(Tips on forming partnerships with schools, doctors, and other professionals who can refer clients)

If you decide to take the leap and be your own boss, well done! That was the hardest step! Now, it becomes a permanent step: obtaining enough clients to meet your financial goal. It sounds easier than it is; however, it can be done if you put the effort in. 

Here are some ways in which you can expand your referral network and grow your business:

• Participate in online speech therapy groups.
  • Initiate questions and discussions among those groups to gain information from those who could help lead you in the right direction.
• Get your name out there.
  • Post ads online
  • Print fliers and post them in areas your target audience will see 
  • Reach out to private schools or nursing homes to see if they can forward your name to families seeking speech services
• Have a social media presence.
  • Create a platform for your business with a website (templates for this are easy to come by)
  • Have an Instagram and Facebook account with regular posts
  • Comment regularly in SLP groups online
  • Post demos of your work 
• Go to conferences.
  • You should have a business card to pass out at ASHA, state speech and hearing conferences, and CEC and CASE conferences.
  • Consider getting a booth to promote your business 
• Consider who you already know.
  • Ask anyone you know who works in the schools if they have referrals
  • Peers who already have their own caseloads may be able to defer clients they can’t take on and pass them to you
  • Consider past clients who you formed great relationships with and reach out to see if they would be interested in continuing with you through teletherapy 
  • Reach out to all the speech therapists you know to let them know you are willing to take on clients if they want a caseload reduction or are less familiar with specific deficits. 
• Establish a specialty.
  • Narrow down your practice to a specific area of expertise 
  • Research speech and language deficits that appear to impact families the most 

Building your own caseload will take time and patience. If you present yourself professionally and form tight bonds with families, they will be more likely to speak highly of you and encourage others to request your services. Ask them to provide testimonials and see if they would agree to be in video demonstrations to advertise your skills. With all these tips in mind, you have the knowledge and steps to take—now you just have to do it!

If you want to grow your business by securing your own school contracts, sign up for our on-demand school contract training today!