Anthony Centore

Our culture has a strong bias toward growth; “go big or go home” has been the proverb of choice since the phrase first caught on sometime in the early 90s. Case and point, the popular business magazine “Inc.” every year releases the Inc. 500 and 5000 lists, which rank privately held businesses based on their revenue growth alone: Not how well they’re executing their missions. Not customer/client satisfaction. Not even their profitability. Just growth.

Some people will read this title and immediately decide that this column doesn’t apply to them. They’ll think, “I’m just getting started, I’m not in a place where I can consider selling.” If this is you, and you’ve made it this far—hang on. This is for you.

From seasoned veterans to recent graduates, today it seems that many in private practice are asking the same question, “Should I start accepting health insurance?” On the surface, it seems to be a simple question, but there’s much to consider in producing an informed answer.

When a practice grows, even at a minor scale, say from 1 to 4 team members, new processes are often needed to make sure that clients receive consistent quality care.

Naming your practice is like getting a tattoo. It’s fun, and exciting, but it’s also painful. And, excepting expensive surgery, it’s something you’ll have for life. In this column, I’ll share some experiences I’ve had (and provide some pointers I’ve learned) over the years about picking a good name for your counseling practice.