Starting a Private Practice Part-Time With Shared Office Space

Most clinicians do not open a private practice on a Monday with a full caseload. They start with a few clients, often on evenings or weekends, while still working at an agency, a hospital or a group practice. A full-time office lease is a poor fit for that stage. Flexible rooms are a better one.

Why a full lease is risky at the start

A traditional commercial lease usually asks you to commit to a room for a year or more. That commitment is the same whether you see two clients a week or twenty. If your practice grows slowly, you pay for empty hours. If it grows fast, you may outgrow the room before the term ends.

What renting blocks of time changes

When you rent blocks of time per month, the cost follows the time you actually book. You can book the same Tuesday evening block every week, add time when a waitlist forms, and stay near the minimum during a slow month. The risk of the experiment moves from your savings to your calendar.

Sharanam Center in Akron, Ohio rents furnished offices in blocks of time per month, with a minimum of 8 hours per month. See the rooms for what is available.

A simple way to scale

• Test. Start at the 8-hour monthly minimum and see how your clients respond to the room, the location and the time of day.
• Settle. Once a pattern holds, book the same days and times every month so the room is reliably yours when you need it.
• Grow. Add a day, or a second room, as your caseload justifies it. If you eventually want your own lease, you will know exactly how many hours you need.

What to set up before your first client

Check what your licensing board and any insurance panels require of a practice location, confirm your liability coverage, and decide how you will handle records and telehealth. A rented room does not change those obligations; it only changes how much space you pay for. A billing address and mail service help give a new practice a stable point of contact.

Keep the rest of your life stable

A part-time practice works best when the setting is easy. A calm room, a waiting area for early arrivals, WiFi and a place to store your materials mean you can walk in, see your clients and leave, without managing a building.

If you are a therapist, social worker or wellness practitioner planning a first practice, you can ask about a tour and bring your questions about schedule and rooms.