If you are running a private practice then you are running a small business. Therefore you need to have some business skills in order to succeed. Being a good practitioner is not enough — if you aren't profitable then it is not very likely you can continue to offer your services to clients.

Developing an entrepreneurial mindset will allow you to:

  • Create a practice that survives the ups and downs of economic times
  • Strengthen you in these times of insecure income and inconsistent flow of referrals
  • Enable you to continue to develop your career and practice that adapts to your changing interests, life ages and stages, societal trends etc
  • Be profitable and therefor be able to continue to practice without stress
  • To take advantage of opportunities that come your way or to create opportunities

Some people seem to be born with this mindset, but it can also be learned.

If you are in private practice then you have already made the initial shift from an employee mindset to an entrepreneurial mindset. You are now a self employed business person. Many private practitioners find the idea of this difficult and distasteful because they associate being business minded with the need to be competitive and aggressive. Not so!

Who you mix with will have an impact on the way you think and what you learn and how you operate. To be successful in business it helps to associate with,and read books by, people who normalize business practices with integrity. It is possible to be profitable and to care about your clients.

So here are the key attributes of an entrepreneurial mindset.

  • A passion for learning new skills. Looking for better, unique, or more efficient ways to do things.
  • Being a problem solver. Viewing challenges as opportunities.
  • Being persistent. Never giving up. There is no such thing as failure. As I heard Oprah once say " The is no such thing as a mistake, it is just God tapping you on the shoulder and saying, ' I think you may be going the wrong way'.
  • Being innovative in your approach to change. Remember the definition of insanity that says, "Insanity is continuing to do the same things you have always done, in the same ways you have always done them and expect different results.
  • Having an abundance mentality. There is more than enough for everyone.
  • Expecting a lot from themselves and from others. The keep going and put in the hard work.
  • They enjoy making money. This does not mean they sacrifice doing what they love or that they don't care about their clients.
  • They are innovative in identifying and/or creating opportunities, then acting to manifest those opportunities in a productive way.
  • They are self motivating. Having a clear vision of who and how and where you want to be and having clear goals that lead you there, helps you to stay motivated.
  • Being patient and able to stay focused.

Below are some you-tube links you may find interesting.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNUPoxRME-U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFUOrw8AvEI

Embracing your inner entrepreneur and developing a respect for business will help you create your ideal private practice. One that is profitable and in alignment with your values, skills, interests and passions.

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