August was a crazy month! We were able to move into our new counseling private practice, we were preparing the house for the new baby (thus had tons to do including put together IKEA furniture), and my counseling interns were wrapping up their internships. I feel like summer never really hit, it’s been so cool here and wow, already we’re seeing echoes of fall.
Check out these photos from our new private practice office!
Great counseling and marketing articles and podcasts from August
I’ve launched a brand new category called Business Basics, that will be covering all the basics we should have learned in graduate school. These are essential readings!
Past Monthly Income Reports
People often ask me why I disclose all this information? To me, I am inspired when other people are open and honest. Then I can learn from how they succeed or fail. My hope is that this helps others to grow in their businesses!
July 2014 Monthly Income Report $8,477.47 (Accompanying podcast)
June 2014 Monthly Income Report $8,486.38
May 2014 Monthly Income Report $8,113.28
April 2014 Monthly Income Report $7,834.16
March 2014 Monthly Income Report $10,645.70
February 2014 Monthly Income Report $6,483.14
January 2014 Monthly Income Report $4,834.57
2013 Annual Counseling Income: $54,513.97 (January-December 2013)
December 2013 Monthly Income Report $4,774.58
November 2013 Monthly Income Report total: $5,148.16
October 2013 Monthly Income Report total: $4,689.99
September 2013 Monthly Income Report total: $3,137.30
August 2013 Monthly Income Report total: $3835.74
July 2013 Monthly Income Report total: $5691.65
June 2013 Monthly Income Report total: $4,471.29
May 2013 Monthly Income Report total: $6,022.91
April 2013 Monthly Income Report total: $2,116.96
March 2013 Monthly Income Report total: $2,476.92
February 2013 Monthly Income Report total: $2,685.12
January 2013 Monthly Income Report total: $2,707.09
December 2012 Monthly Income Report total: $2,287.97
November 2012 Monthly Income Report total: $1,219.18
October 2012 Monthly Income Report total: $3,213.87
September 2012 Monthly Income Report total: $1,361.60
August 2014 Earning Report
What I’m going to be reporting about how to make extra money and what I’m not going to be reporting
Full-time Job
Since some of you are new and some of you have been around Practice of the Practice for a while, I’m going to give a quick summary of where I make income. My full-time job is at a community college as a counselor. I love the job and it gives me great opportunities. Also, since my wife stays home with our daughter it is an income we can count on, health insurance, a pension, and a really great environment! I’m not going to disclose my full-time wages there, since it is not something that is part of my private practice.
Private Practice
I do 4-7 sessions a week in my private practice. I don’t take insurance, so it is private-pay. As a result, I don’t have many expenses in time or actual money. I also do consulting with private practice clinicians and supervision for LLPCs in Michigan (Limited Licensed Professional Counselors), a 100 hour requirement in Michigan.
Passive Income
The term “passive” makes it sound like I don’t have to do work. What I mean is money that I make that is not in direct exchange for my time. I will outline what these are under each item.
How I increased revenue in August 2014
Disclosure: many of the links below are affiliate links that will earn me a commission if you purchase through them, it’s one way that I help support the work I put into the website. Please click on them to help support Practice of the Practice.
A few things that started working
- My contract counselors really started focusing on ways to increase their own client loads.
- I continued offering free 30 minute consults before people started consulting. I think this increased connections with counselors and also helped us know whether we are the best fit for private practice consulting.
- My Bluehost page continued to really help people to build counseling websites.
Private Practice: $2,880
Other counselors: I have two counselors that work for my practice as 1099 contractors and I get a portion of what is brought in: $723
Building Websites: $679.40
Paperwork Packet: $47.65
Consulting: (this sometimes includes building a website as part of the private practice coach session) I do private practice coaching. Usually there are three parts to it:
- A SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) Analysis
- Website redesign or re-optimization
- Coaching
$5,234.39
LLPC Supervision: $1,280
The Motherload: $0
E-books: You may have noticed that the Practice of the Practice book has been showing up in the 3-D fashion on the website, this has really helped drive traffic, but isn’t in your face selling. $73.52
Practice of the Practice | A Start-up Guide to Launching a Counseling Private Practice
Mental Wellness Parenting | A remarkably simple approach to making parenting easier
But, even better than that, I had 212 people download the book for free when I was a part of ZynnyMe’s amazing webinar about growing referrals and changing mindset in counseling private practice. How cool is that? Here are a few ways that giving things away for free not only helps the people that get things free, but helps the person giving things away for free:
- It helps people learn about me without having to buy anything, it’s no risk.
- They can hear my voice and hopefully want to learn more.
- Within the book, I have affiliate links (I am very open about this here and in the book, so it should not be a surprise). If people sign up for web hosting, voicemail, or buy something on Amazon, that all helps me grow my income.
- It’s fun to hear from people once they have read the book.
- I’ll probably get more reviews on Amazon.
- It helps add value to what ZynnyMe is doing, thus adding value to what I am doing.
Paperback Copy of my book Mental Wellness Parenting: A remarkably simple approach to making parenting easier
Member’s Newsletter to Launch/Grow a Practice
Member’s Newsletter: This is the weekly newsletter that walks people through exactly what they need to do when starting a private practice. $258.46
Affiliate Marketing to Increase Revenue
Aweber: This is the service I use to create emails, manage lists, and create follow-up emails where they can be in order for the person. It’s super cool! $8.70
BlueHost Referrals: If you are setting up a website, this is the best hosting because of their customer service and the ability to have unlimited websites hosted! $325
Amazon Affiliate Referrals: If you are buying something on Amazon, it’d be great if you clicked the link. I get a small commission without you having to pay anything more: $26.00
NameCheap is who I use to purchase my URLs, they are so easy to work with when you’re setting up a website!: $4.80
Google Ads: I have a few ads through the website and these bring in a bit of passive income. Since my podcast interview about How to Rank Higher in Google with Sarah Barnes I’ve been doing a lot less of this: $5.59
LegalZoom: This is the second month that someone has clicked and bought something through this link! It’s so exciting, also my wife bought her PLLC so I got to really see it firsthand. It is amazing and super easy to use. $0
Grasshopper: This is the amazing virtual phone system I use, rather than an expensive landline system. I have the $12/month one and it is awesome. At least check them out and watch some videos. $0
SpeakPipe: This is what i use for people to leave me a message for my podcast. Click here to ask me a question for the podcast, tell me what you like, or vent about what you hate. $0
ZynnyMe: I recently connected with Miranda and Kelly to become an affiliate. They have a Business School Bootcamp that is what I wish I could build. Maybe sometime in the future, but for now I’m just going to refer folks to them! $0
August 2014 Total: $11,541.71
My best month ever, even better than when I increased revenue in March 2014!!!!
Sign up today to join the member’s-only newsletter where you learn how to make money like this!
Some of the numbers from Google Ads, Amazon, NameCheap, and my e-books will not be paid until they reach a certain amount or 60-90 days after the sale. I report what has been sold in the month it was sold. Also, I do not take expenses off of this report.
Joseph R. Sanok, MA, LLP, LPC, NCC
Joe Sanok is a private practice business consultant and counselor that helps small businesses and counselors in private practice to increase revenue and have more fun! He helps owners with website design, vision, growth, and using their time to create income through being a private practice consultant.
Joe was frustrated with his lack of business and marketing skills when he left graduate school. He loved helping people through counseling, but felt that often people couldn’t find him. Over the past few years he has grown his skills, income, and ability to lead others, while still maintaining an active private practice in Traverse City, MI.
To link to Joe’s Google+ .
Photo by tallkev
