02 - Counselling Private Practice - Business planning for therapists

Rory and Ken list a few things that you might want to think about when making a business plan for your counselling service.
The main aspects of this discussion include:
• A business plan is a layout of what your business will look like - complete with your motivations for starting your own private practice.
• Consider things like where your sessions will take place - will they take place in your home? Online? Will you rent a space or go to the clients’ house? What considerations are necessary due to this choice?
• Think about the cost of set up and what you might need e.g. comfy seating, stable internet, a work email, lockable filing cabinet, a clock, tissues, you may even consider a card reader.
• Consider accessibility to clients who may use a wheelchair or have other mobility issues.
• Part of making a counselling business plan is thinking about how you will advertise your business.
• Take into account costs to yourself (such as possible travel costs) when deciding how much you’ll charge.
• When making a counselling business plan, consider too whether you’ll set up as a sole trader or a limited company - research the differences and decide which is a better fit for you.