practice start up

[Guest guest]

What have you all done to get your practices started? Did you just

start, and then market (and what techniques did you find effective) or

did you already have a patient base? I just relocated and want to

open my practice, after 4 years of working for chiropractors and

piddling around on my own in LA. I'd be starting from scratch and my

husband has a lot of resistance to that... I'd like to know how long

you waited until patients walked through the door, and what mistakes

you've made that you can say " Don't do this " or " definitely do that. "

did you enlist the aid of a professional marketer? whatever you have

to say, I'd love to hear it.

thank you!

sami

[Guest guest]

Hi Sami,

 

If you're thinking of buying a already established practice, check out

Honora Wolfe's article in the next issue of CMT, out next week.

 

To , visit http://www.chinesemedicinetimes.com

 

Kind regards,

 

Attilio D'Alberto

Doctor of (Beijing, China)

BSc (Hons) TCM MBAcC

Editor

Times

+44 (0) 1189 612512

enquiries

<http://www.chinesemedicinetimes.com/> www.chinesemedicinetimes.com

<http://www.chinesemedicinetimes.com/forum/index.php>

www.chinesemedicinetimes.com/forum/index.php

 

This message contains privileged and confidential information intended only

for the addressee. If you have received this message in error you must not

disseminate, copy or take action on it; please notify sender. Although this

e-mail and any attachments are believed to be virus free, e-mail

communications are not 100% secure and the sender makes no warranty that

this message is secure or virus free. Nothing in this transmission shall or

shall be deemed to constitute an offer or acceptance of an offer or

otherwise have the effect of forming a contract by electronic communication.

Your name and address may be stored to facilitate communications. The sender

is registered in England. Registered office: PO Box 3521, Wokingham,

Berkshire, RG40 9DX, UK.

 

 

Chinese Medicine

Chinese Medicine On Behalf Of Sami Rank

LAc

24 June 2007 18:16

Chinese Medicine

practice start up

 

 

 

What have you all done to get your practices started? Did you just

start, and then market (and what techniques did you find effective) or

did you already have a patient base? I just relocated and want to

open my practice, after 4 years of working for chiropractors and

piddling around on my own in LA. I'd be starting from scratch and my

husband has a lot of resistance to that... I'd like to know how long

you waited until patients walked through the door, and what mistakes

you've made that you can say " Don't do this " or " definitely do that. "

did you enlist the aid of a professional marketer? whatever you have

to say, I'd love to hear it.

thank you!

sami

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Sami,

 

Become a local recognized expert by delivering lectures/workshops in

your new community on how can address and correct

common health problems. Set these up at the local library or other

public place. Speak on allergies and breathing issues, digestion

issues, back pain, kids health, and balancing women's hormones

naturally. Promote the talks in the community happenings section of

the local newspaper(s). Schedule one per week for your first 8 weeks.

 

Set-up and do some screening at a big local store (like a Wal Mart,

Costco, Sam's Club), or at a larger pharmacy. Screen for adrenal

gland dysfunction (raglan's test, or pupillary response), high blood

pressure, trigger point reactions. Your goal here is to bring people

to awareness that their body is not working as it should, and to let

them know that YOU might be able to help them. Offer them the

opportunity to find out by coming to your clinic.

 

Visit every health-oriented business in your target radius. Establish

a mutually beneficial relationship (you send your clients to them to

buy supplements, they send customers to you to work on health issue

resolution), and schedule workshops at their facilities that they

promote to their customers (helps drive business to their door) and you

promote thru newspaper (and cableTV community access).

 

Best of luck,

Mark Z

East Wind Acupuncture, Inc.

Chesterton, Indiana

 

Chinese Medicine , " Sami Rank LAc "

<herbsnacupnxr wrote:

>

> What have you all done to get your practices started? Did you just

> start, and then market (and what techniques did you find effective)

or

> did you already have a patient base? I just relocated and want to

> open my practice, after 4 years of working for chiropractors and

> piddling around on my own in LA. I'd be starting from scratch and my

> husband has a lot of resistance to that... I'd like to know how long

> you waited until patients walked through the door, and what mistakes

> you've made that you can say " Don't do this " or " definitely do that. "

> did you enlist the aid of a professional marketer? whatever you have

> to say, I'd love to hear it.

> thank you!

> sami

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Sami,

 

I am answering your email privately, since my response is long and not everyone

will want to read it.

 

I also relocated after having an initial practice near my school. First, I

looked for a place to relocate to that had a population of at least 10,000, and

not many acupuncturists. I also looked to see that there were other alternative

practitioners, so I knew the locals would go to someone other than an MD. I

also looked at financial demographics for the area, to see if folks could afford

to see me. I lowered my fees from what I used to charge in San Diego, because

the economic base is lower here. I make up for the loss, however, because I see

more clients here. Competition was stiff in San Diego.

 

I have not used a professional marketer. My first year I started (I am now

early into my 3rd year) renting a room in a long-established chiropractor's

office. I later learned that he is personally afraid of needles and would never

have acupuncture himself, so needless to say, I did not receive any referrals

from him. After a year, I rented my own 1-room space in a local Healing Arts

Center, and some days, I think I will need an additional treatment room soon. I

did join a local networking group that met weekly for breakfast, and found it

was not worth the time and money I spent there, because even after a year of

educating them, these people were still afraid of what I do. I also joined the

local NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners) chapter, and found

this more social and political in orientation, and did not provide much

opportunities for networking. I did not receive referrals from either source.

 

I took out an ad in a glossy circular that was mailed out to people's homes

every month. This cost me $3000 for a year, and yielded only two short-term

clients. I have irregularly advertised in the local newspaper for special

health-related events, which did not yield any clients, but started to generate

name recognition for me. I also placed an ad in an annual directory of local

physicians, which yielded one client. Fancy advertising yielded little, and I

receive the majority of patients through my inexpensive 3/4 " ad in the yellow

pages. Interestingly, when I was in San Diego, I only received 2 patients from

my yellow pages ad the whole 2 years I was in practice. This is a small town

that is growing rapidly, and people are more comfortable with an ad they can

hold in their hands (phone book) than one on the internet (website). So I

haven't invested in a website. I also attended classes on marketing through the

local Small Business Development Center, which

educated me greatly about the differences in successful marketing in big cities

vs. a local small town. That helped me alot.

 

I offer discounts for seniors over 65, try to offer a monthly discount for

specific health issues each month, and tried a low-fee community-style clinic

during some of my hours each week. Each of these had brought in a few clients,

with the senior discount bringing in the most.

 

I make myself available for speaking engagements, though I don't do alot of

them, and lately when I do, I get new patients from the audience. I am just

starting my 5th year of practice, and find that my experience makes me much more

confident and convincing as a speaker than I had been in the past.

 

Everywhere I go, I tell people what I do and hand out my cards.

 

I ask my patients to refer friends to me, and this is starting to happen more

now than previously. I also provide updates to patients whose doctors have

referred to me, and one neurologist in particular is starting to refer to me

regularly.

 

There is only one health fair each year that is open to acupuncturists here, and

I make sure to be there. The others are run by the hospital, which welcomes MDs

only.

 

I am a member of the local gay community and Jewish community, and make my

practice known in those communities. I also volunteer in those communities.

 

I offer free phone consultations, so people can get their questions answered

without having to make a commitment to come and see me. This helps alot with

folks who are afraid of needles, and the majority of the time, calls like these

result in new patients. I think talking with them helps them feel comfortable

enough with me, so they feel encouraged to try something different.

 

I always keep my eyes and ears open for opportunities to represent myself.

Right now, it is golf season where I live, and I am putting together a brochure

to market specifically at the golf courses. I am also looking at doing more

targeted outreach to local chiropractors and wholistic MD's.

 

Until recently, I had an independent contractor NADA job at local addiction

treatment center. I was there one hour a day twice a week, until they decided

to phase acupuncture out, in favor of biofeedback. This helped pay the bills

while my patient base was growing, and as soon as it was terminated, my patient

schedule nearly doubled. They were paying me $65 for 1-1/2 hours at a time,

paying me for 1/2 hour set-up time, so it was good money.

 

My practice has grown slowly. Part of this is due to the seasonal economy where

I live - this is definitely a tourist-driven economy, and when tourism is low,

so is everyone's expendable income. I would never make the mistake of

relocating to a tourist town again. It wreaks havoc with my income all the

time, and adds a nerve-wracking element of fiscal unpredictability. My first

summer was very busy, and my second summer was almost nil. Both my winters were

slow. So far, this summer is quite busy, and I am praying it will last. But

growing a good reputation with local referring doctors has me feeling more

secure.

 

Mostly, I am always looking for new ways to being fresh energy and inspiration

to my practice - whether it be a new focus, a new marketing idea, or considering

moving my practice to a chiropractor's office or a larger space of my own. This

keeps me feeling alive and excited about what I do - and the patients definitely

pick up on this.

 

Let me know if there are more specific questions I can answer for you.

 

Blessings,

 

 

 

 

Sami Rank LAc <herbsnacupnxr wrote:

What have you all done to get your practices started? Did you just

start, and then market (and what techniques did you find effective) or

did you already have a patient base? I just relocated and want to

open my practice, after 4 years of working for chiropractors and

piddling around on my own in LA. I'd be starting from scratch and my

husband has a lot of resistance to that... I'd like to know how long

you waited until patients walked through the door, and what mistakes

you've made that you can say " Don't do this " or " definitely do that. "

did you enlist the aid of a professional marketer? whatever you have

to say, I'd love to hear it.

thank you!

sami

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take the Internet to Go: Go puts the Internet in your pocket: mail, news,

photos & more.

 

 

[Guest guest]

On Sunday 24 June 2007 12:15, Sami Rank LAc wrote:

> What have you all done to get your practices started? Did you just

> start, and then market (and what techniques did you find effective) or

> did you already have a patient base? I just relocated and want to

> open my practice, after 4 years of working for chiropractors and

> piddling around on my own in LA. I'd be starting from scratch and my

> husband has a lot of resistance to that...

 

Hi Sami!

 

Then don't do it. Confine your practice to what your husband is comfortable

with. I wish I had had a spouse to hold me back from what turned out to be a

disaster.

--

Regards,

 

Pete

http://www.pete-theisen.com/

[Guest guest]

Hi Sami, I've never found advertising to work (I have not done much at all

myself, but many close colleagues have reported to me how much they had spent

for so little. It can definitely be a hit and miss thing though). My best

suggestion is to be confident, honest and skilled, and focus 100% of our energy

on that - your reputation as an effective healthcare practitioner.

If you do that it might take you one to two years to get a minimum income level

- faster if you get MDs or other healthcare practitioners to refer to you.

 

Good luck,

Hugo

 

 

Sami Rank LAc <herbsnacupnxr

Chinese Medicine

Sunday, 24 June, 2007 10:15:59 AM

practice start up

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What have you all done to get your practices started? Did you just

 

start, and then market (and what techniques did you find effective) or

 

did you already have a patient base? I just relocated and want to

 

open my practice, after 4 years of working for chiropractors and

 

piddling around on my own in LA. I'd be starting from scratch and my

 

husband has a lot of resistance to that... I'd like to know how long

 

you waited until patients walked through the door, and what mistakes

 

you've made that you can say " Don't do this " or " definitely do that. "

 

did you enlist the aid of a professional marketer? whatever you have

 

to say, I'd love to hear it.

 

thank you!

 

sami

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

<!--

 

#ygrp-mlmsg {font-size:13px;font-family:arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;}

#ygrp-mlmsg table {font-size:inherit;font:100%;}

#ygrp-mlmsg select, input, textarea {font:99% arial, helvetica, clean,

sans-serif;}

#ygrp-mlmsg pre, code {font:115% monospace;}

#ygrp-mlmsg * {line-height:1.22em;}

#ygrp-text{

font-family:Georgia;

}

#ygrp-text p{

margin:0 0 1em 0;}

#ygrp-tpmsgs{

font-family:Arial;

clear:both;}

#ygrp-vitnav{

padding-top:10px;font-family:Verdana;font-size:77%;margin:0;}

#ygrp-vitnav a{

padding:0 1px;}

#ygrp-actbar{

clear:both;margin:25px 0;white-space:nowrap;color:#666;text-align:right;}

#ygrp-actbar .left{

float:left;white-space:nowrap;}

..bld{font-weight:bold;}

#ygrp-grft{

font-family:Verdana;font-size:77%;padding:15px 0;}

#ygrp-ft{

font-family:verdana;font-size:77%;border-top:1px solid #666;

padding:5px 0;

}

#ygrp-mlmsg #logo{

padding-bottom:10px;}

 

#ygrp-vital{

background-color:#e0ecee;margin-bottom:20px;padding:2px 0 8px 8px;}

#ygrp-vital #vithd{

font-size:77%;font-family:Verdana;font-weight:bold;color:#333;text-transform:upp\

ercase;}

#ygrp-vital ul{

padding:0;margin:2px 0;}

#ygrp-vital ul li{

list-style-type:none;clear:both;border:1px solid #e0ecee;

}

#ygrp-vital ul li .ct{

font-weight:bold;color:#ff7900;float:right;width:2em;text-align:right;padding-ri\

ght:.5em;}

#ygrp-vital ul li .cat{

font-weight:bold;}

#ygrp-vital a {

text-decoration:none;}

 

#ygrp-vital a:hover{

text-decoration:underline;}

 

#ygrp-sponsor #hd{

color:#999;font-size:77%;}

#ygrp-sponsor #ov{

padding:6px 13px;background-color:#e0ecee;margin-bottom:20px;}

#ygrp-sponsor #ov ul{

padding:0 0 0 8px;margin:0;}

#ygrp-sponsor #ov li{

list-style-type:square;padding:6px 0;font-size:77%;}

#ygrp-sponsor #ov li a{

text-decoration:none;font-size:130%;}

#ygrp-sponsor #nc {

background-color:#eee;margin-bottom:20px;padding:0 8px;}

#ygrp-sponsor .ad{

padding:8px 0;}

#ygrp-sponsor .ad #hd1{

font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold;color:#628c2a;font-size:100%;line-height:122%\

;}

#ygrp-sponsor .ad a{

text-decoration:none;}

#ygrp-sponsor .ad a:hover{

text-decoration:underline;}

#ygrp-sponsor .ad p{

margin:0;}

o {font-size:0;}

..MsoNormal {

margin:0 0 0 0;}

#ygrp-text tt{

font-size:120%;}

blockquote{margin:0 0 0 4px;}

..replbq {margin:4;}

-->

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_________

Answers - Got a question? Someone out there knows the answer. Try it

now.

http://uk.answers./

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hi Sami,

 

a few briefs:

 

I started out renting a small clinic space in a medical building and

very very occasionally got referrals from other docs in the building

(mostly western specialties). However, my practice began to boom a

bit later on for two reasons:

 

a) I put up a listing on acufinder. After that, I noticed that half

of my new patients found me there. I just added a listing to

chinesemedicinetimes too.

b) I was invited to another practitioner's group practice. So

basically all new patients go through me.

 

I was lucky to appear on TV as well and give a demo!

 

Philip