You are solely responsible for the success of your business, regardless of what level you. But the first step is to focus on the starting point. Naturally, avoiding mistakes is essential when starting a private counseling practice.
But doing that is easier said than done as no one is prepared for what lies ahead. While these are exciting times for you and your career as a private counselor, there is a list of 6 mistakes you can avoid to ensure the success of your practice.
And to top it off, we are here to tell you exactly what those 6 mistakes are and how you can avoid them. Without spending too much of your time, let’s begin with our article.
Contents
Mistake 1 – Not Setting Boundaries
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This might sound very insignificant to the ordinary person, but for a licensed therapy practitioner this is the bread and butter of every counseling session.
This first mistake can be easily avoided by simply setting the boundaries. These could include several things, but it’s important to clarify that every boundary is meant to be connected to the business in some way.
For example, here is a shortlist of some you could implement.
- Always have a clear office policy for when a patient is late for an appointment or decides not to show up
- Define working hours and define how much free time you’ll have during the week
- Define how much a session will last, when it will start, and when it finishes.
Implementing some of these and a few more will put you on the right path towards making sure your clients fully understand what they’re getting themselves into.
Mistake 2 – Poor Recruitment
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Since you’ll be running your own business, it is of utmost importance that you spend more time in hiring the right staff. The better staff you hire means the greater the chances of success.
But not only that, the staff in question must be fully capable of meeting the needs and requirements of your potential clients. For a licensed counseling practitioner that has its own business, it is of utmost importance that you hire a person that can deliver outstanding customer service.
While you can always hire someone less skilled and teach them the technicals, you cannot teach a person how to be polite and understanding of potential clients that will be visiting you for self-improvement.
One thing you should always look for when hiring staff is how responsible the person is.
Mistake 3 – Not Getting Your Own Space
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For many newcomers in the industry, one of the biggest mistakes they make is not getting their own space (office) to work from. We’ve seen hundreds of examples where a licensed counselor works from his home.
This couldn’t be a bigger mistake because it makes things very complicated and unpleasant for your clients. Trust us when we say this, a very small percentage of your clients will want to come to your home.
Also, since you’ll be dealing with people that are by all means unwell, would you want to take them into your home? So, to avoid this mistake, make sure to get your own office space and a good example is wl-therapychelsea.com that provides a dream office!
Mistake 4 – Not Getting Your Name Out There
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What good is your business if no one shows up for counseling? If you have no clients then you won’t have any business. With no business comes an unwanted issue of constantly losing money.
Naturally, the best way to solve this issue is to market yourself whenever and wherever you can. When it comes to marketing, you have two options to choose from.
You can either go down the traditional route of traditional marketing or settle for a new and improved “digital” version. Out of both, we will always recommend the latter.
When it comes to digital marketing, you can use social media as a great way to get your name out there.
One of the most common mistakes in the industry is not marketing yourself enough. There isn’t a way for people to find you if you don’t tell them you exist.
For it, you’ll need to create a Facebook, Instagram, and even a Twitter page to be able to conduct these marketing campaigns.
Mistake 5 – Not Getting Listed on Directories
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Your marketing efforts never stop. You will continue to find ways to market your business even when you have a few clients to work with.
Ideally, you’d want to have a full schedule so you can make the most profits. But you should also be careful to not overwork yourself. Regardless, there is yet another great way where you can market your practice.
Directories are industry-specific channels where you can put your name out there and expect people to visit you. These directories are commonly visited by people that experience problems and need counseling sessions.
They’re essentially services that allow users to find a licensed counselor in their area and make it easy for them to get in contact with you.
We always advise you to register your business with these directories as they can be an excellent way to reach new clients.
Mistake 6 – Not Returning Your Clients’ Calls
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A mistake you have to avoid making is forgetting or unwanting to return calls and emails from current or potential clients. These people have reached you with the hopes of you being the person that could solve their problems.
Many clients do this with a heavy heart, as human psychological problems are rarely accepted as “problems” in modern society. Many of these people are completely opposed to the thought of hiring a counselor to make them feel better, and how do you think they’ll feel if you don’t return their calls and emails?
Never make this mistake as not only will you make the person feel unwanted, but they’ll also go to your competitors.
