My friend, a social work colleague was instrumental in helping me start my private practice and consulting firm. I started the practice as a part-time income source. I would maintain flexible hours that would not interfere with my full-time employment.
When I started, she allowed me to use her office at no charge. I welcomed this type of support. I could not afford to pay rent because I did not have income from the practice. When I started, I decided to forego the usual means of joining an established group or applying for a loan. Any purchases or outlays would have to be supported by the business.
A Few Years Later
After a couple of years, my friend decided to move. She found a location that had several offices available. I made the decision to follow her and move into the same office location. My friend communicated the terms of my lease to me. The space was not ideal for our needs. It had a waiting room, conference room and kitchenette, but the offices were close in proximity and small. I felt compelled to sign the lease because I still needed to be close to my colleague for advice, support, and potential referrals.
Three years past and we remained in the same space. My practice grew so slowly that I thought about quitting and shutting down. I could not see how it would grow. I was in the building so infrequently that I felt like I was losing and wasting money at the same time. This changed when the building’s owners announced that they sold the building. They told us that we would need to speak with the new owners to determine whether we could stay.
The Announcement
The announcement pushed me to come to a decision about many things. I had to decide whether to continue the business or close. Many questions came to mind. If I continued, would I continue in the same location? Should I move? If I moved, where could I go? Would it be affordable? Is this really the type of practice I wanted? What did I want my office space to look like? Is that even possible?
These questions were constantly on my mind. I shared my concerns with my husband, my best friend, and the cat. No one had answers. They encouraged me to do what I thought was best. Well, my husband and best friend did. My cat just looked at me until he became too bored. He would then just leave to take his 9th nap of the day.
I began to think about why I started the private practice and consulting firm in the first place. “Why” is a powerful question. It gets to the heart of a matter if it is asked enough times. We often shoosh children when they ask “why” because as adults, who wants to think that hard. In this case, I needed to go back to the definitive reason I started. So, I asked myself “why” until there were no more “whys” to answer.
Committed
I felt like a legit boss the moment I fully committed to growing the business. Sometimes we are not fully committed to a goal until we define the “why” behind the goal. I wanted to create a safe space for seekers to find personal growth and connection. I too, needed to grow and to connect with my dream.
The new owners offered us an opportunity to move to a different suite in the building. I declined. With the help of another friend, I moved to a building closer to my home. It has all the amenities that are needed, and I have made new connections with other building occupants. Once I embraced being a legit boss, my business started to thrive.
For what are you waiting?
“I want to be happy, whole, satisfied and successful. What about you?”
Visit the M.L. Bailey Consultants website. We are sprucing it up, so please be patient with us. You may join the conversation like our Facebook fan page, follow me on Instagram and connect with me on LinkedIn.