In 2013, I was stressed out from my job as a clinical director at an agency. I wanted out and I was looking for a job. I came across a local private practice renting out space. In my curiosity, I decided to check out the space and immediately knew that going into private practice was the answer I’d been looking for.
Over that next weekend, Memorial weekend 2013, instead of going to pool parties and sipping on my favorite beverages, I decided to start a private practice. And as they say, the rest is history.
Here are my steps I took in order to start my practice and some additional steps you can take to start your practice in one weekend:
FIND A LOCATION
- Identify a private practice you can rent from on an hourly, weekly or monthly basis and sign a contract with them. Renting from someone else can really help to keep costs low because you generally only have to pay when you use the office.
PURCHASE LIABILITY INSURANCE
- Purchase liability insurance if you don’t already have some. You will need liability insurance. Here’s another good thing: you pay based on how many clients you see each week/month so the cost is generally affordable in the beginning.
GET A WEBSITE
- Contact someone for a website. In this market, you need a website. Not having a website is going to hurt you, especially if you are new. There are some people who are successful without a website, but those people are the exception to the rule.
CREATE A FACEBOOK BUSINESS PAGE
- Create a Facebook Business Page and invite everyone you know. This is quick and free to do. Be sure to include contact information. Start posting goodwill content immediately. Facebook will let you schedule content so I suggest scheduling posts on every business day for the next month.
GET A PHONE SYSTEM
- Decide if you are going to use your cell phone or another phone service for your calls. Google Voice is a common way therapists continue to use their cell phone without using their personal number. There are other platforms including Grasshopper and Spruce Health.
SIGN-UP FOR PSYCHOLOGY TODAY
- Sign-up for Psychology Today and create your profile. You probably don’t have professional pictures so grab your cell phone and use portrait mode to create a great picture until you can get professional ones done.
SEND AN EMAIL TO REFERRAL SOURCES
- Draft an email to 90 people you know and let them know you are in private practice and will be accepting referrals. Be sure to include your contact information so they can send you referrals.
ORDER BUSINESS CARDS
- Order business cards even if you think they are outdated. You will need business cards. Vistaprint is still one of the best places to get inexpensive and quick business cards made. My business cards come from Vistaprint and I get lots of compliments on them. Moo is a great resource especially if you are looking for original or out of the ordinary business cards.
START A BLOG
- Start blogging! I didn’t start this one until I got my website up and running; however I strongly recommend you start writing blogposts right away. In the beginning, write a lot and share often. You want people to know you exist and that you are an expert. Blogging is a free way you can start doing just that. And since your website is not up yet, just keep the blogposts for when your website goes live and you’ll be able to publish a bunch of content right away.
START NICHING
- Start identifying your niche. Consider the types of trainings you have already had. Think about what types of clients energize you. Start to narrow down the types of clients you want to work with.
USE AN ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD
- Start off with a technologically advanced practice by using an electronic health record. This way you won’t have to carry around files and find someplace to put them. Everything will be digital. In the future, you’ll be happy you made that decision. TherapyNotes can help you stay organized and connected to your clients right from the start.
You can start a private practice in one weekend and get the foundation for a very successful practice laid out. Just make sure that weekend happens to be a three day one!
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Amanda Patterson is a private practice consultant who helps therapists create business and marketing plans. She’s the owner of a group practice, Caring Therapists in South Florida. She’s the founder of My Private Practice Collective, an online community for therapists in private practice.
