Has 2021 flown by for anyone else? It was such a great year for me and my business so I wanted to share my business lessons learnt in 2021 with you. Most of these can also be true for Private Practice so I'm sure you will find this valuable wherever you are in your business journey.

2021 was my first full year in a full-time business where I decided this is what I wanted to be doing as my career. Going it alone and setting up a self-employed business is scary but also so exciting as you get to make all the decisions for yourself. What hours do I want to work? Who do I want to work with? What do I want to charge? 

Below are 5 business lessons learnt in 2021. I could ramble on and on about what I’ve learnt but I think these will also be most useful for you to know. 

Delegation

My business changed significantly in 2021. I moved away from 1:1 client work and focussed on online setups and admin audits. I knew that I needed to enlist some help with day-to-day VA work as this is still a service I want my business to offer. It ties in nicely with the online setups and is the bread and butter of my business. I just knew that I wasn’t going to be able to do it on top of my other roles. 

As you grow your business it’s important to focus on what you want to do and what you’re good at. I am a great VA but that isn’t what I love doing anymore. For Private Practice, this can be true for admin. You may actually quite enjoy admin but could your time be utilised better with more clients rather than invoicing and appointment scheduling?

This year I took on two people who now complete the majority of the day-to-day VA work for my clients. The best thing is they absolutely love this work. I have now transitioned into a VA agency and I’m excited to also grow this side of the business in 2022. 

Automation

I talk about this all day every day with my clients and it’s what I recommend for them. I, however, didn't have much automation in my own business before 2021. I honestly didn’t really have the need to but now working with two additional people and branching my brand out makes total sense.

Here are a few things I use automation for:

• Discovery Calls

• Project Management

• Proposals

• Contracts

• Scheduling for Multiple Social Media Platforms

The biggest investment for me this year was a CRM system but it really has been worth the expense. For Private Practice, this can be an Electronic Health Records (EHR) system. I recommend Power Diary and I have lots of resources on how this can automate your Practice. Check out my previous blog on Going Paperless with Power Diary. 

Streamlining Systems

This one is actually about my online setups. I have always recommended around 8 platforms for Private Practice. Although I still believe in these systems I actually don’t think they are all necessary when completing online setups. I also think the number of systems can overwhelm some people and put them off “getting online”.

I have started to restructure the way I do the online setups and these will be fully in place for 2022. Some key differences are:

• The way we manage the project with clients

• How many systems we set up for clients

• Introducing weekly co-working hours with clients

I’m very excited about this change and have had positive feedback from current clients so far. If you’d like to know more about our online setups check out how you can work with us or book a discovery call.

Restructuring Workload

I made some tough decisions in 2021 about where I needed to focus my time. I realised that I cannot grow my business if I’m spending my time doing other peoples admin. The reason this was tough is that I genuinely love working with all my 1:1 clients. I also know that I have a great team who fully support my dream and who I know will do an amazing job for my clients. 
My biggest achievement this year was launching my very first online course. It was called Google Workspace for Private Practice. This course helps therapists set up Google Workspace applications and how to use them in Private Practice. 

Some feedback I had from a participant was “What is really valuable for me is getting ideas about how I can streamline my processes even if I don't use Google Workspace”. This made me realise that the application really wasn’t the important bit. It's what I’m teaching about streamlining Private Practice admin.  

I’m really excited to launch this again in January and you can find out more about the course HERE if you’re interested.

Being Visible

My final lesson learnt in 2021 was that in order for people to know you exist you need to BE VISIBLE. This was a big fear of mine and the reason I hide behind my website, writing blogs and image social media posts. I was petrified of being on video and being seen but with some coaching (and therapy) I have really pushed through this fear.

In order to grow my business people need to know that I and we exist. People buy from people and if I’m not putting myself out there, there is no growth.

For Private Practice, this is also true. Where are you visible online? Do you have a website, a directory profile? Are you on social media? How do potential clients know you are there? I encourage you next year to just do the thing. Do the thing you are scared of in order to grow your Practice and if you need help with this invest in a coach as this has been a huge part of my personal growth. 

Conclusion

I could probably go on and on about what business lessons I've learnt in 2021. I can probably say I’ve learnt more this year than in the first 5 years in business. I have invested in the business with new team members. I have invested in myself with training courses and coaches. I’ve put myself out there more and more and it’s paid off.

If I could ask one favour from you for 2022 I’d really appreciate it if you could spread my name with your colleagues. If you’ve found anything I’ve put out helpful please let them know. I’m @virtuallyirreplaceable on Facebook and Instagram.

Wishing you a very happy holiday season. I hope you get some well-earned rest and come back in 2022 with a renewed passion for your Private Practice. Of course, if there’s anything we can help you with next year please reach out. You can contact me directly at kim@virtuallyirreplaceable.co.uk