The owners of a new chiropractors in Dundee said their “huge gamble” to buy a premises in the city is already paying off.
Rachel Speid and partner Thomas Doig, both 27, recently opened Absolute Chiropractic on Lawers Drive in Broughty Ferry.
The pair, both originally from Dundee, met at Monifieth High School while pupils more than 10 years ago.
After six years away studying and practicing as chiropractors, they believe now was the “perfect” opportunity to start their own branch.
Thomas said the pair have invested a six-figure fee in renovating the building as well as adding x-ray machinery.
Absolute Chiropractic focus on the nervous system and how it works in order to treat health conditions related to the bones, muscles and joints.
‘We wanted things to be done our way’
Thomas said while looking at a return to the city of discovery, the pair quickly realised they would love to do things their own way.
He began his journey in 2015, moving to Bournemouth to study — while Rachel did the same five years later.
Thomas said: “Both of us have been chiropractors for a little while now and have picked up some experience from other clinics.
“It was always in the back of my mind that we would be back up here and when we agreed the time was right to start our own clinic we had a look.
“Having our own premises meant we could make it the right place for us and have things exactly as we want.”
Thomas and Rachel took their time in order to find the right place and have since invested heavily in their Lawers Drive premises.
Thomas added: “I’m so glad we waited for the building we did because it has so many pros.
“For a chiropractor you need to have great access and we’re all on one level, have parking nearby and are easy to find.
“We actually bought it last year and have changed it a lot. We had to wait a while for various planning permissions and so it took a little bit of time to open our doors.
“Between the renovations and the x-ray equipment, I’d say it has cost us something in the six figures.”
Absolute Chiropractic owners’ ‘huge gamble’ is ‘paying off’
Rachel said the pair decided to take a “huge gamble” and buy the property, but they are already seeing it pay off.
They aim to help people in the area with health and lifestyle issues and wants to educate on things which “aren’t taught in school”.
Rachel said: “I’ve always had a keen interest in the body, I used to play tennis quite a bit.
“I picked up a degree in biomedicine and decided to be a chiropractor. We want to offer the best experience for our customers possible.”
Thomas, whose interest was sparked by the body’s ability to self heal and self adapt, wants the business to be able to help people get back to life without pain.
He said: “For some clients it may be as simple as being able to put socks on in the morning, but for others it might be climbing Ben Nevis.
“What we do is allowing people to get back to what they’re doing and their passions, which have stopped because of an injury.”
At the moment, the pair are alternating between the chiropractor role and the front desk role in order to keep business running smoothly.
However, after adding a self-employed massage therapist to their facilities, they will be looking to add staff members to the team in the next couple of months.
Chiropractor pair would ‘love’ to expand
Rachel said although things are still in early days, she would love to look at expansion in the next five or 10 years.
She said: “Just now we want to be able to make sure everyone leaves with a smile on their face.
“Over years of working elsewhere we have learned a lot and now we’re able to encompass it all ourselves.
“There’s a high demand in the area so in the future we may look at adding more chiropractors.
“Long term, I’d love to expand and find a unit bigger than this where we also are able to do workshops and health talks.”
Absolute Chiropractic will host an open day on July 27 to showcase its services to locals.
Conversation