to get a giant parking lot and have them walking, especially in Florida. It rains here all the time. Once I'm getting out of the car, walking super far and then also having to go up to the second floor. You gotta look at those things and think, be the patient, put yourself in their shoes when they're pulling in. Is it easy to get there? Are they fighting traffic? Is it a lot of turns? Is it confusing and what's the accessibility into the clinic and second floor, we're loving it. I feel like it's a lot safer. It's quieter. I've got great views, so it's been great. We're loving it.

Dr. Michael Perusich:

Yeah. So I think access is especially been in practice for a while. I think access is one of the most important things. Just make sure that your clinic has access and make sure that you've, So you brought up a good point. I'm just trying to figure out how to get into this a little bit, but you brought up a good point about the cost of space. And so you say on my going to the second floor, as opposed to the first floor. Well, a lot of us are thinking we have patients who can barely walk sometimes and so on and so forth. And while that's true and first access. First of all, our access might be simpler in some realms. Your access is just as easy for anybody that's somewhat disabled and has difficulty getting into your clinic or into an office building because you've got wide door access, you've got the elevators and so forth. Being able to save costs Allows you to then turn around and drive that money towards other things, having a larger space, it could be having a space where you can have more profit centers running, add some doctors, add some other profit other therapies and those kinds of things revenue generating things. I cannot talk today. I think I've been talking too much. And then being able to even divert costs into marketing and those kinds of things. Now you're in this great new office. Let's. Increase our capacity a little bit. Let's think our number of new patients.

Dr. Kelly Fredricks:

Exactly. Yeah, it was significant. It was actually 6 a square foot difference to go up to the second floor. So like you said, that bought me more space. That also allowed me to be a little more creative with the buildout and it also allowed me better negotiating power too. I was able to really find Something that I knew I was going to be able to grow into long term, cause you trust me, once you move, you don't want to do it again or have to be for a very long time. I felt like it just really was the best situation and it wasn't anything that I was looking at in the beginning. So keep your options open and your mind open. To new opportunities.

Dr. Michael Perusich:

Yeah. Yeah. And don't be in a rush.

Dr. Kelly Fredricks:

Don't be in a rush. Yeah. Yeah. It took me 18 months to find this space because I just was not going to settle. I had all those specifics that I wanted. They, and it needed to tick all the boxes. And and so it took me 18 months and I almost, I thought we were never going to find anything. And then finally the right one came, to us. So

Dr. Michael Perusich:

the right one's always the last one. So

Dr. Kelly Fredricks:

you gotta look at, you gotta look at a lot that you don't like and then you realize what you really want.

Dr. Michael Perusich:

Yeah. And I found too, that you have to tell a lot of people that you're wanting to move.

Dr. Kelly Fredricks:

Yes,

Dr. Michael Perusich:

because that somehow starts opening up doors because they know somebody in, this person knows somebody who knows this person who's brother in law's cousin owns the building and I will give you a great deal because we haven't been able to rent the space out. That's what happened to us. We looked for over two years and I'd finally decided, you know what, I'm just going to buy some land and build a building. And I happened to be talking to a local attorney one day and he said, Hey, I own this building over here, blah, blah, blah. And why don't you come take a look at it? And it wound up being the perfect spot for us. So keeping those options open to use your term and continuing to look and don't give up until you find the right space. Don't find a space that just works. Exactly. Absolutely. Find the right space.

Dr. Kelly Fredricks:

And don't get into something that's not going to be a good contract. Don't get into something that is going to, put you in the hole financially, make sure it's the right deal at the right time.

Dr. Michael Perusich:

So let's talk about that. The right space is one that fits your needs from a layout standpoint. It fits the capacity you're looking for or need. It fits the patient flow. It allows easy access. It's affordable. So we don't want to set a budget based on what we're going to do in five years with expected growth. We want to be able to afford it today. And then along with affordability, and you and I know this all too well, along with affordability comes what? It comes overrun of costs. Yeah, it's always more expensive than you budget for. So make sure you budget that probably 20, 25 percent contingency in there.

Dr. Kelly Fredricks:

Absolutely. And make sure you have your reserves ready to go. Again, thankfully we knew we were moving. In the near, in the long future. So we were setting, I was setting money aside every single month for the move budget. And I am so grateful that I did because everything's always more expensive, like you said. You have to be ready for that. You definitely want it. You want extra months in reserve. You want to make sure that you're covering the moving truck the new furniture, there's so many expenses that are involved. So you want to make sure that you're ready for that.

Dr. Michael Perusich:

Yeah. And it's crazy. And even if you're building out space, there's always things that you get into. We're actually building out a clinic right now and we're getting into some cost overruns from our expected budget, just because of some of the stuff that we're running into and some of the increased prices on equipment that we're seeing today. And, so you've got to have that contingency built in there because I'm telling you, it's always going to cost more than you think it is.

Dr. Kelly Fredricks:

Yes. Yup. Yeah. Oh, it's going to cost more and it's always going to take longer.

Dr. Michael Perusich:

So that's another contingency. You have to have here's the crazy thing I didn't know trash cans for bathrooms commercial trash cans were so expensive.

Dr. Kelly Fredricks:

Oh, yes

Dr. Michael Perusich:

Yeah, it's not Yeah, who knew a trash can had to cost five hundred dollars. Seriously, come on, and then the other thing is That I think you have to think about is, okay we've got to tell our patients, we've got to get our patients prepared for a new location. Some of them are going to have to drive further and you're going to hear some crazy stuff from people. You're going to hear some stuff like, oh, I can't wait for you to move your office that you're in right now. It's terrible. You're going to hear, oh my gosh, why would you ever leave this office? It's so perfect.

Dr. Kelly Fredricks:

Yes.

Dr. Michael Perusich:

I had three or four patients. We only moved like two. three blocks. I had three or four patients tell me it was too far.

Dr. Kelly Fredricks:

Nope. Absolutely. Absolutely. You're going to hear all kinds of things from people that you sometimes won't expect it from. The first week we were here in the new office, everybody's so excited and we're giving everybody tours and the reception area was, oh, and this lady walks in and in front of everybody, she goes, why would you want to move here? I was, oh my gosh. So I had to put that fire out like immediately.

Dr. Michael Perusich:

Oh yeah. You'll hear all kinds of things. So we've got to prepare patients. We've got to make sure they understand. When we're moving, what that means, you're going to be closed down for a few days to get moved over and get set up. So we've got to prepare patients. And then the other thing is we've got to prepare our staff. And so we need to take them over and let them see the space and feel the space and find the energy in the space and walk through. How's it going to be laid out and how has patient flow going to happen? And how are we going to work this? Cause when you move, especially if you move from a small clinic to a bigger clinic, it throws everything off.

Dr. Kelly Fredricks:

It does. And it causes a lot of stress for them. But I guess I wasn't really anticipating. So you're exactly right there when, until they could get up here and see what was happening. And exactly like you said, what the flow was going to be, they had a lot of stress and anxiety. And so I. We put them all in the car and we came up and together as a group, we brainstormed, everybody got excited. They're like, Oh, I see this happening. And how about this? And how about this? And as soon as they got involved in the process, it made all the difference. It really did. And then they got even more excited. And then they were talking about Patients. So you have to include them. They're a huge part of the decision process.

Dr. Michael Perusich:

There do. And they are, they're humongous in that process and the ideas and things that they come up with are phenomenal. So when we started construction, we began having our weekly staff meetings over at the construction site and we would just walk through and they got a chance that way to see it all coming together and see what my vision was of the clinic. Yep. And they started blocking out patient flow and how we were going to arrange the lobby and the hot seats and everything. And so when we moved in, we were just like ants on fire. Everybody just knew exactly what to do. And the day we opened, boom, everything was running smoothly. At least it looked that way to patients,

Dr. Kelly Fredricks:

right? Yes. Yeah.

Dr. Michael Perusich:

That helped eliminate a lot of that stress, but the ideas that came out during that time were phenomenal of how we were going to use the space. Yeah.

Dr. Kelly Fredricks:

Yeah. And also what kind of, new things that you need in those spaces, because the rooms are going to be totally different than, what you had before you, you're probably going to need different furniture. You're going to need a lot of things. And, so when you've got multiple eyes looking at the clinic and looking at your needs, it really helps to come together and make easier decisions. And also it's their livelihood too. Their, it's their new commutes. It's, where are they going to eat lunch now? Where, what are the restaurants? Like it, it's a big deal for everybody. So you really need to have everybody involved.

Dr. Michael Perusich:

What's that?

Dr. Kelly Fredricks:

It's their home too.

Dr. Michael Perusich:

It is their home too. Yeah. Yeah. And if it's a further drive for them, that's adding stress to them. That's adding costs of being able to work for you. So we have to put all those pieces together and help them through those things. So it's not just an effect on our patients. It's an effect on everybody that's involved with the clinic. So here's my recommendation and Kelly chime in here. But if you're thinking about moving, start a list, what are your needs? Make a needs list. What do you need in the new place? And how is it going to be different than where you're at now? Number one, but most importantly, get with somebody who's been through the process, find a mentor or a coach, like us or something, and let that experience. Help guide you because if you've never moved a chiropractic clinic, it can be just a little tricky getting all the little pieces, especially if you have equipment like an x ray machine or something, just lining up the logistics of getting everything done on time and in order can be difficult. So seek out somebody who can help you through that process.

Dr. Kelly Fredricks:

Yes, absolutely. I agree. Yeah, we have, multiple decompression tables very expensive equipment. So there's a lot, there's a lot involved to that and getting that timing down and figuring out when are you going to close and how long are you going to be closed? And, when is the furniture moving? It, there's a lot of things.

Dr. Michael Perusich:

And make sure with your movers, if you're using commercial movers, make sure that you monitor how they're treating your equipment. So if they've never moved to healthcare equipment before, they may not know that you shouldn't pick up a flexion distraction table from the end of the table that it needs to be put on a furniture dolly and move the right way. Little things like that can really make your move just a little bit smoother. There's going to be some hiccups, but you want to try to make it as smooth as possible.

Dr. Kelly Fredricks:

Yes, exactly. You want to be as prepared as you possibly can.

Dr. Michael Perusich:

Yeah, exactly. So Kelly, any other thoughts about this? This is a great discussion.

Dr. Kelly Fredricks:

No I've got to say, if you're thinking about it, it's scary, but it is so worth it. Get excited about it. And I felt like the most important thing is exactly what you just said. Put it all down, sit down, visualize what you want and put it all down on a vision board because you would be surprised at what that vision board looks like and what your clinic looks like in the end. They're very close.

Dr. Michael Perusich:

Well said. Said. All right, everybody, make sure that you subscribe to our podcast or podcast is growing like crazy. I was looking at the numbers the other day and I was. I was beside myself because that's a great honor for us that you guys are listening in each and every week and be sure to tell your friends about it. If if you haven't done so yet, go to Kats consultants. com and see all the great things that we're doing to help doctors live the practice of their dreams and have profitable practices. There's no reason in today's. chiropractic world that you shouldn't have a profitable practice. So give us a call, let us talk to you about how we might be able to help you as well. So on behalf of all of us here at Kats Consultants and at ChiroHealth USA, thanks for tuning in.

Dr. Kelly Fredricks:

Thanks everybody.

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