When we launched A SMART PRACTICE earlier this year, our goal was simple: To provide engaging content to help practicians build their practices. We are six months in and have published over 50 articles by almost a dozen contributors and engaged our readers with bi-monthly newsletters. This week we launched a new feature of our site: Private […]
image courtesy of www.gotcredit.com From a practice management standpoint, this might be the single most important habit to setup: Develop on a budget. Income will be variable, and to keep money from sinking your business (or credit), you need a plan. Regardless if you practice a budget in your personal life (and I think you […]
Recently, I sat down with my new bookkeeper for 2 hours and found myself exerting my brain and focus in ways that I can only describe as excruciating. It reminded me of when I sat in Greek class in graduate school. Not only was she using terms that I wasn’t exactly sure I understood, there […]
The IRS will be expecting a check from you on the 15th, unless this is your first year in business. Regardless of how much (or little) you have to pay the IRS, setup a reminder to write this check at least 3 days before it’s due. Here are some previous articles we’ve written about quarterly […]
Everyone has been there before: Down in the pits, wondering why the same thing keeps happening. In Private Practice, this might mean that you’re starting another week without any new clients, or struggling to pay the bills for yet another month. Something I share with my clients is the “Autobiography in 5 Short Chapters.” I’ve […]
Editors note: This is a guest post from Laura Anderson. We occasionally have other practitioners share their story of building a private practice. Laura offers some excellent insights about starting a practice. If you have ideas you’d like to share with our readers, click here to contact us for more information. March marked the three year anniversary of […]
Editors note: This is a guest post from Gary Watson. We occasionally have other practitioners share their story of building a private practice. Gary offers a unique idea and opportunity into diversifying a practice. If you have ideas you’d like to share with our readers, click here to contact us for more information. I’ve been exploring the possibility of becoming […]
No shows are part of the business. Sometimes these no-shows don’t ever come back and pay. One way to mitigate that is to follow Caleb’s advice and take a credit card number to reserve each session. Another option is to save $5 from every session you complete, put it in a cash lockbox (I use this […]
In building a practice, the quality of your work will be your best marketing tool. But, we suggest matching the quality of your work with the quality of your public marketing materials. Business cards, website, blog, and social media profiles all work together to tell the story of what kind of business you are running. […]
In the past 5-7 years the range of payment options for counselors has had a significant expansion. This is primarily linked to the smartphone and the capabilities it possesses in business functions. If you’re not accepting credit card payments, you might be missing out on potential clients. But, what to do about the fee the […]
Facebook can be a fantastic resource for community and even for marketing. Something I’ve noticed in my own usage of the site is that it’s easy to get distracted. I can intend to get on the site for business purposes, but can get sidetracked with other conversations that don’t really have anything to do with […]
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “if something can go wrong, it will.” It’s a hard mantra to live by because it requires that we live with both our present and future needs in mind. This is a topic we often address with our clients, but can so easily forget to practice them in our […]
In just a few days on January 15th, a date all of us self-employed folks dread, our Quarterly tax payment is due the IRS. What I’ve come to appreciate about these quarterly payments is that I’m not writing a check to the IRS for my entire tax liability. Instead, I’m just writing a quarter of it. It’s like the old […]
It’s pretty overwhelming to consider getting a business started from the ground floor. There are so many different issues to attend to, and generally speaking, we therapists are better with people than we are with numbers. Banking is a pretty simple concept that we are all familiar with, but I don’t see many therapists who […]
If you are thinking about hiring help, there is a high probability that you need to Pension go ahead and pull the trigger to hire someone. More than likely you are feeling the pinch time-wise and seeing many necessary tasks not getting done. Over the long haul this pile of unfinished business can be detrimental […]
