No one wants to make mistakes, especially when starting a new venture. This blog lists the top 5 mistakes to avoid in Private Practice. These mistakes are what I have seen happen many times in the years I have worked with therapists in Private Practice so don’t feel alone if any resonate with you.
Continue reading to see if you are making any of these mistakes but don’t feel bad if you are. There are lots of ways you can rectify the mistakes if you are making them and I have lots of additional resources available to you.
#Mistake 1 - Not Realising Private Practice is a Business
When you start your Private practice it is so important you realise that it is a business. Ensure to set yourself up legally and know your legal and tax obligations. You can check out my Private Practice Business Setup Guide for more help with this.
It’s also important to know what you need to earn and how many clients you will need to see to accomplish this. You can check out my blog about setting fees in Private Practice for more information on how you can work out your session fees.
When you start your Private practice it is so important you realise that it is a business.
#Mistake 2 - Not Setting Yourself a Schedule
I have spoken to a lot of therapists and a top mistake they’ve made is not having a weekly schedule. Allowing clients to move around session times, working more nights than they’d like or working weekends. You may be happy to work evenings and weekends but being strict with your time boundaries will help you not to feel resentful or burn out.
Once you know how many sessions you need/would like to work on and schedule them into your calendar. Choose the days and times YOU want to work. It can be helpful to add a couple of additional spare slots that clients can reschedule to if needed. These are slots you have allocated rather than allowing clients free range over your diary.
It’s also important to schedule in regular admin time. This can consist of having regular times to check emails rather than checking constantly throughout the day. It can also be for updating client notes, invoicing, bookkeeping etc. Having specific times of the day/week for these tasks can help admin not become overwhelming and all-consuming.
One of my favourite things is to time block and you can read more about this HERE.
#Mistake 3 - Not Properly Onboarding Clients
This is a biggie but what does onboarding mean. You may like to refer to it as intake rather than onboarding. It is a system you use for all new clients to get them from an enquiry to a regular client in your Practice.
After working with me and implementing an onboarding system one of my clients noticed a huge increase in client retention. It is much easier to keep a client rather than get a new one so this practice alone can really increase revenue for you.
You can read more about my onboarding process for clients here.
#Mistake 4 - Invoicing & Getting Paid
Invoicing can be a real headache. Whatever way you choose to invoice there will be some admin involved. Some quick tips for invoicing:
Always send a physical invoice
Either manually or using an invoicing platform like Stripe or PayPal. Your clients are more likely to pay on time if you do.
Be consistent with your invoicing
Choose the way you want to invoice and stick to it. You are more likely to get paid on time if your clients know when you will be invoicing them.
Keep a manual invoice log
Unless you are using an invoicing tool which you can easily view unpaid invoices keep a manual invoice log. You will then easily be able to see what invoices are outstanding to send reminders to your clients. If you want a ready made log, I have one for you. It comes with an invoice template and a video tutorial to get you started. You can check out the details HERE.
Regularly check bank account
Do this at least once a week to update who has paid and what is outstanding. It’s also important to keep an eye on your cash flow.
Send overdue reminders each week
Don’t feel uncomfortable sending reminders to your clients who haven’t paid. Create a template and then just personalise it with the client's name and invoice details. For repeat offenders or if multiple invoices are unpaid speak to them about it within the session to ascertain the reason for the non-payment.
I have lots of resources on Invoicing but my free download will really help you decide the best way for your Practice.
Don’t feel uncomfortable sending reminders to your clients who haven’t paid.
#Mistake 5 - Not Getting Help
It may seem counteractive to spend money on help HOWEVER I’m here to tell you that this couldn’t be further from the truth.
It will also be their job to communicate with and onboard clients which will hopefully see you retain clients for longer. Not only that but having someone in charge of invoicing can help you distance yourself from that side of things. It allows someone else outside the therapeutic relationship to request money and send reminders when invoices remain unpaid.
VAs generally charge quite a bit less hourly than a therapist so you would be able to cover the cost by seeing one or two additional clients a week. If you don’t want to see more clients you will at least get some free time back to do things you enjoy.
You can check out my blog on 8 Things you can Outsource to a Virtual Assistant when you’re in Private Practice or you can check out ways you can work with us.
Hiring a professional VA can save you time and money in the long run as they’ll know ways for you to automate and structure your Practice.
Conclusion
Those were 5 mistakes to avoid in Private Practice.
Are you making any of them?
There are some easy changes you can implement to avoid these going forward:
Work out your ideal fee using my formula
Sit down with your calendar and plan out your time
Create an onboarding process for all new clients
Create an invoice template, buy mine or sign up to Stripe (or ANOTHER) to send clients a physical invoice
Check your bank account regularly
Regularly and consistently chase for overdue payments
If you’re overwhelmed, don’t love admin, want some time back…..hire!
If you’re feeling overwhelmed with your Practice admin you can contact me for a free discovery call. Alternatively, follow me on Facebook for lots of tips and help when it comes to Private Practice admin.
