You need all the help and advice you can get as a new DC, and books are great to help you learn more about business and get organized to succeed. Many grads read books on chiropractic practice startup, but general business books that can provide insights toward how to start and organize your practice.
Here are three to consider:
The Art of the Start by Guy Kawasaki. (Penguin/Portfolio 2004) Kawasaki is the owner of a venture capital firm, a noted speaker, and the founder of various companies, including Alltop, an Internet information company He writes about “bootstrapping,” that is, getting started with little money and lots of ingenuity. He also shows you how to define your business model, create a business plan, and pitch that plan to get funding.
The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber (HarperBusiness 1995) has been around for a while (he wrote it in 1995), but it’s still the essential book for starting a business. Gerber encourages you to create a picture of your business and then create a system to make your practice work so you don’t have to. The “turn-key” business you create with Gerber’s model can bring you a profitable practice and a satisfying life.
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen. (Penguin 2001) Read this book before you organize your office. Allen believes that getting organized can be fun as well as beneficial. If you start on an organizational plan before you start and stick to it, you will overcome the craziness of tax time and the stress of losing important business papers.
As you read each of these books, make notes and take from the book what you feel is most important. You won’t agree with everything these authors say, but each has something you can use. Find the kernel of truth in these books and other like them, and incorporate this truth into your startup.
