FARGO, ND – During a time when many businesses are selling their buildings and office spaces and moving to remote work, Dr. Anna Petry D.C., Owner of Balance Restored Chiropractic in Fargo, North Dakota, is going against the trend by upsizing her business in an exciting move forward.
A Fargo native, Dr. Petry has spent time living and working all around the world. After graduating from high school, Anna enlisted in the Minnesota Army National Guard; she was deployed to Iraq from 2005-2007. Upon her return and the completion of her military commitment, she obtained her Bachelor of Sciences Degree and a Doctor of Chiropractic from Northwestern Health Sciences University located in Bloomington, Minnesota. She didn’t remain state-side for long after completing her studies and moved around the world to New Zealand where she launched her chiropractic career. She was there for two years until she decided to move home to be closer to family and friends. She then spent over a year working at another chiropractic clinic in Fargo.
Dr. Petry attributes her desire to open her own chiropractic office to the experience she gained working in previous offices. “I worked within another chiropractic office which allowed me to gain confidence on the business side of small business and after a year or so, I realized I wanted to take a leap of faith and jump all in on making something my own,” she shared.
Balance Restored Chiropractic’s services include chiropractic care and adjustments, electrical stimulation and ultrasound, active release and soft tissue techniques, muscle work and therapy, and a new infrared sauna. At Balance Restored Chiropractic, Dr. Petry is passionate about making sure her clients not only get care, but that they also understand the why and what of their chiropractic care. Education is a main goal of the business as Dr. Petry is driven by her desire to help patients to, “better understand what they are doing in their everyday life that may be contributing to their symptoms and suggest changes outside of the office to also benefit their well-being.”
Dr. Petry attributes the success of her business to a few things – the first being her stubbornness, which she says has allowed her to persevere and continue following her dream! She is also incredibly thankful for the exceptional support she has received from the Fargo-Moorhead community.
Because of Dr. Petry’s support system and stubbornness, her business has grown since its inception in 2017. When it first opened, Balance Restored Chiropractic was housed in one room within a shared office space. But Dr. Petry soon realized, “I had this business that I started, and I wanted more and really didn’t know where to start.” Then she heard about the North Dakota Small Business Development Centers (ND SBDC) and their no-cost business advising services.
“When I had the idea that I wanted to build my own space, I started the conversation and a friend had mentioned how the SBDC is a great asset,” said Dr. Petry. She was pleasantly surprised to learn that the SBDC serves both new and existing businesses and then she connected with Paul Smith, Fargo’s ND SBDC center director, for business advisor.
During the course of eight months, the SBDC assisted Dr. Petry in building a business plan, obtaining industry and local market data, and developing sound financial assumptions and three-year detailed financial projections. The project was financed through a SBA 504 loan, and the SBDC worked closely with her lending partners, First International Bank & Trust and Dakota Business Lending.
“I was blown away by the professionalism that Paul Smith gave me,” said Dr. Petry of her experience. “It can be very intimidating to present your DREAM to someone as you become passionate and protective of what you believe you can do, and the last thing you want is for someone to squander that. However, the process was great. It was overwhelming as we went through a lot of information, but they provide you with the clarity of where you are now and give you an outline of what you need to do to get to your objective.”
Thanks to Dr. Petry’s hard work and perseverance, Balance Restored Chiropractic’s brand-new building opened August 1st, 2020. “I really enjoyed working with Dr. Anna who was very determined and quick to pick up what she needed to learn on the business side,” said Smith, “It was great to be at her Chamber ribbon-cutting ceremony in early September to see her dream come to fruition.”
It’s a hard time to be a business owner, but Dr. Petry has some advice for other entrepreneurs, “Find a great support system. This doesn’t have to be within the same profession, however, find a few good people that are always constant supporters of you and your business. It’s okay to have hard days and realize it’s also okay to ask for help when you need it!”
