Leland Wear knew exactly what kind of chiropractor he wanted to be. He’d built his own practice from the ground up in Cleveland, Tennessee, and learned firsthand what it looked like to run a clinic the right way. Keeping that standard meant a lot to him, enough that when the path forward got complicated, he kept looking for a way back to it.

He closed his practice in 2021 and spent the next few years working for others, searching for the right fit. It never quite came together. By August 2025, he was back at square one.

He and his wife had always talked about opening again.

“Eventually, circumstances lined up in a way that made it a good option, so we decided to move forward,” Wear said. “For my own mental health, I realized I needed to work for myself and build something that aligned with my values.”

Ocoee Chiropractic opened in September 2025, with full operations underway by December. Wear runs the practice out of a 14-foot trailer he outfitted himself, parking a few days a week at a local business lot in Cleveland.

“The mobile setup gives me flexibility to meet patients where they are,” he said.

Building out the trailer himself took longer than expected. By the time Ocoee Chiropractic was ready to see patients, the startup funds were spent. There was nothing left for marketing, which turned out to be the piece he needed most.

“Marketing isn’t my strong suit, and I knew I needed professional help with that,” Wear said. “Right now, getting marketing properly in place is probably the biggest hurdle for the business.”

A referral from the Tennessee Small Business Development Center (SBDC) connected him with the Lending Team at Communities Unlimited (CU). CU Loan Officer Alex Cordero worked with Wear to secure a Small Business Administration (SBA) Microloan in March 2026, walking alongside him from application through approval and structuring the loan around the specific gaps in the business.

Some of the funds went towards trailer modifications that make setting up and tearing down the mobile unit faster. Some went towards a marketing agency that works specifically with chiropractic practices. And other funds covered wrapping the trailer with the Ocoee Chiropractic logo and graphics, so every trip through town becomes a moving advertisement.

“The last couple of months have felt pretty stagnant in terms of growth,” Wear said. “Receiving this funding feels like an opportunity to break out of that and really grow the practice. It helps fill in some of the shortcomings I’ve had and gives me the ability to move things forward.”

With marketing in place and the trailer properly branded, Ocoee Chiropractic has what it needs to grow into the practice Wear built it to be, one patient at a time, on his own terms.

“I’m very grateful that I was able to make this connection (with CU) and I’m excited about the future,” Wear said.