5 Key Strategies for Starting and Growing a Successful Private Practice
- Posted: October 2, 2017
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- TheraNest Team
Tips on how to start and grow your private practice
You’ve finally started your private practice, now what? Building a successful private practice has more steps than you may have imagined—not only do you have to be a good clinician, but you also have to be a savvy entrepreneur. So whether you’re getting your practice off the ground or you’re looking to grow your already established private practice, here are key strategies you can use to ensure the success of your business.1. Define an Ideal Customer
You would never create a product without having a customer in mind. In the same vein, you shouldn’t start a private practice without knowing who you want to cater to. Therapy is a wide and varied field—before you invest both your time and resources into building a private practice—identify your specialization. Take time to figure out who you want your ideal clients to be. Think about the following questions:- Where does your expertise lie?
- Who are you trained to support?
- What type of clients are you looking for?
2. Create a Digital Presence
In today’s age, almost everything is done over the internet. When looking for a therapist, the first step many of your potential clients will take is to search for therapists in their local area via an internet search engine. Not having a digital presence means that you’re losing out on all of those potential clients. You can mitigate this situation with three easy steps:- Create a (nice) website
- Become active on social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc.)
- Create online directory profiles (Psychology Today, Psychologist Locator from the APA, Good Therapy, etc.)
- Staff member’s names (and profile pictures)
- Address and hours
- Contact information
- Insurance acceptance and rates
3. Build Your Referral Network
Networking is an important part of any career, however, for a growing private practice, it is absolutely essential. Creating a referral network of trusted colleagues and other professionals is a great way to build your client base and establish credibility in your local area. You can start creating a solid referral network by:- Reaching out to other mental health practitioners in your area.
- Finding local networking events to attend.
- Joining online discussion boards that are relevant to both your area of expertise and your geographical location.
4. Get an EHR/ Practice Management Tool
Managing a practice while also seeing clients can be stressful. Thankfully there are tools you can utilize to make your life a bit easier. When starting a private practice, investing in a quality Practice Management application can make all the difference in the success of your business. To make sure you select the best software for your private practice, consider the following questions:- Does the software have the functionalities I most commonly use?
- Is the software easy for me and my staff to use?
- Will this software help me provide better care to my clients?
- Does the software fulfill my needs as both a business owner and a therapist?