Don’t Overthink Your Ideas for Private Practice
Working on a new idea for your private practice can be the most exciting. Yet it can also be the most fear-provoking challenge that a business owner can ever experience. As private practice owners, how often do we have ideas that were so great we started to question if we were having grandiose symptoms?
Years ago, I remember experiencing this when I first decided to start an online Clinical Supervision Group. Again, I experienced it when I decided to start up my Anger Management Groups and hired anger management coaches for my practice. Even now I am experiencing it being new to Group Practice. I also have started a project that consists of building a Facebook Group to connect with clients for Clinical Supervision services, continuing education courses, and other online trainings.
Many times, the moment that we second-guess ourselves is the moment we begin to experience defeat. We can talk ourselves out of a million-dollar idea in record time. Will this idea fly? We ask ourselves. Is this idea stupid? If it is such a great idea, why isn’t anyone else doing it? These are questions that I asked myself time and time again as I have gone out on a limb to try new ideas.
One of the first bright ideas I ever had was to become an independent car salesman. I loved and still love to sell cars. But this idea was an utter failure. Thank God! Regardless of the feeling of defeat, I had to pick myself back up and refuse to allow this experience to provoke fear for the next.
If you’re looking to introduce and move a new service for your private practice, avoid overthinking it. Overthinking will get you nowhere – fast.
Research The Demand For Your Services
The Undercover Billionaire, Bill Stearns, suggested that we “find a buyer first and then work backward.” If you decide to expand your practice to begin classes to coach parents with troubled teens, test your market. Survey to see if this is something that is in strong demand and something that people will pay for. Research the model of other successful coaches and practitioners. Identify the systems and strengths in their models. But also take note of the weak areas that they have not covered, and capitalize on this in your model.
This is something that I’m doing to test yet another new bright idea. I’m venturing to build a Facebook group specifically for progressive Social Workers of Alabama. I’ve studied and evaluated what attracts Social Workers to Social Work Facebook Groups. Much of my time has been spent understanding the pain points that Social Workers have. My research has given me a good insights into what Social Workers like for free and what they will pay for.
About 200 members have joined within a month’s time, and I have already started booking clients for Clinical Supervision and consultations. I’m not going to lie, when I was advised to start this project, I wondered if I could get five people that I didn’t know to join. I continue to have doubts, but momentum certainly changes negative perspectives.
Move Forward with Your Ideas for Private Practice
Don’t be afraid to fail. If you’re afraid to do something new, “do it scared” as my friend Karlecia Swan would say. Don’t think that you have to be boxed into therapy only in your practice. I watched Joe Sanok and his leaders turn traditional private practices into non-traditional styled businesses that are revolutionizing the way that we expand our private practices. If you’d like to find out more, listen to Practice of the Practice’s podcast series where different industry experts share their advice on successfully growing your private practice.
They have made me a believer that I can do it – and I am. So can you!
Choya Wise
Choya Wise, LICSW, PIP is the owner of Aspire Counseling & Consulting Services in Huntsville, Alabama. Choya specializes in relationship counseling and hosts Online Social Work Clinical Supervision Groups in Alabama.
