Opening a chiropractic practice means licences, insurance, premises and equipment. Then comes the question every new owner has: where will the first patients come from? This guide covers that second part, as a week-by-week plan that starts eight weeks before opening and ends twelve weeks after.
It isn’t legal or business-setup advice. Registration, licensing, insurance and advertising rules differ by province, state and country, so check with your regulator or college and a local adviser.
First, decide who you want to help
A new practice can’t be everything to everyone. Decide on the people you’re best placed to see: office workers with neck and back pain, active adults, families, athletes. That choice shapes your website, your first visits and the talks you give. Write it as one sentence and keep it in front of you.
Before you open
Week -8: name and profile. Pick a name that’s easy to say and spell, and check it before you commit. (Naming guide) The checks there apply to a chiropractic practice too. Then add or claim your Google Business Profile, which Google lets you do at no charge, and start the verification. Google’s guidelines say your name should be your real-world name, as on your sign, without added keywords.
Week -7: first-visit page. Write one page that says what happens at a first visit: what you ask, what an examination involves, how long it takes, what to wear. Many people have never seen a chiropractor, and this page answers their nerves.
Week -6: website. One clear page is enough: who you help, the first-visit details, where you are, how to book. (Homepage checklist) Add a short page for each of the two or three problems you most want to see. (SEO basics)
Week -5: booking and phone. Set up online booking and link it from Google and your website. (How) Decide how the phone gets answered when you’re in a treatment room, and write the voicemail.
Week -4: your regulator’s rules. Read your regulator’s advertising guidance once, before you print anything. (Overview) Chiropractic advertising rules can cover testimonials, claims about results, titles and comparisons.
Week -3: tell your circle. Tell friends, family, former colleagues and neighbours what you do and how to book. Be specific: “I’m seeing people with neck and back pain, and I have openings the first week.”
Week -2: referral partners. List ten local professionals who meet your ideal patient: family doctors, physiotherapists, massage therapists, personal trainers, gyms, sports clubs. Book short visits with the first five. (More referral ideas)
Week -1: dress rehearsal. Search your practice name on your phone. You should find your Google profile, a quick website, a visible phone number and a booking link that works. Book a test appointment yourself, and cancel it.
After you open
Weeks 1 to 2: be easy to book. Hold open slots for first visits. Put a card or text with your booking link in every patient’s hands. Write down how each patient found you, every time.
Weeks 3 to 4: reviews and follow-up. Ask for a Google review when a patient says they feel better, and ask everyone. Offer nothing in return. (How) Call or text patients who miss a visit.
Weeks 5 to 6: the first partner visits again. Report back to each referrer you saw, with the patient’s consent, and make three more visits. Most referral relationships fail because nobody follows up.
Weeks 7 to 8: one local activity. A short talk at a workplace or club, or a table at a local event. Do it to help, not to hard-sell, and take bookings, not just names.
Weeks 9 to 10: check what is working. Add up your “how did you hear about us” answers. Look at your Google profile, your reviews and your booking page again, on a phone.
Weeks 11 to 12: choose the next step. Put your effort where patients actually came from. If booking works and you have some reviews, a small local ad test is reasonable. (Google Ads basics)
Mistakes to avoid in the first year
- Waiting for patients to find you. A new practice has no reputation yet, so you have to go and meet people.
- Spreading effort thin. Three channels done properly beat seven done halfway.
- Leaving the phone to chance. If you’re in a treatment room, make sure someone or something answers, and that online booking is there for everyone who doesn’t want to call.
- Copying a large clinic. A busy multi-practitioner clinic has a team and a budget you don’t have yet. Start with what one person can sustain.
If you’d like someone to go through your profile and website before opening day, send us the links and we’ll look them over for you as part of your marketing audit.