In today’s episode I chat with Amanda Wiles, owner of the recently established Pediatric Therapy Partners in Delaware about the process of starting a pediatric practice from ideation all the way to getting the first client. The show notes for this episode are full of great resources, so be sure to check those out.
Show Notes
Guest: Amanda Wiles, OTD, OTR/L
Topics we Uncorked:
- Amanda’s previous episode of OT Uncorked
- Listen here or find it on your podcast player
- Starting a business, from the idea to the first client!
- The post-professional OTD and how it helped her start her business
- Amanda’s new business - Pediatric Therapy Partners
- Mobile pediatric practice in Delaware and Maryland
- Amanda’s core values:
- Guided by child interests
- Driven by collaborative partnerships with families
- Informed by Research
- PTP uses floor time, relationship-based models, and sensory integration as the basis for their interventions
- Some things she considered when starting her business
- Non-compete agreement - what to consider before leaving your job to start your own practice
- Location
- The “competition”
- The “ideal” client
- Some initial steps she took after developing the basic idea for her business
- Brainstorming the values and vision for the business
- Embedding herself in entrepreneurship resources and content
- Choosing a name and logo that captures your values
- Registering the business with the state
- Enrolling in Passport to Business
- Seeking resources from the Small Business Administration
- What about insurance?
- Challenge of starting a new business - learning the acronyms! Here are a few to get you started:
- Ready Set Treat
- Facebook Academy
- Ready Set Treat Book
- Contains a checklist and timelines for starting a practice
- Costs of starting a business: what up front costs did she “bootstrap” and what did she outsource?
- Register the business
- Design a logo (outsourced)
- Get state/town/board licensure
- Purchase HIPAA compliant email, phone, fax, storage services
- Copy writing and website design
- Linked In Learn
- Offers training on a wide range of technical and interpersonal skills
- Amanda used their Wordpress training
- Frustrations of learning how to make a website!
- Elementor plugin for Wordpress “drag and drop”
- CSS is the acronym of “Cascading Style Sheets” and is a computer language for laying out/structuring web pages
- Making flyers and social media posts
- Stock photos for marketing materials
- The Mentee’s Guide: Making Mentoring Work for You (Book)
- Think about your personal vision, seeing yourself in the future
- Break down the small steps to reach your goal
- Reflect on your journey and where you want to be
- How OT theory contributes to her business plan
- Her vision for the future of her business
- Students! The future of our profession
- CommunOT Discussion Board within your AOTA SIS
Wine we Uncorked:
- DIME Red Blend (70% Cab Sav, 30% Merlot)
- Santa Barbara, 2016
- My take: A new favorite! Highly recommend
- Pros: Dark, red, rich flavor, well balanced between fruit and spice
- Cons: None! Love it
- Available Pinot Grigio
- Puglia, Italy
- Her take: not too sweet, goes well with just about anything
- Wine Profile Wheel
Book Recommendations:
What is OT Uncorked?
OT Uncorked is a podcast for wine-loving OTs, pairing wine and hot topics in occupational therapy. Hosted by Miranda Rennie and featuring guests from the profession, OT Uncorked was created to learn from people doing ordinary and extraordinary work across OT settings and share resources with other practitioners. Miranda is an OT who is passionate about providing holistic care for people with neurologic conditions. She is a small-town East Coaster living in Los Angeles, CA. Miranda hopes you will join her in uncorking hot topics and wine, discovering what’s new and relevant in the profession!