As we discussed in part 1 of our blog post Worst-Case Scenarios When Going from Solo to Group Practice, there are several potential situations that can be extremely anxiety provoking for a group practice owner. In this post, we continue to discuss ways to plan, prepare, and prevent these potential challenges.
Staffing and Leadership
Terminating an Employee
Recruiting a qualified clinician who is also a strong fit for your practice-and then onboarding, training, supervising, and supporting them-requires significant time, energy, effort, and financial investment. Ending that relationship, whether due to ethical or clinical concerns, compliance or legal issues, or productivity and performance challenges, is never easy-especially when the individual has been with your practice for an extended period. Implementing structured interviews and reference checks, clearly outlining expectations from the start, developing a thorough onboarding and training process, addressing issues promptly, and establishing a plan for managing their caseload during transitions all help ensure alignment and reduce the likelihood of needing to terminate employment.
Less Oversight
When you decide to expand your team as a solo practice owner, you’ll inevitably spend more time on administrative and leadership responsibilities. As your team grows, oversight will either need to come directly from you or be delegated to someone you designate for that role. Shifting from being the sole practitioner to stepping back and leading a team can be challenging. Implementing strong systems, setting clear productivity standards, regularly reviewing metrics, building a leadership team, conducting consistent staff check-ins, and tracking retention rates are all effective ways to maintain oversight while supporting your team’s success.
Imposter Syndrome
Feelings of self-doubt about your ability to run your business can surface from time to time. Left unchecked, they can affect decision-making and lead to over-accommodation, micromanagement, avoidance, financial challenges, or even burnout. Developing a CEO mindset, celebrating milestones, regularly consulting with fellow group practice owners for validation and perspective, investing in a mentor or coach, and recognizing the positive impact you’re making are all powerful ways to combat imposter syndrome.
Burnout
Prolonged stress can take a serious toll on your emotional, mental, and physical well-being. If left unaddressed, group practice owners may become overwhelmed or unmotivated, detach from their business, overwork themselves, and even experience financial or operational repercussions. Effectively delegating tasks, building accountability systems, maintaining clear personal and professional boundaries, seeking support in both your personal and professional life, developing an operations manual with clear systems and processes, and monitoring early warning signs are all powerful strategies for preventing burnout.
Financial
Unanticipated Expenses
There are many unexpected expenses that can come up as a group practice owner such as repairs and maintenance, rent increases, furniture replacement, staff turnover, privacy breaches, audits, and taxes to name a few. It can negatively impact cash flow, staff, client care, and overall business stability. Having an emergency fund, budgeting, regularly reviewing finances, and having a plan for growth are all preventative strategies.
Insufficient Funds
A drop in referrals, high no-show rates, insurance complications, staff turnover, or administrative errors can leave your practice without enough cash on hand. This financial strain can lead to stress, burnout, reputational risks, operational disruptions, and hinder long-term growth. Proactively investing in marketing, enforcing a clear cancellation policy, hiring a skilled biller, regularly tracking your profit and loss, monitoring expenses, and optimizing revenue streams are all key strategies to maintain healthy cash flow and financial stability.
Where Can I Get Guidance?
Julia will be hosting a free webinar about these exact topics on Tuesday, the 23rd of September, 2025 at 12pm EST.
Consider Us
Compassionate Consulting Company has consultants that are prepared to help you at any stage of your business journey-whether you are just starting out, expanding your team, or looking to diversify or develop leadership skills. Here are testimonials from clients that have worked with us. Schedule a free consult so we can learn more about your business goals and share how we can help. Here are the steps of working with a consultant, what to look for in a consultant, and ways a consultant can help you achieve your business goals. We are here to help you avoid these mistakes in order to ensure your practice is impactful, profitable, and sustainable!
