Business Planning for Therapists: Steps 1-44
Updated Feb. 12, 2023
How to Create a Therapist’s Business Plan
Today, we’re going to share the 44 steps you need to know to build a complete therapist business plan. Your business plan will look a little different based on your particular needs and vision, but you can tweak the process as you go. Check them out below!
44 Steps to Building a Business Plan for Therapists, Counselors, and Social Workers
Before we begin, remember that when business planning, it’s about progress, not perfection.
If you worked on implementing one of these steps each week using best practices, your business would be rock-solid within a year! And yes, we know there are often a lot of moving parts and learning in each of these steps. That’s why we created Business School for Therapists to put everything you need into one spot. (Side note: The below steps are not all that’s included in the Business School program — these are simply the basic steps that relate to a rock-solid business plan!)
Okay, back to the next 44 steps in your private practice business plan:
1. Strive for Progress
You won’t ever be perfect and that’s okay. Know that making a little progress each day with a business plan is enough. And we’re proud of you for taking the time to even read this blog. That’s progress already!
2. Create Clarity Around What Makes Up Your Perfect Day.
What exactly does a “perfect day” look like to you? By perfect we mean, what would an ideal day in your life as a therapist/counselor look like? Now is the time to set the comparison to the wayside and focus on what you need.
3. Look at Your Work and Life Balance.
Get clear on how your life and work are going to work together. You need to make room for taking care of yourself and your life.
4. Get Clear on Your Strengths, and What You Are Great at in Business and Clinically.
Ultimately, you need to “know” what is different and unique about you so you will be able to use that in your marketing later. Write down what is unique about you beyond “I’m empathic” or “a good listener.” Focus on what it is like to be in the room with you.
5. Define Your Values and Your Overall Mission
There are many ways to use your talents and skills, why are you choosing to do this in a private practice setting? Your WHY is the foundation of your business.
6. Create a Plan for Managing Anxiety and Negative Thinking.
Building a business will bring up your “stuff” and if you don’t plan how to work through that it will stop you in your tracks. List out your blocks or the myths that can hinder your growth, including imposter syndrome and therapist burnout.
7. Line out the Legal and Logistical Steps to Having a Practice in Your Location/Online
Be sure to also create a plan to put those into place OR to keep them up to date. Legal documents for therapists can include your website, documentation paperwork with clients, contracts, and employment documentation if you have staff.
8. Get Clear on the Steps that a Client Needs to Start Working with You
Be sure to look for ways to optimize that experience at each step. Write out the client's journey from the first time they find you to the last session.
9. Integrate a Plan to Track Outcomes with Your Current and Future Clients
This will be used to improve your therapist marketing, determine what trainings to take, tweak your processes, and shift your clinical outcomes in the future.
10. Create Clinical and Business Policies and Procedures
This should be based on best practices for your clients that include how you will keep private practice documentation up to date and accurate, how you will bill clients, etc.
11. Review all Paperwork and Ensure that it Aligns with You
It should all align with your policies and procedures and serve your mission and values.
12. Integrate
Integrate your documentation, court terms, social media consent, virtual practice terms, and website terms and conditions into your paperwork and processes.
13. Review Your Current Reputation Online
Make a note to do this at least annually. And be sure to check out your Google My Business profile as well as whether your therapist website is ranking for the keywords your clients are searching for online.
14. Get a Calendar System Set Up
Get one for both personal and professional scheduling. Get clear on what times you will work in the business seeing clients and when you will work ON the business (all the rest of the stuff).
15. Create a Process for Keeping Track of Tasks and Projects
We use Asana here at zynnyme and love it!
16. Consolidate
Review what you can eliminate, automate, and outsource and implement that plan.
17. Review HIPAA and Security Guidelines
And ensure your practice is on track with these.
18. Implement a Practice Management System
Ensure best practices to streamline and automate your practice.
19. Create a Financial Plan and Projection
Base this on your particular setup. Get clear on the salary for you (and any employees), your marketing budget, annual costs, and your weekly and monthly operating costs.
Also, learn what fee you need to charge as a therapist or be reimbursed to reach your goals, and create a plan for your vacation, savings, and retirement. Get a handle on the cash flow in your business.
20. Implement an Insurance Plan
21. Do a SWOT Analysis
22. Make Sure Your Personal Finances Are in Order
And make sure you are budgeting and not just expanding your spending as you get busier. Get clear about your tax planning strategies and a process to keep track of your business bookkeeping so you can easily file taxes at the end of each year.
23. Build Your Financial Team
Also, be sure to understand the difference between a bookkeeper, a CPA, and a financial planner.
24. Get Clear on Your Niche
Define your niche in private practice. Figure out who your ideal client really is and what they need right now.
25. Do Market Research on Your Niche and Your Area.
If you don’t have a location yet or are opening up another location, get clear on the needs in your area and use that to determine your office location. Keep this data so you can measure changes over the coming years.
26. Know Your Google Search Keywords for Your Niche.
Put simply, be sure to know what people are searching for in your area when looking for a therapist like you! You can use tools like Keywords Everywhere to determine this. Also, once you have an active website up, you can use Google Search Console to see which keywords people search for to find and click on your website online!
27. Create a Marketing Message
Do this for your niche (or niches) that compels them to call you.
28. Develop an Elevator Pitch for Your Niche
If you were to be in an elevator with someone and they asked you what you do for a living, what would you tell them in 2 sentences? Know your pitch and practice it often. Make it your own, and don’t force it. Remember your why, why you started your practice, and let that be the driving force behind this pitch.
29. Build/Revamp Your Website
Base this on your niche(s), keyword needs, and best practices to engage clients. Think about user experience, so put yourself in your client's shoes while navigating your website and ask the following questions:
-Is this website easy to navigate?
-Can I find a phone number or a contact form quickly?
-Do I know whether or not this therapist fits my needs within 5 seconds of landing on their home page?
-Do I enjoy and like the overall feel of the website itself?
30. Create a Plan to Get Your Website to the First Page of Google
You want to get on the first page of Google or other search engines for the keyword phrases your clients are searching for online.
31. Create a Therapist Marketing Plan for Referrals
Create a therapist marketing plan that focuses on how to get more people referring directly to you that fits your schedule and personality type.
32. Create a Therapist Marketing Plan for Building Authority
Create a therapist marketing plan on how to build your authority and voice that fits you!
33. Create a Marketing Plan for How to Increase Website Views
Be sure that it fits you! You can look into social media, email marketing, SEO, and even paid ads.
34. Collect Your Marketing Numbers
Collect your marketing number to date and run them to get clear on how many people you need to see your materials, call you, etc. to reach your client goals based on your current conversion rates.
35. Review Your Phone Consultation Plan
Start tracking your phone conversion rates, and improve your phone conversion rates.
36. Develop a Marketing Plan to Get More Calls
How can you get more of your ideal clients to pick up the phone to call you?
37. Get Clear on If You Want a Social Media Plan
Do you want to use social media as a therapist? And if you do what platforms are best suited for your business and marketing plan?
38. Determine What Marketing Strategies Are Best for Short-Term Wins
Determine how to get the phone ringing right now, and what marketing strategies you can use to keep the phone ringing without as much work.
39. Based on Your Marketing Plan, Learn the Skills Necessary to Implement Them
Learn how to do social media (Canva is great for making social media templates), blogging, in-person networking, etc. If you can hire out, be sure to vet, but in the beginning, we recommend learning how to do these yourself at first.
40. Review Your Vision for Hiring any Employees
This includes both clinical and non-clinical employees.
41. Create Easy Processes
Create easy processes you can outsource to attract high-quality employees to your practice and onboard them with ease.
42. Have Contingencies in Place for When Life Happens
This includes illnesses, accidents, family planning, and losses.
43. Review Your Brand and Image
Review your brand and image for your company, and make sure you have the right things in place. This is from a branding perspective to help your potential clients and referral sources trust you.
44. Create a Clear Strategy for Your Business's Growth and Expansion
Make sure that this is sustainable and profitable and that you have time to implement it.
Group Practice Bonus: Business Planning for Group Practice
45. Create a Clear Business Plan and Pay structure
Make sure it supports your vision and financial projections. Be sure that it shows you what your profit looks like if you do or do not hit your monthly session goals.
46. Create a Hiring and Onboarding Plan
Create one to attract, train and retain the right employees for your practice and teach them to retain the awesome clients you attract.
47. Create Processes and Procedures for Your Clinical and Administrative Staff
Be sure that it allows you to streamline the business, automate, outsource, and eliminate your tasks so you have time to work on the business and be fully present for its growth strategy.
48. Ensure You Are Following All Legal Mandates Regarding Employees and Limiting Your Liability
49. Get Clear on Your Clinical Caseload
Ensure that as your group practice grows, your profits grow, and you can adjust or eliminate your clinical caseload or hire someone to manage the practice without losing income.
And we want to repeat this important point: Remember: It’s about progress, not perfection.
This whole list is what you could complete with step-by-step guidance and support in Business School for Therapists.
Our program is made for therapists by therapists and is focused on allowing you to be the most joyful business owner, clinician, and human you can be. We hope you’ll allow us to dig into the nitty-gritty of creating a business you LOVE.
