How to Start a Private Practice on a Shoestring Budget
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Starting a private practice is a wonderful way to take control of your career and reignite your passion as a social worker. You have the power to choose your client load, work hours, and operating policies. Of course, while launching your own business is an exciting opportunity, it also comes with risk. Not only do you need to be an expert professional, but you have to develop your finance, marketing, and business operation skills.
Fortunately, it often doesn’t take a large budget to launch your business. With careful planning and strategic thinking, you can develop a private practice on a shoestring budget. Follow these steps from applying for your business license to accepting your first clients to learn how to start a private practice.
Get Your Finances in Order
Up to 30% of American adults experience moderate to severe math anxiety. This prevents parents from helping their kids with school work, but it also affects how adults handle their taxes and other financial decisions. If you experience math anxiety, you might be worried about managing your private practice; however, it is better to face the stress of learning some simple equations and getting a clear picture of your finances so you can make smart decisions for your business.
Consider meeting with an accountant to discuss how to start a private practice. Not only can they help you with things like paying your taxes, but they might also be able to give you a monthly operating budget. This will tell you how much you can allocate for marketing, office space, and other necessary costs. Plus, a common-sense budget as part of an overall business plan can also give you an income goal as you bring in new clients.
Choose an Office Location
Once you have an operating budget, decide what kind of workspace you want. Some social workers operate out of their homes and provide telehealth services to their clients. This could be an ideal option if you don't have the budget to rent office space (or just want to work from Costa Rica!).
That being said, working from home isn't for everyone. If you need to get out of the house, look into shared offices and co-working spaces where you can establish your business. Due to the sensitive nature of social work, you need an office space where you can have private conversations and sound doesn't travel. Avoid renting a desk in an open floor plan.
Finally, if you need to meet with your clients in person or expect them to travel to you, consider where your prospective base is likely to live and work and position yourself accordingly. You may want to choose an office space closer to your clients or one that’s centrally located so they have easier access to you and vice versa.
Furnish Your Workspace
The next step in how to start a private practice is to finish your workspace. This can easily be done on a shoestring budget—especially if you have a creative eye! For some great deals, look into buy-nothing groups on Facebook and other networking communities where professionals sell, trade, and give away office supplies.
Then again, there are some office supplies you may want to pay full price for. The wrong office chair, for instance, can cause significant health problems, including back pain and stiffness in your forearms and wrists. Everyone is different, and you’ll quickly find out what’s worth a little extra cash.
Invest in the Right Tools
When you first launch your private practice, you might rely on generic spreadsheets, email drafts, and even Google Docs to manage your business. However, as your business grows, you will need to invest in the right tools to stay organized. And trust us: it’s better to invest in these systems early on and build healthy habits before you have a large client base!
Oh, and a quick note of caution about free or personal-use Google productivity accounts: these products aren’t designed to support a business, and it’s not unheard of for Google’s internal management to lock or even delete Docs and Sheets accounts that look suspiciously busy to its AI. They can usually restore everything… but it takes a lot of time, you’ll be scared out of your mind, and possibly lose everything you’ve worked so hard to build.
It’s wise to invest in the right tool for the job today rather than hoping the wrong tool doesn’t break at the worst possible moment. Explore a platform like Notehouse, which can make it easier to take notes and keep up with your clients. This software is designed to streamline your professional operations so you can focus on helping the individuals and families you meet with, and it’s supported by great customer service.
Other valuable tools can include bookkeeping software, client relationship management (CRM) software, and video conferencing apps. Many of these digital products offer free versions that are perfect for your budget.
Establish an Online Presence
Once you're ready to open your business, you can start to promote yourself. Every entrepreneur needs to have a website and clear contact information so clients can reach them. Fortunately, there are plenty of cost-effective options. Many websites like Wix and WordPress offer free versions and affordable packages for you to create a website.
Develop a Marketing Plan
With an established online presence, you can attract new clients and drive people to your online pages. Many marketing channels are free if you allocate time to use them. For example, you can establish social media pages and post regularly or create guest posts for relevant blogs and local media.
The goal of your marketing plan is to reach as many potential clients as possible. If you don't have a marketing background, consider working with agencies that support new businesses. You might be able to contract their services at an affordable rate. As long as the marketing agency brings in new clients, the investment is worth it.
Start Working With Your First Clients
Your marketing plan can bring new clients to your business, but you can also set aside time for lead generation on your own. Contact retiring social workers who may refer their clients to you. You can also offer some pro bono sessions to build up your online reviews. Acquiring your first clients is always the hardest part, but once your business starts moving you can build up your private practice as a whole.
Become a Social Worker Entrepreneur Today
Your experience as a social worker can definitely translate to private practice to create a rewarding business. As long as you are willing to learn new skills—even scary ones like accounting—you can thrive as a business owner. A private practice will also allow you to focus on offering social work to the people who need it with a client load that is balanced with the rest of your life.
Take the first steps to establish your business today, and find out how successful the right tool for all your human-centered work can be. Subscribe to Notehouse and start your new business with clear, secure, easy-to-share notes that streamline every aspect of your private practice.
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