Should you start an ABA practice? Session 97 with Becca Tagg

The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria

Dr. Becca Tagg, PsyD, MSCP, NCSP, BCBA-D, joins me in Session 97 to discuss the pros and cons to starting your own ABA practice. Becca owns and operates The Del Mar Center for Behavioral Health in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and produces and hosts The Business of Behavior Podcast. Becca also founded The ABA Business Builders Facebook Group, which, as of this writing, has almost 8,800 members. So it is with her vast experience in mind that I wanted to have her on the show to talk about her experiences, trials, and tribulations with regard to running a successful ABA practice. This conversation was inspired by a post in the ABA Business Builders group a few months ago that asked the following question: "If you knew in advance the challenges of owning and operating an ABA practice, would you do it again?" As we discussed in this episode, the answers were mostly, "no." I wasn't really sure what I should have expected, but I was kind of surprised at how so many business owners would take a pass if they had to do it all over again. So Becca and I spend quite a bit of time discussing some common challenges to running ABA business, and she shares how she addresses them in her own work. Along the way, we field a handful of listener questions, mainly from BCBA's who are contemplating making the leap towards self-employment. Becca, as always, provided many thoughtful answers, and in our conversation, we referenced the following resources: The E-Myth Revisited. The (New) One Minute Manager. The Mindful and Effective Employee. The Aubrey Daniels Amazon Author Page. ADP (payroll, HR stuff, etc...). The Business of Behavior Store (a treasure trove of forms, policies, etc...). BoB Podcast episode, "Balance is Bull$hit." BoB Podcast episode, "Outsourcing." BoB Podcast episode, "Virtual Assistants." BoB Podcast episode, interview with random person. Constellations Behavioral Services. This episode of The Behavioral Observations Podcast is sponsored by the following: The University of Cincinnati Online. The UC Online program can be a rewarding way to advance in your career. Gain the cutting-edge knowledge and skills so you can help others while increasing your career options and earning potential. For more information, please visit behavioranalysisuc.online for more information. HRI Colorado.com, and whether you live in Colorado or Connecticut, or anywhere else in between, their mission is to find you your dream job. So for a confidential chat about opportunities in your neck of the woods, go to HRIColorado.com. The upcoming 4-day ACT BootCamp® for Behavior Analysts workshop that’s going down on November 7-10th in sunny Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. It will feature ACT experts like Steven C. Hayes, Ruth Anne Rehfeldt, Tom Szabo, Jonathan Tarbox and more. This workshop will cover: Parent training Staff management and development Organizational work Work with developmentally delayed populations and the chronically mentally ill Educational settings with special needs students This workshop is intensive. Over the course of 4 days, you’ll earn 32 Type 2 CE’s, including 4 hours of ethics, and 3 hours of supervision CE’s. So if you’re ready to take the next step, head over to praxiscet.com/bopodcast, and use the code BOP50 to save at check out as well! Go Lotus is an intuitive, easy to use, and dare I say beautiful system. It handles every aspect of practice management from data tracking and automatic SOAP notes, to scheduling and billing. They even offer a white-glove in-house billing service if you want billing fully managed outside your clinic. It is so simple your entire team can be up and running in less than an hour. For more information, go to golotus.com/register for a free demo. If you do sign up, tell them I sent you or use the coupon code Matt2019 and you will get 25% off for the first 3 months. They are so confident that you will love the system they allow you to cancel at any time. There is no risk and no commitment required. If you want more info, head over to golotus.com/register.