In August 2017, Dr. Brady Wilson founded Victory Chiropractic in Britt, Iowa, where he was born and raised. While finishing his studies at Palmer Chiropractic School, he decided he would come back to Britt to start his career. “I always knew I wanted to come back to Britt to build my business and raise my family,” he said. Dr. Brady seized the opportunity to purchase and fully renovate a defunct Casey’s Gas Station building and lot. His familiarity with Britt meant that he could focus his real estate search on well-trafficked and easily accessible locations. By renovating the empty building, Dr. Brady transformed a community eyesore into a center of community wellness. Reviving this vacant building in the heart of downtown Britt took time, hands-on help from both family and the community, and support from local economic development and financial institutions.

Dr. Brady reached out to Jill Kramer, Hancock County Economic Development Executive Director, who reached out to Brook Boehmler, Regional Director of the North Iowa Area SBDC, to help with his plans to purchase a building. He also worked with BIDCO (Britt Industrial Development Corporation) and Eric Newton of First State Bank in Britt during this process. Dr. Brady worked with Eric Newton, President of First State Bank in Britt, an independent locally managed community bank, to seek financing. He noted that working with his local bank was an advantage in expediting the financing process. “You’re not just a statistic or a number to your community bank,” Dr. Brady explained. “They get to know you, they’re invested in your success. They want you to succeed in their community. It’s been a valuable relationship.”

Dr. Brady sees Victory Chiropractic as part of the important entrepreneurial ecosystem of a small rural Iowa town. “We’re all connected in a small town. When local people support local business – our local hardware store or grocery stores, our local restaurants – it helps everyone, at every level,” he said. Victory Chiropractic gives back to the community wherever it can by sponsoring events, school activities, tractor rides. Dr. Brady used Victory Chiropractic’s Grand Opening to partner with a group raising money for new playground equipment. The Grand Opening raised over $1,000, with Victory Chiropractic matching all donations. In turn, their patients have supported Victory Chiropractic. Victory Chiropractic draws patients from across the North Iowa region, with some driving up to an hour to access chiropractic care.

While low overhead costs and high quality of life are key factors, there is another benefit of returning to your hometown to start a business: word of mouth marketing is very effective. Dr. Brady recommends this to other entrepreneurs who are thinking of starting a business in a small town. “When you live and work in a small town, people know who you are,” he explains. “You have a reputation of trust to build your business on. And if you build a reputation of quality and good service, people will come because word travels fast in a small town. In a smaller community, you don’t have to battle the high operating costs by seeing more patients in a day; you can focus on building a relationship with your clients and providing a quality service.”

For more information, visit https://www.victoryiowa.com/