One of the questions I ask myself as a private practice owner is, “Where are the leaks? Where am I losing money?”
Sometimes the answer is in the time I spend on a task. I found one of those leaks in my process for getting new clients scheduled. I was doing most of the work to get someone ready for their first appointment before finding out if they could actually meet during my practice hours.
The step I was missing when someone reached out
When a prospective client wants to work with me, they fill out a Request an Appointment form on my website. I follow up with an email that explains what happens next, including insurance verification and setting up their client portal.
I used to leave one thing out of that email. My practice hours.
I’d go through insurance verification, set up the portal, and wait for the client to complete their paperwork. Then we’d get to scheduling the intake and I’d find out they needed an evening appointment. My practice hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern, so sometimes we couldn’t find a time that worked.
By then, we’d both put time into getting ready for an appointment we couldn’t schedule. The client had filled out paperwork, and I’d spent time moving them through the intake process. A line in my first email could have saved us both that time.
Now I include my hours in the same email that explains insurance verification and portal setup. Prospective clients can see what to expect and tell me early if my hours won’t work for them.
How to find one workflow worth improving
If you’re new to private practice, start with something you do often. Maybe it’s responding to inquiries, scheduling first appointments, or following up on unpaid invoices. Pick one and write down what actually happens, from the moment the task starts to the moment it’s done.
Then ask yourself:
Where do I keep spending time on work that ends up going nowhere?
What information would help me or the client make a decision sooner?
Where could I put that information so we see it before doing the rest of the work?
In my case, the detail I needed to share earlier was my availability. In your practice, it might be your fees, which insurance plans you accept, or what someone needs to complete before their first appointment. Once you spot the step that keeps slowing you down, make one change and pay attention to whether the same problem comes up less often.
Knowing where your time goes is part of running a practice
I’m a therapist, and at the end of the day, I’m also running a business. It’s my responsibility to know how that business is doing. That includes paying attention to how much time I spend on the work around each appointment, including the appointments that never get booked.
If you’re wondering where to start this week, look at the last administrative task that made you think, “I keep running into this.” Write down the steps. You might find that the fix is as simple as moving one piece of information to the beginning.
