Why Speech Language Pathologists Should Rent Furnished Offices
/Unlike other solo entrepreneurs who can hang their shingle at any local Louisville coffee shop or out of their house, as speech and language health care professionals we don’t have that same luxury. In order to abide by HIPAA and maintain confidentiality for our clients we have to have a private, safe and neutral space to meet with them in. This barrier can add a lot of additional costs and stress onto our plates. Unfortunately, this fact quite honestly turns away a lot of clinicians from getting into private practice in the first place which is why therapists and other mental health professionals should rent furnished offices!
Going through the office hunt process = headache
Signing a long-term commercial lease (2-5 years on average) = Yikes! Most of us don’t have clients when we are first opening up shop (therefore no income), so committing to a lease for that long can be hard to wrap your head around
Furnishing said office = $$$
Upkeeping said office = Décor, cleaning, trash, restocking supplies, paying bills, etc.
Why Speech Language Pathologists Should Rent Furnished Offices
Ease
Instead of having to worry about all the items listed above, you can spend more time focusing on your clients. All you have to do is start your practice, market your services, come in, do your work and leave because the rest will be taken care of for you :)
Low startup costs
If you aren’t having to put down a hefty security deposit, and furnish an office and waiting area, your startup costs are going to be drastically lower. Therefore, allowing you to start a practice for hundreds, and not thousands of dollars .
Design
If you are renting a furnished space, it is advised to rent a space that is used or has been designed by a like minded individual.
Best to rent another professionals office when he/she isn’t using it or from an office suite such as b.mindful Louisville that has offices for rent by the hour or by the day and was designed by a counselor with others in the field in mind.
By doing this you will avoid renting a furnished space with a huge conference table in it, or a very large desk with a chair on either side of it and get a space with comfortable seating for you and your clients, soft lighting opposed to harsh overhead lighting, multiple clocks to be seen by all, calming décor, sound machines and more.
Possible amenities
Dependent on the furnished office you are looking at renting, some of them may come with amenities such as printer/scanner/fax machine, WIFI, address for your business, onsite parking, private waiting room, complimentary drinks, etc.
Time
If you are like most professionals starting your own practice, this isn’t your only gig. Maybe you work full or part time at an agency or hospital and/or you are a mother/father or caregiver for someone else, maybe you are dealing with your own health issues and the list goes on and on as to what takes up time in our day to day lives.
So, if you want to throw some love your way, save yourself the headache and time of having to get your own office, and rent one that is already set up, designed with you in mind and ready for you to come in and do the work you were trained to do.
Smart
You don’t work 24/7 (and if you do, stop that! #selfcare), so don’t rent and pay for an office 24/7. There are 168 hours in a week and most of us are only needing an office for about 20 or so hours (dependent on your case load- the average case load for a full-time private practice therapist is approximately 20 individuals seen on a weekly basis).
Perks of the digital age is that our documentation, marketing, expense tracking and other business-related tasks can be done anywhere. So be smart with your money and invest it where it counts the most. Rent an office for your client appointments by the hour or by the day, and do the rest of your work from home, in a shared break area, or from your favorite Louisville coffee shop or establishment.
Learn more about b.mindful Louisville and the office rentals we have for therapists in the greater Louisville, KY area. Reach out to Shannon Gonter ( 502-528-1363 / shannon@bmindfullouisville.com ) with any questions or to set up your tour.