Last week I saw a LinkedIn post about a practice owner struggling financially despite having a full caseload. The therapist in the post viewed it as an inevitable consequence of being "bad at math". Honestly, I can relate to being bad at math.

It's a running joke in my house that when my kids need help with their math homework, I'm the last person they ask. While my husband loves solving math problems, I get slightly nauseous when I look at algebra equations.

Despite that, I truly enjoy business calculations. I spend a lot of time analyzing my numbers so I can better understand where my attention should go next. It's a paradox really.

In business, numbers are our friends. They allow us to plan for the future, understand our revenue and profit needs, and build a marketing strategy that supports our goals. When I begin my work with clients, I focus on numbers first.

Once we understand the practice’s revenue goals and the income the owner needs to take home, we can work on fees, caseload, and how many new inquiries the practice needs each month. These numbers help us turn your business future from aspirational to realistic.

Being good at math isn’t a prerequisite for being a successful practice owner. You can get help with the calculations, from a spreadsheet, an accountant, or an AI tool. But you still need to know what you’re trying to figure out.

Of course, you need to ask the right questions but it has less to do with calculations themselves and more with strategic thinking. So if you find yourself in that therapist's shoes, I'd start asking yourself first: "How much do I need to take home from my practice each month to cover my living expenses?"

See you next week,

Avivit

P.S. If you need help getting started, let's talk.