It could be argued that the biggest barrier in making a successful business plan, is to realise why it is so important to make one in the first place.
Whilst any bank or business related institution always encourage a business plan the majority of therapists never create one, often citing:
It is too time consuming
It is unnecessary
It is too difficult
I do my planning in my head; and that should be enough
I should be out there building my business and not writing about it
It is completely understandable that you would rather be ‘doing’ than ‘planning’, but without a strong focus and clear direction you may be using up a lot of energy going in the wrong direction and missing out on many opportunities.
As a therapist, you would never conduct a consultation without a questionnaire, and you would always have some form of strategy or plan to guide and monitor a client. So why would you build and run your business without a plan?
Ask yourself this:
What are you most likely to find behind any successful practice? A great practitioner, or a great business planner!
The benefits of a business plan
As a map or guide to provide focus and direction for your business.
A template to bring together your ideas & research into a structured form.
A base by which to establish targets and objectives.
A tool to monitor performance and progress.
A means by which to understand your USP, your opportunities and your market.
Important considerations to get the greatest value from a business plan
Make it personal.
Your business plan needs to be structured in a way in which to support you. Fit the business plan to your needs rather than fitting your ideas to a business plan. The various templates available are generic and should be adapted to suit you.
Be flexible.
Your business is dynamic and will be constantly changing. Adapt and modify your plan as you go. You are likely to be amazed at how your business outlook and service change over a very short period.
