First thing first, you must believe in yourself before you ever invest a single cent in your business. As the old saying goes “if you don’t believe that you can’t, or can, you are absolutely right in both cases. If you have the mindset of “no matter what happens” I will succeed than you have a great attitude.
If you have the “stick it out” mindset when the leads aren’t coming in, behind on your rent or the insurance companies are late in paying you, then you might just make it. The 2nd major requirement in having a thriving practice is to understand there will be some down months. You must maintain a positive attitude during those months. When things aren’t perfect in business, its really easy to get down and start believing that you’re going to fail. However I tell you don’t allow a small roadblock in your business to get you down.
The bottomline is every marriage therapist that is in private practice will tell you everything isn’t peaches and creme. The majority have a second gig on top of operating their own practice just to make ends meat so don’t get down on yourself.
Thirdly, you must know your competition and what you are up against. You must develop a very detailed business outline/plan so that you clearly understand your market, and set attainable goals. Your business plan will be the roadmap to success. If you don’t have clear directions on where you plan on being in 6 month or a year from now, then you’re fighting an uphill battle.
You must know the cost of operating the business, which includes internet, laptop maintenance, rent, insurance and etc. Plus you need to factor in the down months which is usually in the summer time when couples aren’t as sad and depressed.
Lastly, be prepared for some setbacks. The founder of african american therapist said “the only people that fail are those that fail to try. ” With that being said do not fear failure.
Successful practices aren’t people who never had setbacks, but they are people who stay in the fight regardless of the circumstances. If you remember Walt Disney, the founder of Disney World failed countless times before he found someone to believe and invest in his vision. As Winston Churchill once declared, “Don’t quit, never ever give up.”
