Entrepreneurship is not the solution to everything nor does it have so many bad things. Being a psychology professional who works independently is a difficult decision but it will be much easier if you take into account everything you need to know from the beginning.
This is the crucial moment of where I go, what I do, who can help me… we feel lost and overwhelmed and this causes us to make decisions based solely on the main source of information we have: Google.
The first thing you should be clear about is what you want to do, and the easy answer could be “I want to work as a psychologist on my own and earn money”, okay, but to undertake in the field of Psychology, before that You need to answer the questions that every project needs :
All these questions must be answered in great depth, because only from there can you make the best decisions to reach your patients or clients so that they can decide to hire your services as a psychologist. Normally we don’t stop to think about it, but we can assure you that it is crucial to being successful and, above all, doing it in as short a time as possible.
What should I take into account at a legal level?
First of all You must be well informed about everything that has to do with your profession ; You must have your membership and civil liability insurance up to date. Here the school can help you.
Do not forget that all psychologists who work on their own must keep our data protection up to date ; You can do it at a specialized consulting firm. The review is annual, they will provide you with the document containing all your adaptation and the necessary materials for you to use in your consultation, in your invoices, email signature, etc.
Don’t forget that they may also ask you, if you work with another professional or company, for a negative certificate of sexual crimes. You can request it at the Ministry of Justice through the model they provide you online.
Of course, when registering as self-employed you must complete the process with two different entities: the Treasury (with form 036) and social security (where you will pay the famous self-employed coupon).
If you are going to hire someone or generate some type of ongoing agreement with another self-employed professional, we recommend that you contact an agency so that they can provide you with all the documentation. It is important that you keep in mind that a tax advisor is necessary in the case of collaboration between self-employed professionals; you need a commercial agreement document where all the conditions of your provision of services are included
How do I know how much each thing costs me? How and where to invest
This is one of the points that generates the most insecurity, because no one teaches us how to make a financial plan that includes all this information. Knowing if what we have invested in has been profitable, knowing if we requested financing and can pay it, knowing how much it costs me to hire someone, knowing if the marketing I do is profitable…
There are many doubts, and Ideally, you would have a mentor to help you with your project If you cannot or do not have the option, it is important that you have access to someone who can help you make an Excel where you can see and collect all the information, interpret it and evaluate it.
There is something important that you should keep in mind: to be self-employed and earn money from your profession you must invest. You decide how much and you decide how, but it is the only way to achieve it, if we wait only for word of mouth to work it will be too slow, approximately two years until a sufficient flow is generated to have an income that allows us to live on it.
Marketing: how to do it
First of all, what defines your type of marketing is If you want to do it as a brand or as a professional (personal brand) From there you can build your strategy and invest one way or another.
The first and essential thing is to have a good branding, it is not necessary that it be super complete, but a logo, the colors, the corporate and standardized image is absolutely necessary, not only because of the professionalism it conveys, but because you must take into account that, With your brand, you are communicating.
Remember that your strategy must always be mixed: mix online and offline tools do not leave any aside, because the digital world is good, but all areas must be covered.
The online part must contain a website where they can find you (look for options such as a onepage or a landing page for advertising if you do not want a very large website) and the RRSS, which must be chosen based on the audience you are addressing. Consider the investment in Google, Facebook or IG ads, to begin with this is enough, and if you feel like it, look for a directory or collaboration with an entity that gives you visibility.
Offline you can take into account radio, press, interviews or mailing actions (this only in the case of towns or areas where it is effective). Sponsoring an event such as races or cultural/social events or collaborating in activities with a partner can help you a lot.
At a collaborative level it is essential that you have an agenda planning regarding the generation of proposals with AMPAS, companies, associations or entities to which you can offer your services ; Always keep in mind that the time of year in which you carry out the commercial action will determine whether it works or not.
How to combine professional ethics and business?
This is one of the fine lines that sometimes makes us rethink certain issues, especially due to some type of more aggressive tool or message that we have seen or experienced from some business practices.
Generating respectful processes, marketing and relationships with our patients/clients and suppliers is a process that can sometimes slow down if you don’t know how to do it. Am I deceiving my patient by offering an extra service that would be great for them? Should I lower my rate because a client can’t pay me but needs it?
It is essential, first of all, to feel comfortable to put all my communication into practice. The professional value of our work and our training has a contingent component : the price, and knowing how to sell ourselves does not imply devaluing, reducing or minimizing our work.
Looking for attractive but not misleading names, generating attraction marketing or working on language that touches emotions without manipulating them is the key to finding this balance.
