How do you balance the "three hats?" If you're a practice owner and you haven't read the E-Myth, I suggest you go and purchase it today. Today we chat with you about most of the practice owners we work with.
The biggest challenge to private practice is being a business owner who works within the practice as a technician. Who also works on the business as the entrepreneur. Who manages everything!
How do you do it all? There are a zillion coaches out there who will remind you that your time is worth hundreds of dollars and you need to make sure you're outsourcing as much as possible. And, I agree with them. What they don't do is tell you how to do that in their free content. So, here's how we help our clinician's to get out from under all of the things they are doing.
1. Recognise that at some point, you will have to pay for things.
Either you pay for it because you 'lose' referrals, time, your sanity or you pay others to do the work for you. When you come to accept that fact, move to step two.
2. Manage the existing referrals.
If you have new referrals that you can't take on yourself, either hire a contractor or stop marketing. If you stop marketing, you have freed your time to actually see the clients that are being referred. If you hire a contractor, then you're able to give them the clients that are overfilling your cup. NOTE: You are NOT going to "make money" from this contractor. They are only there to help you manage your existing referrals. They may even cost you money because you need another diary for them or you're paying for another room for them. It is not until your third contractor that you can even think you're making money and likely until your fourth contractor that you're replacing the money you were making on your own. When you come to terms with that, move to step three.
3. Get a high quality practice manager
Let's be honest, your life is a mess. You need some to organise you and your (now) contractors. If you hire a full time administration person, they can take a large number of tasks off of your plate which can help with the bottle necking of the tasks that need completed.
I have all of these things, Natasha. Tell me something I don't know.
4. Raise your rates to the full APS rates.
If you honestly want to stop taking clients, you can apply a natural attrition to your clients by charging the full APS rate. Let's be honest, some of your clients (while you may enjoy working with them) can benefit from seeing your contractors. You know this because you hired quality contractors. These contractors are just as good as you (or better) at working with clients. So hand them some of your clients.
5. Block your diary
Go six months into the future and block your diary 1 day, 2 days, 3 days, all the days. Just plan for it. If you don't, it won't happen. Then go six more months in the future and block out more time. Make the time gradual. I'm working with one practice owner at the moment he's committing to remove four client contact hours per month.
6. Move your bio to the bottom of the web page
If you're listed first as the director, of course everyone is going to want to see you. People aren't making it to the end of the endless list of people you have listed on your website. They see you, smiling and experienced and with the BOSS title, they want you. And they are going to pay $300 to see you. So take yourself down (move to the about us page or the bottom of your team page) but stop displaying yourself as THE person.
7. Tell the world how much you charge
How many calls does your team or you get asking " how much are the sessions?" Post them on your website. That helps with the unnecessary calls and stops tire kickers from dabbling in the idea that they think they maybe possibly want more information for a session they are NOT going to book.
8. Understand where the wastage is
Be honest with yourself. What is the noise? Where is time being wasted? Are you as efficient as you can be? If you're not sure, check our private practice wastage e-book here.
