Over the years I've been a business coach, I’ve found that having simple policies and procedures help create a safe and healthy Practice for you and your clients.

But many Practitioners become well-trained in their modality and will take workshop after workshop on their modality (ie: Acupuncture, EFT, Hypnotherapy, etc.) but they’re not taught the essentials of creating simple systems in their Practice, which assists in creating a professional experience for their clients and a safe, solid Practice for years to come.

Sometimes Practitioners will tell me “Oh, I don’t have a physical office space, I just do phone sessions” or “I'm just an Acupuncturist, or EFT Practitioner, it's not like I'm a M.D. AnaMaria!” and therefore they feel it’s not necessary to have procedures in place: such as how you do things in your Practice or how you track referrals.

I’ve also heard Practitioners say, “Oh, I’ll wait until I get busier to look into this.” We get busier and gain more clients by having systems such as policies and procedures in place.

Some Practitioners that are very busy and are juggling their patients/clients and employees will protest and say, "AnaMaria I have so much to do! I don't have TIME or energy to create procedures and write down what I do or where I get referrals!"

Here’s a favorite saying of mine that I tell the Practitioners I coach:

                        “Make decisions NOW on how you want your Practice to BE”

 This means the decisions you are making (and not making!) are actually determining how many clients you will have and how successful you will be both now and in the future.You’re setting up yourself and your practice successfully from the beginning, not just in the short term but for years to come.

Here’s why it’s essential to have your simple systems in place:

• Clients feel they are in good, professional hands. When you have forms that state what you do and what you don’t do, people feel more comfortable and safe with you. You also make a great impression from your first contact with your client.

• You save time and money. When you know exactly what forms to pass to a new client, or when someone asks “how do I work with you?” and you effortlessly share the next steps, it becomes very seamless.  You then follow the steps you’ve set up and aren’t wasting valuable time or energy wondering what to do.

• You’ll have little to no complaints or grievances from clients as your simple systems communicate clearly your service and your boundaries.

• You'll be able to focus on doing your unique brilliance: your Brilliant Work. You’re here for a purpose: to serve clients and experience the fulfillment and joy of expressing your unique gifts. This is your brilliance work. So having simple systems in place helps you focus on your brilliance work and marketing your practice (so you have clients to serve) and less in administrative roles.

Your Assignment:

Start to write down your simple systems. For example, start creating a simple method to track referrals so you can see exactly WHO is referring clients to you. Make sure and have a way to acknowledge them so they love to send people your way. Also start to write down what you're doing for marketing so you can see what is working and what is not. You'll be glad you did!

Having trouble getting referrals in the first place? You're not the only one. The good news is I've got this covered in our class: How to Attract More Referrals so You Can Expand Your Practice Now!  No need to to be a Lone Ranger in your practice you can get expert help but you deserve:  CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

I'd love to know how this resonates with you and your comments. Please leave your thoughts - and thanks!

(c) 2010 AnaMaria Herrera

About the author: AnaMaria Herrera, Online Marketer and Director of Practice Building Institute publishes 'Practice Building Success' teaching Holistic Practitioners how to get clients and build their practice. For a f*ree audio and resources go to: http://www.PracticeBuildingInstitute.com