Consistency is Key

Consistency is Key in growing your wellness practice.

Are you using a software service to manage your payment and scheduling? 

Choosing a software to support your practice is perhaps one of the most important and therefore daunting tasks of a solo practitioner. Though you know it could be life changing for you personally and professionally, it can still be the proverbial can that continually gets kicked down the road. There are a variety of ways software can support you as a solo practitioner, so it’s important to first identify your greatest areas of pain. For most of our members, it all starts with scheduling and payment. If you are unable to capture prospects, convert them to clients, and provide them with easy-to-use tools to allow them to schedule with you and pay you, you will fight an uphill battle in growing or even sustaining your business.

We have witnessed several established practitioners struggle with selecting and implementing a software for a number of reasons. 

First, there are a ton of options.

Before sitting down to write this article, we knew there were several good options for sole practitioners on the market. But after digging deeper, it’s possible there are dozens. Here’s a quick list of some of the lowest cost solutions and what they provide*:

We took Calendly for a test drive and found the free version to be user-friendly, functional, and perfect for what we need for scheduling tours at Practice Works.

We get it, you don’t want to inconvenience your client. 

The last thing you want to do is ask your client to download another app in order to interface with you – their wellness professional. Aren’t you the one encouraging them to put their electronic devices down once in a while? Yes, technology can feel like a necessary evil, but once everyone gets accustomed to it, the benefits of convenience far outweigh the time on your tablet. Eliminating the back-and-forth of texts and calls for calendar comparison alone can save tremendous time and headache. But that’s just the beginning. The connection you can forge, manage, and sustain with your client through these software services can help you both manage expectations and spend your face-to-face time together on more important things than collecting payment and scheduling the next appointment.

Finally, change is hard.

Enough said. Learning a new software, importing contacts, syncing schedules, training yourself and your clients – it’s all difficult. Yet this is clearly a time of adaptation in our world. Your clients want you to survive and thrive. They want you to take advantage of all the conveniences that help you enjoy more personal time and allow you to spend work time on clients and honing your craft. PICK UP THE CAN! You can do this, and Practice Works can help. Your clients, your family and friends, and ultimately you will thank you on the other side.

This blog is the first in our series of Practical Solutions for the Solo Practitioner. You can find view our blog for more wellness, self-care, and informational articles. 

*Practice Works does not benefit in any way from these solution providers.

This post was written by Meredith Calhoun, co-founder of Practice Works. To connect with Meredith, email her here.