McCleary Chiropractic
For Grant and Hannah McCleary, chiropractic care is a family affair. The husband-and-wife team owns and operates McCleary Chiropractic on the north side of Evansville, where they provide care for the entire family, from babies just days old to parents and grandparents, as well as athletes. Patients seek their care for a variety of concerns, including low back and neck pain, hip, knee and ankle pain, and arthritis management. McCleary Chiropractic recently celebrated its one-year anniversary!
Grant has been a chiropractor for four years, but his connection to the profession started long before that. His father was a chiropractor for nearly 30 years before passing away in 2013. “I loved watching how he helped people. I always knew it was something I wanted to do,” Grant said. After graduating from the University of Southern Indiana and completing chiropractic school in Florida, Grant worked at another chiropractic office for several years. About a year and a half ago, he and Hannah decided it was time to take the leap and open a practice of their own.
Their location has a special connection to Grant’s family. His father practiced in Princeton and, after experiencing health challenges, eventually rented an office just a couple of doors down from where McCleary Chiropractic is located today. “We are the first chiropractor on the north side of Evansville,” Grant said. “We have loved the location so far, and it has far exceeded our expectations.” The space was already built out as a medical office, which meant they didn't have to do much to prepare it for their practice.
While Grant knew the clinical side of running a chiropractic practice, the business side was a different story. The McClearys were introduced to the Southwest Indiana SBDC when Grant’s mom saw an advertisement for an SBDC class and noticed that it was offered at no cost. She attended the class on their behalf, and they connected with a business advisor soon after.
“Knowing it was confidential, we started working with Mike Harmon,” Grant said. Their SBDC advisor helped them conduct market research to determine whether their planned location made sense for their business. After Mike retired, the McClearys began working with advisor David Jones, who has continued to be an important resource.
“David has been a huge help,” Grant said. “His marketing tips and tricks have been phenomenal for how to get into the community. He helps us bounce ideas off him and figure out ways to make them better.”
The McClearys have learned quickly that treating patients is actually the easy part of owning a business. “Time management has been a challenge in the first year,” Grant said. “We also have a young toddler. Treating patients is the easiest part of my day! Record keeping, payroll, notes, cleaning, marketing - the tasks don’t seem to end.” Grant and Hannah handle most of the day-to-day business operations, with help from Grant’s mom, who assists with childcare and cleaning. They also rely on professional partners, including Kemper CPA, for payroll and accounting support. “They’ve been phenomenal, and if they don’t have the answer, they find it.”
Despite the long list of responsibilities, the highlight has been watching their dream become reality and getting to build it together. “We have the same dream and mission that we are passionate about,” Grant said. Hannah has been Grant’s biggest supporter throughout the process, encouraging him to take the leap and now helping with marketing and the behind-the-scenes work. Their family, friends and professional partners have also encouraged them along the way.
Grant's advice to other aspiring business owners is this: “There is never a good time to start a business, so you just have to sit down and start it.” He admits that knowing everything involved in starting a business might have been intimidating if he had seen the full picture beforehand. Instead, he and Hannah have learned to take things one day and one problem at a time. “Things come up every few days that we have to figure out how to handle.”
The McClearys plan to continue growing and serving more people in the years ahead. “We are super passionate about our care and people, so we want to keep doing more of that,” Grant said. One of his favorite parts of the job is meeting people from different walks of life, hearing their stories and working with patients of all ages.
For anyone interested in chiropractic care, visit the McCleary Chiropractic website to make an appointment and learn more about how they can help you and your family.
The Southwest Indiana SBDC is proud to support entrepreneurs like Grant and Hannah as they turn their ideas into successful businesses. “It’s exciting to see a new client come to the SBDC for guidance and then have the opportunity to work with them through the startup process, launch, and development of their marketing strategy,” David said.
If you're facing a milestone in your business - starting, expanding, changing direction, or simply trying to figure out what's next - call the Southwest Indiana SBDC for no-cost, confidential assistance.