What does it take to start a business in psychology?

We give you several fundamental keys so that opening your business is totally accessible.

Anyone who studies a career has the great illusion of being able to practice someday in what they have invested so many years of study. Psychology is a discipline that generates great interest among students; however, at least in Clinical and Health Psychology, opportunities for employment are scarce..

That is why many psychology professionals decide to undertake and move towards their professional growth, but the career does not prepare to run a company, nor does it provide knowledge about marketing or the digital environment, so important today.

What you need to know to start a business in psychology

In this article we will see several keys to entrepreneurship in psychology, as well as tips to avoid making common mistakes when starting a business.

Problems when starting a business

The field of psychology is one of the most complicated when it comes to finding a job, both in Spain and in many Latin American countries. There are several reasons for this.

On the one hand, the fact that the types of work performed by psychologists are very varied, the relative novelty of their professionalization, and the blurring of their boundaries in the world of research and applied science are factors that have contributed to the fact that this profession or group of professions has not been well regulated by law.

To this must be added a generational problem related to the different ways of regulating training and the legal requirements for practicing the profession. Today, psychology graduates are one of the largest unemployed in the post-university world, something that also has to do with the fact that it is one of the most attractive training paths, with thousands of people enrolled in each course that begins.

Finally, in the Spanish context, the bleak context that the economic crisis has left in the area of job search also comes into play in the field of job search, and specifically among young peopleThe Spanish context also brings into play the bleak context that the economic crisis has left in the area of job search, and specifically among young people, accustomed to companies asking for years of work experience from recent graduates, and not paying enough to support themselves.

Ideas on how to start one's own business

So, faced with the prospect that what most companies ask of candidates is unrealistic or downright absurd, many people decide to go into the world of psychology, to be their own bosses.

This has its advantages, but it is also a challenge. Among other things, because to do so it is not enough to know about the subject in which we have been trained during our university years; it is necessary to master skills linked to marketing and the management of resources that initially, in the vast majority of cases, will be very limited. resources that initially, in the vast majority of cases, will be very limited..

And, of course, it is also necessary to accumulate as quickly as possible experience linked to the real work context. At present, the training provided at universities is still essentially theoretical. Thus, the day-to-day interaction with real patients, for example, can lead to situations in which indecision can block novice psychologists.

The need to undergo specific training programs The scope of work in which we want to receive training is something complicated to satisfy, because it requires a significant investment. And that tends to make the unemployment rate among psychologists remain high.

But just because entrepreneurship in psychology is complicated does not mean that it is impossible. Here are some key tips and ideas to help you make progress in the challenge of creating your own job.

1. Get a clear idea of what you want

To start building your own business, it is essential to know what should be the backbone of it, which will give it continuity over time. Otherwise, you will most likely end up making investments that will be wasted and will not be amortized. At a time when resources are very limited, this must be avoided at all costs.

So, it is essential to have a clear business modelIt is essential to have a clear business model, specifying what your mission is and how you are going to carry it out. This will also determine the brand image you want to convey.

2. Be aware of the sacrifices to be made

Entrepreneurship in psychology, in the current context, means assuming that you have to make many sacrifices in the short term and in the medium term, that is, in the months ahead. First of all, it is necessary to have a minimum amount of money saved and devote time and effort to deciding how to invest it in a space and a work team.

3. Get experience

It's not just a matter of having a good resume, that's the least of it. Although it may not seem like it, in the professional practice of psychology there are always many surprises, many unforeseen events.

Remember that it is not just a matter of talking to people and then applying intervention programs that have been described in school. You have to adapt to the circumstancesand each client or patient is a whole world of specific circumstances.

On the other hand, this will allow your final entry into the labor market to be much cleaner, free of serious imperfections. And this has to do with the following key idea.

4. Keep in mind that there is only one launch

For the sake of your brand image, don't underestimate the impact you can make in your first weeks and months in the job. What you do at this stage can leave a mark that is hard to erase on the brand image you will convey. you are going to convey.

For some things it is relatively easy to change the way clients and competitors see you, but in other cases, it takes a lot of work. In short, if the brand is you, there can be no second brand launch, start from scratch.

5. Define your target audience

There are different needs to be met in the world of psychotherapy or psychological intervention in general, but there is also another way of classifying potential clients: thinking about their profile from the point of view of advertising. It is not the same to target the retired elderly public as it is to target fathers and mothers whose children have problems, for example.

The brand image we project, as well as the media we use to promote our services, must be adapted to the type of profiles that are available, must be adapted to the type of profiles we have defined..

6. Do it well and make it known

This is one of the maxims of the world of Advertising and Public Relations, and as far as the task of entrepreneurship is concerned, it is vital to take it into account.

And among the initial efforts that must be made when taking the first steps from the business mounted by oneself, not everything is to pay for expenses that respond to services and products easy to determine. In addition, there is a more subjective factor. You have to develop your own brand, it is quite possible that during the first few weeks not a single customer will appear. It is necessary to work to make yourself known, because no matter how good you areNo matter how good we are, it will be of little use if no one has heard of us and what we do.

7. Learn to turn down jobs

As much as the economic need may be pressing, it is essential to be clear that in the labor market there will always be offers that are a dead end. If the goal is set for the long termIt is worthwhile not to deviate from it at the first opportunity when there is relatively easy money in sight but which has nothing to do with the business plan and which will entail a significant opportunity cost (the possibility of not being able to serve other more interesting clients because you are devoting your efforts to something else).

8. Take advantage of the importance of the Internet

Increasingly, everyone is on the Internet, for better or worse. Unfortunately, it is not as easy as it used to be to reach a massive number of people, but it is not impossible. With a dash of originality, there is still the possibility of creating viral contents that are being shared from user accounts.