Wondering if a business coach is what you need for your private practice? Here are the top three reasons that mental health providers in private practice benefit from working with a business coach.
You found the perfect office. You got licensed and set up your bank account. Great! Now what?
Or, maybe you’ve been running your practice for a number of years and not feeling the freedom you were promised you’d have when you started your own practice. You are working just as hard as before and not feeling the benefits, plus you feel isolated and like an imposter.
If this describes you, then it’s time to consider a business coach to take your practice from “bleah” to “yeah.”
Maybe someone has suggested a business coach, but you’re not sure exactly what that means. As a relationship-based small business owner, you may have an internal narrative peppered with a lot of SHOULDS. Like, I should be able to figure this out on my own. I should be able to make this work. I should be able to run a successful practice like (insert the name of successful colleague).
Let me tell you, friends, none of this is second nature, and there are very few SHOULDS about it. Here are the top 3 reasons in my experience that mental health providers benefit from working with a business coach.
You are a highly trained professional, but you have very little business training: enter, your business coach!
At the most, you may have picked up some pointers from what other people do in other agencies where you’ve worked and applied those without much forethought to your own business. You know what to do when you’re in the room with your client–and you’re really good at that! But you’re not sure how to get your clients there to start with, how to set fees, how to develop policies, and how to market your work to keep a steady flow of clients coming through the doors who are just right for you. At the end of the day, these skill deficits can lead us to feel like imposters: lacking confidence and not really sure we deserve a seat at the table. But, they are just that, skills. You can learn them just like anyone else if you put in the time and have a skilled teacher. Enter… your business coach. Bonus points for working with a coach who fully gets it–who have built a practice from the ground up and excel at coaching, clinical work, and business building.
Defining your business starts with your mission, your ideal clients, and ultimately, YOUR VALUES.
News flash: this is your life you’re living. Not mine, not that therapist-down-the-hall’s, not your favorite theorist-clinician, and certainly not the latest celeb-turned-guru. Tap into what’s most important to you–those values you hold near and dear–and use them to inform every aspect of your business. When you do, you’ll create a business that is uniquely you, authentically articulated, and perfectly poised to connect with your ideal clients. Not sure where to start? My practice coaching system begins with an exploration of values and work on values clarification. Those values can then be articulated into actionable steps and an intentional path to practice is developed. Once that ground work is done, it is easy to identify your unique position in the field and your ideal clients.
Your resources are valuable, make the most of them with a business coach.
You don’t have unlimited time and money. Use your time and money most efficiently to grow your practice by getting crystal clear about the best way to do that FOR YOU. When you do, the marketing piece becomes second nature and you don’t feel all the S words we often associate with marketing: sleazy, schmoozy, and salesy. You feel authentic and appreciated because you are sharing a message and service with people who want to hear from you. You aren’t flushing money down the toilet on marketing strategies that you don’t 100% understand but “seem to work for others”, and you aren’t paying people who don’t understand your business to manage your marketing efforts (take it from me, that’s a huge waste of cash). When you work with a business coach who understands private practice and understands how to support you in articulating how your values define your business and your marketing strategies, you show up truly aligned in your marketing and your resources are well spent. Yes, coaching is an investment, but, if you show up and do the work, the return on investment is an emotionally and financially sustainable practice.
Ready to see if a coach is right for you? I work with my practice buildling clients based on over 20 years post doctoral degree experience, 11 years in private practice and 5 years of running a small group practice. I thoroughly understand the ins and outs of the business and clinical aspects of private practice. I’ve learned a lot through my own mistakes (which you won’t be making!), through educating myself on business practices and marketing, and through working with my own business coach. I’d love to connect about your practice and your dreams for your work. Reach out and set up a no obligation clarity call. We can chat individual coaching and group coaching options and explore if we are a good fit to work together. And pop onto the facebook group page, where you’ll find heaps of inspiration and accountability.
Have a lovely week and I look forward to chatting soon–Kim
