Many of you faithful followers know of the struggle we've been having in deciding what course of action to pursue in regards to working and earning money. Of late, our options were down to four choices. Those choices were:
- Set up our own shop - I suppose this was so appealing because it is ultimately where most chiropractors want to be. No boss, no one to tell you what you should be doing. Also, no one else to blame if you fail. It's all on you!
- Alpine Spine - This is a spine sports and rehab facility owned by three MDs in Layton. I approached them with the interest of bringing on a chiropractor. We've been discussing things quite seriously for quite some time.
- Set up a shop down South - I've had central to southern Utah on my mind for quite some time. Setting up a shop down there, supposedly, would have a much smaller initial overhead and marketing would be substantially easier. Supposedly.
- Buy a clinic - I had looked at a clinic in Layton, and it was a good deal, but just not what I had envisioned. Another clinic... made itself available to me, which I'll discuss below.
Those were my options. Within those options there were never-ending forking roads and alternate routes all of which seemed to lead to a prosperous future. But which one was right for me and my family? Which one would help us out now so that we can pay our rent? Which one would help me achieve personal and professional satisfaction?
We decided that we needed to explore our options one-by-one to see how they felt to us and to see if we get any confirmation (spiritually) that that path is right.
Our first step was to check things out down south. As stated before, I had been thinking about Southern and Central Utah for quite some time. In fact, I had been entertaining thoughts like this since before graduation. "Perhaps this is the right course for us," I thought, "if I can't stop thinking about it, maybe this is where the Lord wants us to be." So, Challene and I got some very willing babysitters (Thanks Mom and Colleen) and drove down to Payson to stay with our good friends John and Amy while we explored.
There is a small town called Gunnison, UT. It is approximately 40 minutes South from Payson. The nearest chiropractor is in Manti and there are neighboring cities that make a total population of about 7,000 people all within a 20 mile radius that do not have a nearby chiropractor. Overhead could be low, competition is low, and marketing would be easy (in small towns, word of mouth travels fast). So we headed down to Gunnison to check things out.
To get there we decided to drive through Ephraim and Manti. In Ephraim, we decided to stop and talk to the chiropractor there (only one). He was kind, but very territorial. We suggested to him that we might like to set up a shop in Ephraim and he proceeded to explain all the downfalls of having a shop in a small town and just seemed negative overall. He seemed very wary of having any competition nearby. Rightly so, I think. I really think I could have come in and put him out of business within a year and a half. That, however, was not my intention. I didn't even mention Gunnison to him.
After a wonderful lunch at the "Malt Shop" we headed out. This time to Manti. One of the first things you see in Manti is the temple. I had been there when I was a little boy, but can't recall much of that trip. At any rate, the Manti temple was spectacular. We decided to stop and walk the grounds for a bit. It was Monday, so the temple was closed. They were also doing some restoration work inside.
The back stairwell to the temple. Challene really liked this staircase.
We had tried several times to get a good shot of us in front of the East doors. Much to the amusement of the workers on break, we were unable to get a good shot. So we tried one more time before leaving.
Then it was off to
Gunnison. Some of you may know that
Gunnison houses the Central Utah Correctional Facility. Don't believe me? Check out the pictures below.
Told you!
That's the
prison in the distance.
Right after the prison is the main drag of Gunnison. By main drag, I mean the only drag!
I thought this old theater would be a nice place to start a shop. Sadly, I think it's still a functioning theater.
We went up and down the street several times looking for a space for us, with no luck. Finally, we stopped at a realtor and asked for some assistance. He took us across the street to a house that for all intents and purposes should be condemned and told us it would make us a nice office. They wanted $600 a month for the dilapidated facade. I snapped my hand in a "Z" formation and turned and left! Ok, actually I thanked him for his time and told him we'd be in touch. Oh, but I wanted to snap my hand. I still want to!
More of the sweet town of
Gunnison.
We explored all the little towns down there: Ephraim, Manti, Levan, Fountain Green, Moroni, Centerfield, Sterling, Redmond, Salina, Sigurd, and Richfield. And though I feel we could have made something work and be successful down there, nothing really felt right.
Thus we ex'd that option off the list.
While staying with John and Amy, John got a call from Dr. King, his boss. Dr. King told John of a chiropractor who was tragically killed in an automobile accident just that weekend. The doctor and his wife were returning from a vacation and somewhere around Reno another driver high on meth hit them causing them to roll. He was killed and his wife is still in intensive care. Dr. King said they will be looking for someone to cover for the doctor's patients and probably to sell the clinic too.
Long story short, that was not an option for us either. The clinic was being sold pretty cheaply because, given the circumstances, was pretty much just worth its weight in equipment. There would be no transfer of patients between doctors, the clinic has been family owned (between father and son) for nearly 60 years and the patients had been seeing someone else for nearly 4 weeks. It would be just like starting my own place with a lot more debt added to the mounds of debt I have thanks to school.
We ex'd that option (buying a clinic) off the list. It is just too much initial overhead and added debt.
Later in the week I got an email from the good folks at Alpine Spine. They said that they really want to take a month to consider the opportunity of bringing me on as the sole chiropractor and will get back to me in November.
That option was ex'd off the list... for now!
Throughout this whole ordeal Dr. Jason Smith has been in the background. When he was just starting out someone had taken him in and offered him cheap rent and facilities to get things started; to build up a patient base, gain some income, and become established. We talked and he was generous enough to "pay-it-forward" by extending me a similar invitation.
Of everything, all the options, all the different diverging paths, this one feels right. I have the chance to work with a terrific doctor... independently. I have my own business entity and will be renting space, equipment, and supplies from Dr. Smith for a most excellent rate! For some reason, it took us exploring all the other options before it really stood out that this one was the best one for us. He came to us as a blessing and I fully recognize the Lord's hand in all this.
Thus:
Monday, October 12, 2009 hails the opening of Rocky Mountain Family Chiropractic in Bountiful , UT. A website is being prepared at http://www.rockymountainfamilychiropractic.com/. I have one (almost two) patients scheduled so far and hope to have that increase substantially!
We are very excited.... and scared. But, again, we know this is the right decision for us right now. We appreciate all the prayers and thoughts on our behalf and recognize how nice it is to have concerned family and friends.
So, spread the word and let all your Bountiful/Woods Cross friends know that we're opening!
So let it be written, so let it be DONE!
That's the prison in the distance.
A fully clothed Challene cheesin' it up while hanging stars.
