Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/142672
grow your practice Over time, you build your practice, your reputation, your roster of loyal clients. You enjoy all the work you can handle, and, lately, you've been turning clients away. If, on arriving at this moment, you are content, then congratulations. This is success. Enjoy it. But if you arrive at this landmark feeling the need for new and greater challenges, then it may be time to consider growing your practice. Making the transition from practitioner to proprietor isn't for everyone. For many, the prospect of signing a big lease, making large equipment purchases, buying and/ or remodeling a building, writing a business plan, courting investors, and hiring staff seems daunting— as well it should. The risks of beginning a practice—when you have everything to gain and little to lose—are small compared to risking everything you have built, including your reputation for handson skill, on a gamble to grow. But, chances are, the success you're enjoying reflects more than good bodywork. It means you've found a flair, and maybe even a passion, for the business skills that have contributed to your success. You've built an attractive public image, nurtured a good How Do You Know If You're Ready To Grow? Following is a checklist when pondering expansion from bodyworker to proprietor. • have a clear vision of what I would like the practice to become. I o Yes o No • have done the math and know how much time, money, and help I will I need to make the expansion. o Yes o No • I enjoy management and delegating responsibilities to others. o Yes o No • I am prepared to spend less time with clients. o Yes o No • am prepared to invest the commitment of time required to make the I expansion work. o Yes o No • have sufficient talent on staff, or I believe there is sufficient talent available I in my locale to staff my expansion. o Yes o No • have found a new location or investigated the costs and feasibility of I expanding at my current location. o Yes o No • have analyzed what my new competition would be if I expanded. I o Yes o No • y expansion is in line with trends in my field. o Yes o No M • What are the positive changes I expect from expansion? • What are the challenges or possible negative consequences of expansion? This sort of self-inquisition is only useful if you are completely honest with your answers. When done, a majority of yes answers should obviously encourage your expansion aspirations. If no answers come out on top, then maybe another avenue for growth is in order. reputation, anchored your practice with your integrity, and impressed everyone with your organizational skills and professionalism. In the end, the decision to grow your practice must be based on a clearheaded analysis of both external and personal realities. Many of the external realities are beyond your control. Is this the right place, the right time? Are there sufficient numbers of clients out there to support an expansion? Is there a sufficient pool of talent to serve those clients? As to personal factors, growing your business should further your dreams and ambitions, talents and interests. SPH