Top 10 Things To Outsource As A Solo Practice
Being a business of one is tough—and it can be incredibly overwhelming.
Are you constantly thinking that maybe you can take on… just ONE more thing? Or maybe you’re trying to learn a new business skill when, really, your time will be better spent on something else.
It’s Time To List It Out
Write a list of the top 3 things you love in your business. These are the things you are making time for—your passions, your best work.
Now, write a list of the top 3 things you literally NEVER get to because they are not your BEST YES. If you have a hard time coming up with 3 things, feel free to add 1 or 2 things that you procrastinate doing because you absolutely HATE to do them. (I’m looking at you invoicing.) These 3 things are the things you must outsource because they aren’t getting done anyway (or they’re killing some of the joy of owning your own practice).
Ok, let’s start outsourcing!
When it’s Time to Outsource
It’s time to outsource if:
Your business is growing.
You’re so busy you can’t get it all done.
You find yourself dreading a particular task. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
You’ve had to cancel or reschedule multiple personal or family events or get-togethers.
You wish on a regular basis that you could clone yourself.
Tasks that Can Be Easily Outsourced
Social media: It’s a must for a successful business, but it takes time and effort to plan, create, and post content that is branded, thoughtful, and cohesive (and most importantly: professional!), especially if you are using multiple platforms. Hire an intern, virtual assistant, or a PR firm to handle it all.
Web development: Websites can be unwieldy and difficult to keep current. And nothing is more embarrassing than having clients find out-of-date information or broken links on your website. Unless programming is your side love, I give you permission to let this one go!! Hire a qualified web design person. There are a million freelancers out there who can build a beautiful, client-centered website—and in probably less than half the time you could do it.
Answering service: When you’re with a client, you have no choice but to let all your calls go to voicemail—which can be discouraging for potential clients. Hiring a virtual answering service means there will always be someone to pick up your phone during business hours. This lends a warm, personalized feeling to your practice, especially for potential clients.
Referral tracking: Referral tracking can help you plan your marketing budget for the next year. Why buy a radio, tv, or newspaper ad if 90% of your clients are finding you via social media ads? There are lots of referral tracking apps available (or part of larger marketing automation or CRM software).
Ads/Marketing: An ad expert will know where your business should run ads (either online or in print) that will give you the best return on your investment. Don’t treat marketing like what you’re going to have for dinner tonight. Plan carefully, spend wisely, and hire an expert.
Financial/Accounting: At the very least, an application or software (such as QuickBooks) is essential to help you keep a financial eye on your business. Keeping track of financial matters on your own can be a nightmare—and cost you money in the long-run if you miss out on important business deductions or write-offs. As your business grows (especially if you hire additional therapists or other practitioners), it becomes important to hire an accountant. A few hundred dollars in fees (which are deductible, by the way!) to have someone do your taxes is a huge weight off your shoulders.
Legal: Consult with a lawyer to ensure your contracts are legally valid and that your forms include any required notices or documentation for your state, region, or field. Consulting with a lawyer can also help evaluate your telehealth practices for any potential legal, liability, and privacy concerns.
Administrative: A virtual assistant can take on many of the repetitive administrative tasks that are a necessary part of running a private practice. As you grow, you can consider whether it’s worth hiring an in-person admin to run your day-to-day operation.
Client records: Electronic recordkeeping ensures your charts are correct, and easy to access and search. Electronic records often have built-in templates making new client documentation consistent and quick to create.
Billing/Invoicing: Make all your charges in one place (e.g. Stripe or Square). Do not use Venmo or accept cash or checks. There should be one payment method for all clients—one that ensures you ALWAYS get paid for the services you provide.
Know Your Client Base
Know the kinds of clients your practice works well with and the types of clients (or concerns) that your practice does not work well with.
Have a list of trusted therapist referrals ready to go for those clients that you know will not be a good fit for your practice.
How to Not Feel Guilty About Outsourcing (AKA Focus on the BENEFITS)
When you outsource, you are more efficiently using your time. Look at you working SMARTER, not HARDER!
You will reap enormous benefits from letting go of those tasks that are a drain on your productivity (and spirits!) and fall outside of your personal and professional strengths.
Benefit number one is TIME!! You will gain back so much time by outsourcing. What will you fill that time with?
Business tasks you’re passionate about (like seeing clients), or ones that at least will be effective uses of your time.
Even better, by being more efficient about your work-time, maybe you’re able to reduce the total number of hours you’re working, and spend more time doing YOUR LIFE. You know, that thing you—sometimes—have outside of work. Whether that’s time spent on an entire relaxing evening with your family, taking a long weekend enjoying nature, or spending an hour taking care of you. (Self-care shouldn’t just be advice you give out to clients!)
