Implementing Your Hedgehog Concept and Treatment Models

Welcome back to the Seven Figure Chiro series, where we help you elevate your chiropractic practice. In this post, we’ll focus on putting your plans into action—turning your vision, goals, and strategies into tangible results for your business, team, and patients.

Before diving into actionable steps, let’s revisit some essentials we’ve covered in previous episodes:

1. Hedgehog Concept: Find the intersection of passion, skill, and economic drivers.
2. BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal): Define a bold vision for your practice.
3. Team Building: Get the right people on the bus and the wrong ones off.
4. Vision Communication: Share a compelling 10- to 20-year outlook for your business.

These foundational pieces are non-negotiable for scaling your practice effectively. Now, let’s implement them.

Your Hedgehog Concept—what you’re most passionate about, best at, and financially driven by—must be clear to your team, patients, and community.

Why Clarity Matters

When patients or community members don’t see how you stand out, they may default to other providers. Differentiation starts with articulating what makes you unique.

Example:
At our practice, we emphasize a treatment model combining chiropractic and physical therapy—the same approach used by elite professional sports teams. This unique model ensures patients receive exceptional outcomes and elite-level care, setting us apart from general chiropractors.

• Team Training: Ensure your staff confidently shares your Hedgehog Concept with patients and external contacts.
• Community Engagement: When networking or speaking publicly, highlight how your approach delivers superior results.
• Patient Messaging: During consultations, explain the value of your unique methods, building trust and confidence in your care.

Without structured treatment plans, you risk inconsistent results and financial unpredictability. Treatment models should:

• Address clinical and functional diagnoses.
• Provide clear pathways for patient recovery.
• Align with your financial goals.

• Identify Common Conditions: Focus on the top 10 reasons patients visit, such as neck pain, low back pain, or sports injuries.
• Combine Acute and Functional Care: 
  • Acute care addresses immediate pain relief (e.g., 1–5 visits).
  • Functional care targets long-term recovery and prevention (e.g., 6 weeks of combined therapy).
• Incorporate Multiple Services: Blend manual therapy, adjustments, therapeutic exercises, and assisted stretching.

Example Treatment Protocol:

• Phase 1: Acute Care (1–2 weeks)

• Phase 2: Functional Recovery (6 weeks)

• Total Visits: 18 (average)

This approach enables you to predict patient needs, streamline staff workload, and optimize financial outcomes.

Every treatment plan must be backed by clear metrics:

• Cost Analysis: Understand the cost of services, equipment, and staff time.
• Profit Margins: Set fees that ensure profitability while delivering value.
• Patient Metrics: Track visit averages, compliance rates, and retention.

Why Metrics Matter

Metrics allow you to:

• Forecast growth and revenue.
• Scale staffing needs.
• Adjust pricing and service offerings based on real data.

Consistency is critical. Train your team to deliver a unified message about your Hedgehog Concept and treatment plans.

• Onboarding: Share your vision with new hires during the interview process.
• Weekly Meetings: Regularly review goals, patient feedback, and statistics with your team.
• Role-Playing: Practice conversations about your unique approach to ensure staff are confident and effective in patient interactions.

Failing to plan is planning to fail. By defining your Hedgehog Concept, structuring treatment plans, and aligning your team, you position your practice for sustainable growth and exceptional patient outcomes.

Your next step? Standardize your operating procedures—the focus of our upcoming episode.

Stay Tuned!

In our next post, we’ll explore how to create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to streamline your processes and make scaling your practice easier.

Until then, start implementing these strategies and keep up the good fight!