Practice Building: Coaching and Business Consultation The Roles of a Small Business Owner Michael Gerber's books on small business development outline three roles that need to be filled in any business: Technician, Manager, and Entrepreneur. Most of us are wonderful technicians. But we may get stuck or feel challenged in the roles of manager and entrepreneur. Developing Managerial Skills Administrative tasks, like filing and bookkeeping may feel like a necessary evil - chores to get out of the way so you can focus on the "real" work. If you deal with insurance companies, these chores can be all the more arduous. Justifying your services, staying on top of paperwork, following up on appeals, and then waiting (sometimes months) to be paid a reduced fee can feel demoralizing and depressing. Many of us need help with the role of manager. For some of us, that help is organizational, streamlining tasks to save time, effort, and stress. Coaching can help you: Identify the ways you work best - so you don't work against yourself Develop a system to make the management of your business easier and more effective Determine whether it makes good financial sense to hire a business assistant Learn to delegate and manage others effectively Developing Entrepreneurial Skills This role is where therapists usually need the most help and support. Entrepreneurial skills are rarely taught in school (unless you've studied business specifically). And many typical entrepreneurial strategies run counter to the ethics of our work as therapists. Most entrepreneurial traits are considered "extroverted." While many therapists tend to be more "introverted." This skillset is where coaching and business consulting can really help you: Identify your business goals (including financial and lifestyle goals) Turn those goals into a business plan that fits your personality - so it's easy to follow and maintain Create a marketing plan to help achieve your goals, while staying true to your theoretical orientation and ethics Get support, encouragement and accountability as you try out new skills/actions that expand your comfort zone How Practice Development Coaching Works Most coaching models follow a standard frame in which the client commits (and often pre-pays) for six, twelve, or more, weekly or monthly sessions. Most sessions are 30-minutes long and conducted by phone. And often those 30-minute sessions cost more than a typical therapy hour. We find these constraints to favor the coach rather than the client. So we do things VERY differently. We have an hourly rate ($160 for 2008-2009). We're available by phone if you like, but we'll also be glad to meet with you in person. You decide how much time you need and can afford. If you want to talk for five minutes, then we bill you for just five minutes. If you want to block off two hours to focus on your business, that's okay too. If you like the structure of a weekly meeting, we'll do that. And if you just want to meet one time, we're good with that. Try Before You Buy We believe the coaching relationship is just as important as the therapy relationship. Developing your business can be just as emotional and vulnerable-feeling as any other facet of your life. So we want to make sure that our work is a good fit for you. Therefore, all new clients get 20-minutes free. To schedule a consultation, please contact Naomi Azriel at 510-658-3783 or use our registration form to sign up for one-on-one consultation.