Music Therapy Maven » Marketing

3 Ways to Make Your Presentations Sparkle

Kimberly — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 20:56:51 +0000

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I am thrilled to introduce you to Natalie Mullis, a South Carolina-based music therapist who’s the brains behind Key Changes Music Therapy. Natalie (or @KeyChangesMT on Twitter) has spent the last several years building her private practice and, along the way, sharing her knowledge and adventures with her readers. Enjoy!

As a music therapist, I can tell you what I do, how I do it, and what the results are in my sleep. Since educating others about our field is something music therapists do nearly every day, knowing how to be remembered is vital to our individual success, as well as our success as a field.

So how do we make sure that we stand out in the minds of potential employers? How do we make sure that, when the decisions are being made, we stand out from the volunteer musicians, the counselor who plays guitar, and the retired music teacher who has experience with special education?

The automatic answer is this: research, board certification, objectivity, data, etc. Music therapy is a unique field, so as a result, shouldn’t we automatically be remembered?

Unfortunately, that answer isn’t shiny and sparkly enough to stick in the minds of most busy moms, dads, and CEOs who are constantly bombarded with sales pitches. Making a razzle dazzle sales pitch is something I’ve figured out and I’m going to share my secrets with you!

Know What You Bring To The Table

Research who you are pitching your services to and tailor your presentation accordingly. When listing areas of functioning that music therapy has shown effective in, reading skills in young children does not belong on the list for your local nursing home. The more your tailor, the better you look. I even like to use names of the people attending in scenarios and examples. It makes it personal, it makes them smile, and it makes them remember you.

Be Authentic

No one likes a robot. If you are discussing a particular aspect of what you can offer a person or facility, and it happens to get you really excited, tell them! If you have an applicable anecdote to share that highlights aspects of your personality, share it. Odds are that your audience has heard someone pitch a service before. You want them to realize that they aren’t just purchase your music therapy services, but that they are purchasing your music therapy services as well as your spark, drive, and ingenuity.

Let your Passion Show

After my introduction, I start every talk I give with a disclaimer that goes something like this:

I want to let you know that I have a tendency to get really excited when I talk about music therapy. It might send me off on a tangent, so if this begins to happen, could someone please just wave to me to remind me to get back on track?

My audience knows right from the start that I am passionate about music therapy and that I whole-heartedly believe in it. To this day, I’ve never been waved at, but I think it’s because they are enjoying my tangents as much as I am. I’m far from a perfect speaker. I laugh nervously at mistakes, I bounce around the stage, and I often say “really”, “awesome” and “amazing” far too much. But it’s those obvious signs of excitement that have landed me contracts with companies I didn’t even know were in the audience. It’s what made a parent call me 6 months after my talk because they still can’t get me out of their head. It’s what makes people tell their friends about me.

What can you do to give your presentation some sparkle?

About the Author: Natalie Mullis is a board certified-music therapist and owner of Key Changes Music Therapy Services (founded in 2010). She provides music therapy services to children, adults, and elders with a wide range of abilities through the midlands of South Carolina. She is the president-elect for the Music Therapy Association of South Carolina, as well as a member of the SC legislative task force. Natalie can be found at www.keychangesmusictherapy.com

Using Social Media to Build Your Music Therapy Services

Kimberly — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:35:34 +0000

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I am very excited to share with you the wisdom of Tamara Suttle, mastermind behind the blog Private Practice from the Inside Out. Tamara is a licensed professional counselor out in Denver, CO who’s been practicing since 1991 and blogging since 2009. Needless to say…she’s got a lot of good information to share!

What I know about music therapists online is that there’s not nearly enough actively engaging with social media. And, the hunch I have is that, for some, this wild, wild world of social media feels a bit overwhelming…a tad too chaotic…and downright cold and impersonal. In other words, I wonder if some of you are just plain scared.

Since I’m a bit tech-phobic myself, I thought it might be useful to tell you what I have learned about some of the social media tools over the last two years.

Hanging Out Your Shingle

Having a website is a bit like hanging out your shingle. If your goal is to help your ideal clients find you online, then it’s not sufficient to have a directory listing with Psychology Today or a Facebook page declaring you are online. You need a really good website.

Kimberly and I are both fans of WordPress platforms. They are varied enough that your site doesn’t look exactly like the music therapist’s site who sat next to you in school. And they are flexible enough that they will grow with you as your practice grows.

Of course, having your own website is not enough to grow your music therapy practice. It’s just the hub from which effective online marketing takes place. I suspect many of you know this already…if you have a great website but no traffic to your website, your practice is still virtually dead (pun intended).

Not to worry, though! There are lots of ways to dip your toe into the social media waters. And any one of these tools is much simpler and wildly more productive in helping you build an online reputation than simply hanging out your shingle and waiting for the masses to find you.

The Old-Fashioned Way

Most of my geeky friends are too young to even acknowledge that online discussion lists and forums really were the first types of social media. I mention them for two reasons. One, I’m old enough to appreciate a nod to those who paved the way for modern day social media (and that’s exactly what they did). They introduced us to new rules for interacting online and they introduced us to a smaller world.

And, two, online discussion lists and forums continue to be an excellent way to demonstrate your expertise and resources to other. If you venture no further than this, consider joining the Music Therapy Listserv (you can find details on the American Music Therapy Association’s website) and at least one other list outside of your discipline (Here’s a list of online discussion lists for mental health professionals across disciplines.)

Once you master the basics of an online discussion list or two, you are ready for the power tools of social media…

Power Tools to Build Your Private Practice in Music Therapy

Blogs Rule for Engagement

Nothing helps you engage with the general public, referral sources, and even your own clients more than blogging. By posting relevant information, resources, and your own ideas, you build your professional reputation by establishing trust and credibility online. To build on that trust and credibility, you can comment on other people’s blogs and also choose to allow commenting on your blog – building a dialogue and transparency that furthers your own professional image. Nothing else online allows you to do this with such ease!

Once you master blogging and commenting on others’ blogs, you are ready for the speedway!

Twitter to Connect and Share Quickly

Twitter is one of those tools that I avoided like the plague…because I didn’t understand how useful it could be to me as a small business owner. It is fast! It is short (just 140 characters)! And, it is ridiculously unorganized!

After reading Twitter Power 2.0 by Joel Comm, I’ve finally figured it out! It’s not about telling the world what I had for breakfast. Who cares? It’s about connecting with others (both in and out of my profession) who can, in turn, connect me with others who can…connect me with others. Get it?

Twitter helps me feel not so isolated as a solo practitioner and…it helps me get the word out about projects and causes that are important to me and…it helps me find resources quickly that support my clients and me.

If you are needing to connect with other people and share information and resources quickly, Twitter ROCKS!

LinkedIn is Your Professional Network

I’ve only been on LinkedIn a few months and I’m still learning how to finesse it all. However, it is designed to be your professional network. I’m emphasizing this because I started out doing it all wrong by inviting (accidentally) everyone I know and their mother to connect with me on LinkedIn. By reading The Power Formula for LinkedIn Success by Wayne Freitbarth, I’ve since learned that in order to maximize the effectiveness of your LinkedIn network, you really do want to be selective in your invitations to connect. By doing so, you actually strengthen (and organize) your professional network.

LinkedIn has lots of discussion groups for you to join (so that you can build your online presence by participating in them); it also allows you to engage with like-minded professionals to expand your professional network.

Your Professional Page on Facebook

As a music therapist, your involvement with Facebook can be (but doesn’t have to be) a little dicey. (It’s why I’m not there yet.) Facebook’s policies on privacy settings continue to change and that has been an ongoing concern for many of us in the mental health professions.
Keely Kolmes, Psy.D. provides comprehensive suggestions for integrating Facebook into your marketing toolbox.

I can only add to it by encouraging you to take a proactive approach (as Kimberly has) in deciding ahead of time exactly what information is and isn’t appropriate for public viewing. I have heard Kimberly state on the Music Therapy Round Table podcast that she uses her professional Facebook wall (i.e. page) as a “resource page” posting links to a variety of information, resources, websites and blogs, including her own, that her professional Facebook “friends” may be interested in. Equally important, she saves the more personal and intimate details of her life to display on her personal Facebook wall (as opposed to her professional wall ) for only her close and selected friends and family to see.

And…About Getting Those Clients…?

So here’s the deal…in whatever ways you are venturing out online to help your clients find you…each one of these tools can help redirect potential clients and referral sources back to your great website…but only if you use them. I have found that I do best by learning to use these power tools one at a time.

Each time I add one, the traffic to my website increases exponentially. If you are like me…a bit tech-phobic and highly tech-challenged but motivated to dip your toe in the water…hold on to something…a colleague’s hand, one of the books I’ve recommended here, or Kimberly’s blog and email address…because as you learn to strategically use and integrate new elements of social media into marketing your music therapy services, you will grow your private practice, too!

About the Author: Tamara G. Suttle, M.Ed. has established three successful private practices during the last 20 years in both Texas and Colorado as a licensed professional counselor and a certified clinical hypnotherapist. She is also the owner of Private Practice from the Inside Out, where she provides coaching / consulting services to mental health professionals who are interested in building strong and vibrant private practices.

Guest Post: 3 Cs to “Selling” Music Therapy

Kimberly — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 17:18:22 +0000

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I am incredibly exciting to bring you this guest post! I presented with the author, music therapist Sarah Thompson, at our most recent regional music therapy conference on offline and online marketing strategies. As soon as she explained the 3 Cs outlined below, I knew you’d want to know about it. So I asked Sarah if she’d be willing to write it up as a blog article…and she graciously agreed.

3 Cs to “Selling” Music Therapy

by Sarah Thompson, MM, MT-BC, Neurologic Music Therapist, Fellow

In my 8 years of clinical practice, I have started many new contracts and programs, and encountered a wide variety of situations. While we aren’t always given insight as to why we win some contracts and not others, I have found a very useful tool to use in my marketing approach.

Author Michael McLaughlin provided some great tips in his book Winning the Professional Services Sale. One of things I have found helpful is his discussion of the 3 C’s.

1) Connect

This is the process of preparing and completing your in-person discussion with a potential contract. I think we often miss 2 key points in this step:

Do your homework. First, I think many music therapists are not as prepared as they should be for their meeting. Learn everything you possibly can about the company and the leaders in the company before the meeting so that you have an easier time connecting with them. This includes learning about every possible funding source they could use to pay for you.
What problem are you solving? Second, I think we often focus on selling ourselves and forget to uncover what problem the facility is really looking to you to solve. Is the staff overworked by unhappy patients? Are the nurses getting burned out because they can’t get patient’s pain under control? You may not be able to figure out what issues they are facing in the initial meeting, but you can anticipate and predict what many facilities who serve that population struggle with.

2) Collaborate

This is the core of your meeting. These are the stories that you tell during the meeting, and the time that you get to spend listening to them and what they need from you. As music therapists, we often have amazing success stories to tell.

This is also the time when you win them over with your proposal. A key point here is to really show that you are willing to listen and work with them. Don’t just get caught up in selling your credentials. Present your proposal as if they are initial ideas. You want to convey that you are willing to work with them in order to meet their needs.

3) Commit

You already know that you are committed to your profession as a music therapist. This is when you show your commitment to working with that population or community.

Let them know that even if they don’t hire you today, you are going to continue to do wonderful work with that population and in that community. Let them know that you are a resource for them and that you are always around. Ideally, this is where they commit to a contract with you, but if they don’t commit that day, this is where you leave the door open to a future contract. Show that you are committed to the same mission (serving that population/community).

Even if you don’t walk away with a contract, these tips will help you build a good professional reputation and a network of key professional contacts.

About the Author: Sarah is owner of Clinical Rhythms which provides products and consulting for music therapists. She is also owner and music therapist for Rehabilitative Rhythms Music Therapy, her private practice in the Denver metro area. Connect with Sarah on Twitter by following @ClinicalRhythms or by emailing her at Sarah@ClinicalRhythms.com.

My #1 Business Mistake (Don’t Do What I Did!)

Kimberly — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 15:31:27 +0000

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Part of learning to become a good therapist is learning how to self-evaluate. What worked during a session? What didn’t work? Why didn’t it work? What would you do differently next time?

These same skills are important for business owners. We need to evaluate our programs, services, and marketing plans. Did that brochure work and attract new leads? How was the title of that sales page–did it attract more clicks? Are people re-registering for this new program? So I didn’t meet my goals of getting 5 people to sign up at the end of my talk–why not?

I’ve had a lot of time this year to think through what went well with my clinical business in Colorado, what didn’t go so well…and why.

One of my major frustrations at the time was that I wasn’t getting enough new clients. I felt I was working SO hard booking speaking engagements, setting up workshops, and creating brochures. But my business wasn’t growing like I felt it should.

In hindsight, I realize my mistake: I was thinking like a general practitioner and not like a specialist.

What’s the difference? As a “general practitioner MT,” I was taking any client who came my way. I booked speaking engagements with any group I could. The wording on my brochures and website was broad, so that almost any clinical population was covered. I figured that, since music therapy could work “from cradle-to-grave,” why not offer all that myself? One of my big fears was that if I focused on a particular population, I’d be turning people away.

In contrast, as a “specialist MT,” I would have specialized working with a particular clinical population (or, better yet, a particular problem. But that’s for another post). This is a mindset shift more than anything. But if I had made this shift in thinking a couple years ago, I could have brought more focus and more business to my practice.

I could have been clearer in how I talked about the services I offered. People reading my marketing materials would have an easier time understanding how I could help them. Instead of talking to a rehab groups, parent support groups, and medical teams…I would just have one area and do that workshop really, really well. No need to tailor a bazillion talks for a bazillion different types of groups!

At this point in my career, there’s not much for me to do about this. Except share it with you, of course! But rest assured, when I’m ready to re-open my clinical practice, I’ll be doing it with my specialist hat on.

P.S. I admit that I didn’t reach this “ah-ha” moment on my own. I heard it from Dr. Laura Dessauer, an art therapist in Florida who last summer started the International Association for Therapists in Private Practice. I haven’t talked about this group a whole lot, but there’s a wealth of knowledge provided through the calls and forums. If you’re a therapist in private practice…it’s worth checking out!

It’s #MWAMTA11 Time! Gearing up for Regional Conference

Kimberly — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 18:39:06 +0000

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We are the last ones. Two weeks ago it was Southwest and Great Lakes. Last week, it was Southeastern, Western, Mid-Atlantic, and New England. This week…it’s our turn!

In two days, the Midwestern Region of the American Music Therapy Association will kick-off it’s annual regional conference in Overland Park, Kansas. Professional and student music therapists will descend upon the Doubletree Hotel for a weekend of learning, networking, and fun.

Where to Find Me at MWAMTA11

This year, I’m absolutely honored to be giving the Keynote address to music therapy students at their Passages conference! Not only am I honored, but…I’m more nervous about this speech than any I’ve given before! Yikes!!! I’ll be sure to let you know how it goes, both on the blog next week and on Twitter (be sure to follow the #mwamta11 hashtag).

What’s less nerve-wracking (yet equally exciting) are the two CMTE trainings I’m co-facilitating. The first is with Denver-based music therapist Sarah Thompson, who owns and manages both Clinical Rhythms and Rehabilitative Rhythms. Our training, called “Marketing A to Z: Online and Offline Strategies for Growing a Thriving Practice,” is intended for any professional or student who needs a little boost in their marketing skills. I hope you can join us!

Then on Sunday, I’ll be putting on my CBMT hat when Dena Register and I spend 3 hours talking about advocacy. One of my favorite topics! Regardless of what you do, you ARE an advocate, so why not get a little help and do it better? If you’re free Sunday afternoon, I highly recommend you take this training!

If you’re coming to the conference, please stop by the registration table on Saturday from 10:00-11:00 and say hi! I’ll be “manning the booth” and would love to see you, meet you, and chat you up.

And if you’re not coming? Be sure to follow all the conference happenings by following the #mwamta11 hashtag on Twitter! You can also follow me on Twitter or like my page on Facebook–I’ll be posting updates regularly.

P.S. And what am I looking forward to most at conference? There looks to be lots of wonderful speakers and presentations lined up, but I’m most partial to seeing:

former Neurosong employee Megumi Azekawa present the findings of her research on singing and speech impairments in those with Parkinson’s disease
the ever-lovely Dr. Alicia Clair give the conference Keynote presentation
regional state task force members, led by MT-BC Rachelle Norman, provide updates on the state of state recognition in their…state (sounds funny, doesn’t it?)
all my friends and colleagues from North Dakota, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska (with a special shout-out to the Music Therapy Tween Michelle Erfurt who’ll be flying in from Florida!)

Do You Make This Common (and Easy-To-Fix) Mistake?

Kimberly — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 19:20:30 +0000

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I readily admit that I was never very good about it. It’s one of those things that I “knew” I should do…but never got around to. I know it’s good for marketing and I know it’s good for professional growth…I just never made it a big priority like I should of.

What is “it”? Recording myself work.

I’m in the process of pulling together application materials for the PhD program I’m applying to. Part of the application process involves submitting video clips of my clinical and musical skills.

Luckily, I had kept video I took in 2006 for a training program. And luckily I had enough foresight to get the appropriate releases and record sessions before I moved last summer and had to let go of all my clients.

But it struck me while editing this footage how valuable recording yourself is. And how I really should have listened to that voice in my head–and the voices of friends and mentors–telling me I should be recording myself more often.

Here’s why:

A picture is really worth a thousand words. My husband tells me that he never really “got” music therapy until he watched a video of it “working.” He had heard the definitions, had stories and examples described to him…but when he finally watched a video and saw how rhythm dramatically improved the gait of a stroke patient, that’s when he had his “aha” moment. And that’s just one person–think of how video footage can impact and influence a roomful of people!
Opportunities for professional growth. As therapy students, we receive external feedback from our supervisors and professionals. As interns and young professionals, we learn to self-evaluate what worked and what didn’t work during a session. But watching a video of yourself working, no matter how scary, gives you more of the external type of feedback. You’re able to look at yourself more honestly and, yes, critically. Which is a good way to challenge your professional growth.
Re-usable content. Once you have that remarkable video footage, you can re-use it over and over and over again. At trainings. At conference presentations. At in-house workshops. At marketing events. On websites. Record and edit once, then re-use multiple times. What a great use of your time!
New technology makes it easy. These days, the technology needed to put together a video is relatively inexpensive, slick, and easy-to-use. I use a $120 Flip Video Camera (I talk more about it here), a $12 generic tripod, my Mac’s iMovie program, my Mac’s iDVD program to burn a DVD, and YouTube. And for you PC lovers, there are PC-friendly programs (although I cannot personally recommend this, Microsoft has a Movie Maker software program. Check it out here.). So all-in-all, there is no excuse for not having the right equipment to create your own video.

If you–or your employer–are already in the habit of recording your work, great! You’re ahead of most of us!

But if not, my challenge to you is to start recording. Don’t make the same mistake I did.

Start with one session. Make sure you have the appropriate releases and the appropriate equipment. Then record. Watch and evaluate yourself. If you captured something remarkable, edit for potential marketing and training use.

And, of course, leave a comment below to let us know how it goes!

“Unnatural Networking” for the Working Professional

Kimberly — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 17:25:34 +0000

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We talk about this topic over and over again. You hear about it at conferences. You read about it in newsletters. You’re encouraged to do it for advocacy and education. I’ve even written about it on this blog and talked about it on my podcast.

What is it? Networking.

Whether to build a practice, to advocate for your profession, or to develop new programming at your facility, networking is a fact of life for most professionals.

But it doesn’t always come easily and it certainly doesn’t always come naturally.

I read an article last week titled: The Unnatural Act of Networking, written by personal growth and corporate change consultant Jeanne Male.

Jeanne’s article is written based on exploring and analyzing her own feelings about networking. She outlines possible reasons why networking can be such a drag–it feels contrived, it’s superficial, it’s too power driven–and neatly summarizes networking “objectives” that may help provide a purpose to your networking.

I encourage you to read Jeanne’s article…but don’t just read it. Read it with an awareness of the different types of networking opportunities you have and with an understanding of how you feel about them. This type of self-reflection can only improve the networking you do and how it helps you.

My first goal and attempt at self-improvement? I, for one, want to work at being better at approaching…rather than waiting to be approached.

But what about you? Leave a comment in the field below and share how you plan to improve your networking skills.

No related posts.

Essential Tools and Tips for a Successful Marketing Strategy

Kimberly — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 18:23:06 +0000

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It takes 7 contacts before you reach someone.

No matter what action you want that “someone” to take (Buy this! Donate here! Read now!), it takes an average of 7 exposures for that person to take the action. Exposures can include many things: a phone call, an email newsletter, a Twitter update, a brochure.

The idea of “7 contacts” is important information for anyone running a private practice. Why?

Because it directly impacts your marketing strategy!

There are two basic (but vital!) ingredients for a successful “7 contacts” marketing strategy: 1) Use multiple tools and approaches (both offline and online) and 2) Be consistent.

Multiple Tools & Approaches

This is a fairly simple concept to understand–you need to use different types of tools and approaches in order to reach the most people. Depending on your business and your clients, this may include a combination of offline and online strategies.

It’s important to try and use the same tools your client uses. If you sell products online, it makes more sense to use primarily online marketing tools. But if you have a local service-oriented business, you’ll want to include more offline strategies in your approach.

Examples of offline strategies include:

Brochures
Business Cards
Face-to-face meetings
Workshops and inservices
Press releases
Articles in local papers
Networking gatherings

Online strategies you can use include:

Twitter
Facebook
Blogs
Website
LinkedIn
YouTube videos
Email newsletter

Consistency

You can have the fanciest tools in the world, but if you don’t use them (and use them consistently), they won’t get you any new business.

It’s important to devote time each day, week, or month on marketing your business. Even if you need to schedule time in your calendar, this is a task that needs to happen on a regular basis.

There are many ways in which you can spend your time. You may work on developing new workshops or marketing materials. Maybe you’ll be connecting with your “audience” online via Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Perhaps you’ll attend a networking event or give an in-service. Or you may think through and plan changes to your overall strategy.

When it comes to your marketing strategy, what tools and tips have been the most helpful for you? Leave a comment below–you never know who’ll find it useful!

The Beauty (and Benefit) of an Email Newsletter

Kimberly — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:56:50 +0000

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If you’re in private practice, are you sending email newsletters yet?

I signed up for my first email newsletter account with Aweber last September. Aweber is what’s called “email marketing software” and there are lots out there: Constant Contact, Mail Chimp, et al.

Email marketing software allows you to easily collect email addresses from your website, create email newsletter, and keep track of how many people open your emails and click on your links. Anytime you get an email newsletter in your inbox, it was likely sent using one of these email marketing software programs.

The initial purpose of email marketing is just as it sounds–using your email inbox to sell you a product or a service.

But many people (and businesses) are also trying to provide their readers with valuable information and tips. So the emails you receive (or send) aren’t strictly used for “marketing,” but also to share information with and help your readers.

I think there are benefits to email marketing for therapists in private practice. Benefits that are untapped and that most people DON’T do. Benefits that can save you time and money. For example:

Sharing important announcements regarding your private practice (e.g. about changes in payment or vacation reminders)
Letting your clients know about upcoming events and workshops they may be interested in
Sending them links to interesting articles and information related to your practice (e.g. if you’re a music therapist, a news story about music therapy)

All while increasing the perceived value of your services by sharing this information in a professional, upgraded fashion.

Here’s Why I Like Aweber

I went with Aweber because, quite frankly, that’s what the guys over at Internet Business Mastery (one of my favorite podcasts) recommended. And it turns out that lots and lots of online blog owners use Aweber as their email marketing manager.

I love Aweber (as does fellow music therapist and blogger Rachel Rambach at Listen and Learn Music) because it’s flexible, powerful, and easy-to-use. Aweber manages all your contacts, makes creating “web forms” easy (used to collect emails like you see here), and has templates so you create professional newsletters in a snap.

If you’re interested in checking out email newsletter, I highly recommend you click here to learn more.

Closing Shop 101 (Week 4): Keep the Business, Hire a Manager

Kimberly — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 21:49:52 +0000

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Yikes! Is it week 4 already? Crazy…

So far in our Closing Shop 101 series, we’ve talked about selling your private practice (which I thought about for Neurosong, but ultimately decided not to do) and liquidating (technically an option, but not a common one for therapy practices).

Today’s topic covers another one I thought seriously about: hiring a manager.

The Basics

When you sell your business, you let go of both the ownership and the management of that business. The business lives on–but it’s no longer in your control.

There’s another way for your business to “live on” while you continue to be in involved and have some control over the quality and direction of growth. Hire a manager. Hire another therapist to (at least) maintain the caseload while you “run the business” from afar. This is a very viable option given how easy it is to communicate via email, Skype, cell phones, etc.

This will take some thought and planning on your part, should you go this route:

Human Resources. Unless you’ve already hired a music therapist, it’ll take time and planning to develop your “HR” department. You’ve got to figure out benefits, payroll, I-9s and W-4s, and other paperwork and documentation that goes into hiring an employee.
Split Responsibilities. There are many aspects to running a business: invoicing, paying bills, documentation, session facilitation, marketing, development, networking, etc. Who’s going to be in charge of what? Is the manager only going to see clients? Or will he/she also be involved in managing and developing the business?
Communication. How will you two communicate with each other? Will it all be on the internet? Or will you travel to your old hometown and meet in person? If you travel, how often?
Business Relationships. The primary purpose of a business is to create and keep customers. With a service-oriented business, the relationship between you and your customer is often the glue that keeps it together. But this will change once a “new person” is on board. How will you handle making this a smooth a transition as possible, so the business relationship you have with your clients is maintained.
Marketing. Who’s going to be the “face” of your business? Will you continue being the face and the primary go-to person for your business, even though you live out of town? Or will the manager be that person?

In a nutshell, there are more logistics to figure out–though admittedly not much more than when your business grows and you start hiring other therapists.

But if you truly love your business and love running it, this is a great way to stay involved. You can even have two offices: one in your old hometown run by the manager you hired and a new office in your current hometown, run by you!

Pros and Cons

Although I’ve already outlined some of the pros and cons, here is a summary in bullet-point fashion:

Pros

You’ll get to maintain some element of a monthly cash flow.
The business you worked so hard to build will live on.
Your clients will continue to receive services.
You continue to have a hand in growing and developing a business you love.

Cons

There are many more logistics to figure out: invoicing, documentation, payroll, HR, marketing, development, etc.
You’ll have to trust the manager you hired will represent you and the company appropriately and professionally.
You’ll have to make sure to spend time each week on your business–which may be hard given you’re in a different town and not “living in it” day-to-day!

Why I Didn’t Do It

This is another option I thought long and hard about. I had spent so many years building Neurosong and I already had hired music therapists, so had many of the HR materials and communication processes in place. It would have been fairly easy to hire and train a music therapist, then maintain the business from my new home in MO.

Ultimately, though, I decided against it, for a couple reasons:

I was ready to let go and focus on new challenges: a PhD program, developing my online business, working for CBMT, and devoting more of my time towards my kids and family.
I didn’t have enough clients to support another music therapists truly full-time.
I would be able to pay myself enough for the amount of work I’d need to put in to continue running the business.
When I went on maternity leave with my youngest daughter, I hired a music therapist to cover my caseload. It was a delicate-enough transition for my clients then to get used to working therapeutically with someone new while maintaining a working business relationship with me. I could only imagine how much trickier that would have been for my clients if I would be in a totally different town.

So hiring a manager wasn’t an option either. Next week, I’ll share with you what was.

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