Assemble your Team
Every successful individual knows that his or her achievement
depends on a community of persons working together.
~ Paul Ryan
So now that you are ready to complete your business plan and are taking steps towards launching your own private practice, consider who you want to have in place to keep your business growing and thriving.
These individuals are your team – your people – the ones you can lean on and learn from as you and your business grow.
In traditional companies, they have a Board of Directors to oversee business activities and give guidance for future growth. As a small business owner or solopreneur, you will also benefit from having a team of advisors, supporters and/or mentors that offer continued guidance for you and your practice.
Ideally they would have specialties in different areas so they can offer varying points of view and experiences as you grow your business (and be all around awesome people).
Now when I say, create a team for yourself, I don’t mean you need to actually hire a formal team (although you may hire some of them), but instead consider this more of an internal concept of who you have around you, supporting you towards your goals.
For example, you may want to have someone to advise you on financial matters, legal matters, clinical matters, and someone for business matters etc. Consider the team you need supporting you as you take your next steps with your business – particularly as you start out and may need more support. In my case, I have two different business coaches that specialize in different areas, a clinical supervisor, a personal therapist, a financial advisor, legal counsel and various other therapists and business owners as people I consider on my team. I also have personal supports who are my biggest cheering squad when times get tough – because there are always times when it gets tough. These arrangements may be paid contracts or informal support.
Marie Poulin, my business bestie, forever advocate and teammate, wrote an incredible blog on this topic: Stop trying to do it all by Yourself
No-one does this alone, even when you are running your own business.
Action Item: I invite you to actually write out a list of your team members, personally and professionally. Determine where you already have support, and decide where you will need support as your practice grows. Consider who you will approach to help you with these areas for growth.