One dreamed of ridding Asheville of every pain in the neck; the other of helping people prevent pain. They brought with them to Western North Carolina their dreams, degrees in chiropractic, experience in their chosen profession, a theoretical knowledge of business planning and two dogs.
Owner/Founder
Dr. Terri Lechner and Dr. Jason Martin
1000 Haywood Road, Suite C
West Asheville
NC
28806
United States
How SCORE Helped
In the three years since they founded Asheville Pain and Wellness Center, Drs. Terri Lechner and Jason Martin have made long strides toward their goals. They no longer work seven days every week and have added equipment and three staff members. Their client base includes people with short-term needs due to acute injuries and a growing number enrolled in the Center’s wellness and pain prevention plan. Many of their patients have been with the practice since the first year when the doctors performed free screenings at the flea market and fitness centers. Word-of-mouth has become their greatest marketing tool; one person has alone referred several dozen people to the Center.
In the beginning…
“What we learned about business planning in school wasn’t what we really needed to get up and running,” said Dr. Martin. “SCORE was a big help. We linked up with a counselor, Don Sinclair, whose background as a chiropractor and in marketing was just exactly what we needed. We also got a lot out of the seminars.”
“We joined the Chamber early on,” added Dr. Lechner. “And the networking it afforded was as valuable as access to demographic information about the area.”
A passion for the business and professional strength are nothing more than the bare necessities for success, according to Lechner and Martin. A sound, detailed business plan with realistic projections and budget may attract the capital needed to get started. But, for a business to get off the ground, branding and marketing are essential.
What’s the secret to their success? They summarize it with a phrase borrowed from a novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde: “Pay it forward.”
To Jason and Terri, paying it forward is both a business strategy and a life goal. It means re-investing a major portion of profits in continuously improving their business. And it includes giving back to the community. For example, they give their time and expertise without “pay back” to Project Access and are strong supporters of the Humane Society and Animal Haven.
Pay it forward – repay the good you’ve received by performing an unconditional favor for someone else. Good stuff; good business; good for Asheville Pain and Wellness Center. Telephone: 828.258.2225 Internet: go to www.necknbackpain.com and click on “Contact Us”.
"Working with my SCORE representative Herman Metzler has been incredibly beneficial. He confirms when I'm on the right track or counsels me to consider different approaches to situations. He counsels me to think ouside the box. As a fledging business I benefit from the wealth of his business experiences and wisdom. I heartily recommend SCORE to new businesses."
Published Jan. 16, 2012
Key to New Business or any Business Success
By Mark R. Rosenzweig, SCORE NE Mass Counselor
When I was a young boy, my mother would keep the household funds in a set of jars each with a label of what the money in the jar was for….one for food, one for the milkman, one for the butcher, etc. My father would give my mother the household funds and she would stuff the jars. When she bought something she would take the cash out of the jar to pay for it and at the end of the month she would see what was left.
Published Jan. 16, 2012
Knowing your break-even point on specific products, services and the overall business operation is the key to strategic planning and maintaining and increasing profitability during the long term.
By Jeffrey Moses, www.nfib.com
Many small-business owners focus on the profitability of their operations rather than spending time determining their break-even point. This is natural because profits are the ultimate essential for anyone running a nonprofit business. However, knowing your break-even point on specific products, services and the overall business operation is the key to strategic planning and maintaining and increasing profitability during the long term.
Published Jan. 16, 2012
Here are seven tips on salesmanship that can help you develop that special rapport with potential customers.
By Lambeth Hochwald, www.entrepreneur.com
It isn't always enough to create and promote an outstanding product or service. Often, your sales approach matters just as much as what you're selling. The most successful entrepreneurs create a connection with the customer by bringing their own personal touch to the sales process.
Published Jan. 16, 2012
Small businesses received the biggest reduction in their credit card processing charges in the history of the electronic payment industry. Most small businesses will not realize these savings unless they take action.
By Michael O'Hare, President, BlindBid, a small business cost reduction company
Small businesses received the biggest reduction in their credit card processing charges in the history of the electronic payment industry. Most small businesses will not realize these savings unless they take action.
Published Jan. 16, 2012
"How do you sell more to the customers you already have?"
By Richard L Gordon, author of the book "A Line Out The Door"
Hopefully you've come to realize by now that there are two ways to produce more business: you either can bring in new customers or you can sell more to the ones that you already have. If you've run the numbers or watched the most successful and profitable retailers you should know by now that it's easier (and more profitable) to sell more to the customers you already have.
Published Jan. 12, 2012
By Sidney Kotzen, SCORE Business Accredited Counselor, Chapter 411, SCORE NE Mass
The most frequent recommendation made in counseling for those who desire to start a new business is you need a business plan. Although people flinch when they hear the words Business Plan it really does serve a critical purpose. The purpose of the business plan, first and foremost, is to test the feasibility of a business idea. If the final conclusion is that the plan does not look like it will lead to a success, it is better not to proceed.
Published Jan. 12, 2012
It is critical that you, the business owner, correctly determine whether the individuals providing services are employees or independent contractors.
It is critical that you, the business owner, correctly determine whether the individuals providing services are employees or independent contractors. Generally, you must withhold income taxes, withhold and pay Social Security and Medicare taxes, and pay unemployment tax on wages paid to an employee. You do not generally have to withhold or pay any taxes on payments to independent contractors.
Published Jan. 12, 2012
By Alvah Parker, SCORE Accredited Business Counselor
Asking the customer for the business is something that is difficult for many entrepreneurs. For some it feels awkward. Others expect the customer to ask to buy. Still others just forget to do it. Sales are often missed or delayed simply because the seller has forgotten to give the prospect an invitation to buy from him/her.
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