The Ultimate Guide to Outsourcing in Your Private Practice
As your private practice continues to flourish, you may start to feel as though your capacity for client work begins to decrease as you make time for running your business.
When you first start off as an entrepreneur, you are likely in charge of your own marketing strategy, accounting and administrative work… even if they aren’t roles that you enjoy or feel equipped to handle.
The good news is that you don’t have to wear all of the hats for the duration of your career as a private practitioner!
Keep reading for the Ultimate Guide to Outsourcing in your private practice!
Hiring freelance or contract support for your private practice can help your business continue to grow while you focus on client-facing opportunities. The idea of outsourcing can feel a bit overwhelming if you don’t know where to start so I would recommend creating an exhaustive list of every task that needs to be completed in order to successfully run your business.
Once you have identified all of the tasks involved in running your private practice, reflect on what you enjoy doing, what you avoid doing, and what only you can do. This exercise will give you some insight into where you should start looking to outsource.
Tasks only you can do (such as working with clients in their sessions or recording videos for your Facebook group) will need to take priority over all other tasks. Tasks that you avoid doing that are necessary for your business are usually a great place to start when outsourcing.
I’ve included some examples below:
Administrative Tasks
Tasks such as booking client appointments, sending contracts or other resources, monitoring emails and managing your calendar are all tasks that can be completed by someone other than you as the business owner. Consider bringing an administrative assistant, or virtual assistant on to your team, even if only on a part-time basis so that you can focus on working ON your business rather than IN your business.
Many virtual assistants will also be able to recommend options to streamline your processes in ways that you may not be aware of simply because they have a different experience than you. This might look like implementing the use of an online automated scheduling system so that your clients can book appointments when it suits their schedule rather than having to email back and forth to get something on the calendar.
Many virtual assistants work on retainer or package based contracts so you will pay for a set number of hours or specific tasks per month so you can outline the areas of your business that are the top priority and find someone who excels at those specific responsibilities.
Accounting
If you feel overwhelmed by the financial aspect of your business, especially as it relates to filing your tax return, outsourcing your accounting might be a great step to take. A certified accountant can not only help you manage your finances to support the growth of your business, but they can also prepare your tax returns with in-depth knowledge of small business write-offs and other benefits that may be available to you.
Even if you aren’t in a position to work with an accountant on a regular basis throughout the year, investing in a few consultation sessions to further your understanding of your business finances can be extremely beneficial.
Digital Marketing and Web Design
Digital marketing and professional web design are becoming increasingly necessary for businesses to succeed in our technology-driven society. From ensuring that your website is set up for Search Engine Optimization (SEO), developing your social media presence and creating an informative, high-converting website ... planning and executing your digital marketing strategy can be daunting!
Social Media
If you are looking for assistance with growing your social media following, consider outsourcing the work to a social media manager or strategist. Social media platforms are regularly changing so investing in a service that will allow you to spend less time trying to figure out how to grow and connect with your audience (and more time on money-making tasks) might be a strategic move.
Web Design
Your website is an important component of your digital marketing plan as well. Skilled web designers are well versed in creating a website that facilitates a seamless user experience that is not only visually appealing but also informative. Ultimately, the goal of your website is to allow prospective clients to book sessions with you and if web design isn’t your forte, outsourcing this could be an important part of increasing your client caseload and growing your business.
Content and Copywriting
Content and copywriting are both important parts of your digital marketing plan.
Content writing helps to build connections with your audience and establishes your credibility as a therapist. Content writing can include blog posts, social media captions, email newsletters and downloadable resources.
Copywriting is the messaging that aims to convince your audience or prospective clients to take action. This could be in the form of a web copy that outlines your services and how to book a session with you or a sales page for a product (course, workshop, membership) with a clear call to action to prompt your potential client to actually make an investment.
Both content writers and copywriters are service providers you can hire to execute important aspects of your marketing plan that will ultimately lead to increased awareness of your brand and business and persuade prospective clients to book a session or purchase your product.
Ultimately, the goal of outsourcing in your private practice is to allow you as the therapist and entrepreneur to work on tasks that are in your zone of genius, and that help to grow your business to suit your goals and your life.
If you’re looking for one-on-one support with setting the framework to start outsourcing and scaling your business, you can apply to our Scale Your Practice program and receive the guidance that you need to build your private practice.
