About this episode
Part start-up story, part industry conversation, this episode looks at what it really takes to grow a clinic when nobody knows who you are yet.
Michael sits down with Josh Newsom, founder of Ancoats Chiropractic, to talk about opening a clinic just a year after qualifying, building it from scratch, and learning very quickly that getting patients through the door takes more than simply being good clinically.
They get into the changing face of chiropractic, why younger chiropractors are moving towards more evidence-based care, and how Josh has built his clinic around rehab, patient education and a broader MSK approach rather than relying purely on adjustments.
But the bigger theme running through the episode is relationship marketing.
Josh explains how office talks, local businesses, run clubs, referrals, and simply getting out into the community helped grow the clinic when traditional marketing budgets were limited. Michael and Josh explore why these relationships can be one of the most valuable growth tools for a new clinic, especially in the early stages when nobody knows your name yet.
Show Notes
- Why Josh opened a clinic so soon after qualifying
- The changing reputation of chiropractic
- Moving away from adjustment-only models
- Combining chiropractic with rehab and MSK care
- Educating patients who only want to be adjusted
- Bringing physiotherapy into a chiropractic clinic
- Why legal and financial advice matters when starting out
- Building a clinic with very little marketing budget
- Using office talks to generate new patients
- Why cold outreach can still work
- Building relationships with local businesses
- Growing through run clubs and community connections
- Turning happy patients into referral sources
- Making referrals more personal to individual clinicians
- Incentives, bonuses and team performance
- Hiring for personality rather than just clinical experience
- Why relationship marketing matters so much for start-up clinics
What You’ll Learn
- Why being a good clinician is not enough to grow a new clinic
- How relationship marketing can generate patients without a huge ad budget
- Why local businesses can become valuable referral partners
- How office talks can create completely new patient streams
- Why existing patients can be one of your best marketing channels
- How to make referrals part of the patient journey
- How to make referral conversations feel more personal
- How rehab can sit alongside chiropractic care
- Why hiring for personality can matter more than experience
- What Josh learned from taking investment too early
- Why good legal and financial advice matters from day one
- How relationships can help a clinic grow before paid marketing really kicks in
Who This Episode is For
- New and aspiring clinic owners
- Chiropractors considering opening their own practice
- MSK clinic owners trying to grow locally
- Healthcare businesses with limited marketing budgets
- Practice owners looking to generate more referrals
- Anyone interested in relationship-led clinic growth
Guest Details
Josh Newsom – Founder, Ancoats Chiropractic
Josh Newsom is the founder of Ancoats Chiropractic in Manchester.
After qualifying as a chiropractor, Josh opened his own clinic within around a year and has spent the last two years building the business, growing the team and developing a more evidence-led approach to chiropractic and rehabilitation.
Much of the clinic’s early growth came through relationships, referrals, local businesses and community connections, an approach that has helped Josh build visibility in a highly competitive Manchester MSK market.
