How To Set Office Hours When Starting a Private Practice
Starting a private practice has the big advantage of being your own boss. You can decide where to work, what your specialisation is, and when you want to work.
Well, not quite. Deciding on office hours can be tricky, as you need to find a balance between your own availability, and clients availability.
Available Office Hours
Clients, as well as, insurance companies will want to know when they can come and see you. So when you start out, you need to decide what times your will advertise for your office to be open. There are a few things to consider:
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What times is the office building open?
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When is it safe to have office hours, i.e. when will other people be in the building?
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When is it convenient for you to accept appointments?
It might be a good idea to first set your office hours for the longest range you can possibly be available for.
This doesn’t mean you have to be in your office the entire time. It means you are promoting the hours you are available to make appointments.
How To Set Office Hours When Starting a Private Practice
Actual Office Hours
Once you have practiced for awhile, you will get a better understanding of appropriate office hours. You will see when most of your clients are scheduling appointments, and you can adjust your office hours accordingly. For example, you can use half a day for appointments, and half a day for office work such as marketing, advertising and report writing.
Therapists: Set Office Hours When Starting a Private Practice
Walk-In vs By Appointment
Another decision you’ll have to make is whether to accept walk-ins or not. If you accept spontaneous appointments, you will have to be in your office and ready to go at all times.
This might make your practice more attractive for clients. If you are accepting ‘by appointment’ only, you are better able to manage your day, as you can schedule clients as is convenient to you.
Both approaches have advantages and disadvantages, so do your research and you'll more confident about your decision.
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