Is your dream to work for yourself? Many of you that dream of private practice long for the freedom and flexibility that it provides. I truly believe that private practice is one of the best ways to create an ideal lifestyle and financial freedom.
When my son was born, my private practice allowed me to work only when I wanted. I saw clients on evenings and weekends, when my husband was home with Connor. This was truly the best possible situation for all of us. My son got to have lots of time with both of his parents, and my husband got to experience being a very hands-on dad to a newborn. But I think I truly got the most benefit from the arrangement. I was able to divide my time between my family and my work in a way that was perfect. I didn’t have to stop seeing clients, and I also didn’t sacrifice time with my precious baby. As Connor got older, and my daughter was born, I was able to slowly work my way back into seeing more clients. I was always in control of my schedule.
Even to this day, I never have to worry about missing a school performance, a soccer game, or a special event. I just schedule around those important events. For me, this is truly the epitome of work-life balance. I love being able to spend my days doing what I love, and knowing that my family doesn’t have to pay the price.
This is one of the greatest benefits of private practice. But it isn’t just about the freedom and flexibility; it’s also about the pride of building something that’s all yours. It’s about making your dream a reality. It’s about unlimited financial potential.
For many therapists, counselors, and psychologists, private practice and the dream of working for themselves is what drew them into this field. However, there is a tremendous gap between working FOR yourself and working BY yourself. New therapists often confuse these two. They think that because they want to work FOR themselves, they should be able to do it all themselves. This simply isn’t the case.
Working for yourself means focusing on those things that you are best at, and getting the guidance and support you need in the areas that aren’t your strengths. Trying to do it all yourself is a surefire path to frustration and costly mistakes. Many people refer to this as the “school of hard knocks,” and it is one of the costliest ways to build a business.
The challenge is that you just don’t know what you don’t know. I realize that statement might sound a little silly, but I see therapists all the time who are acting as if they know what they don’t know. For instance, do you know how to determine if a particular specialty is in demand in your area? Do you know how to do demographic research and choose an ideal location for your office? Do you know how to create a business and marketing plan that will attract clients to your practice?
Each of these is an essential element in building a profitable private practice, and for most of you, the answer is that you DON’T know how to do them properly. Therefore, you may find yourself stuck and frustrated, and not even sure what you’re doing wrong.
Working for yourself and building a profitable private practice requires that you figure out where you need help, and then make sure you get the help you need.
If you are planning to open a private practice, or if you have recently opened one, I’d like to offer you a FREE copy of my “Launching a Private Practice Checklist.” This will show you the 21 elements you need to put in place to make your new practice a success. To grab your copy, click here.