Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Onjalique Taylor, Founder of Taylor’d Speech & Language Services, located in Brooklyn, NY, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Taylor’d Speech is a traveling & virtual Speech-Language practice helping loved ones to connect and communicate. We evaluate, design & implement therapy services to meet the needs of each individual.
Taylor’d Speech services individuals (children/adults) with expressive and/or receptive language disorder(s), speech intelligibility delays, feeding disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Down’s syndrome, intellectual delays, as well as those who stutter or are non-verbal.
Tell us about yourself
Prior to starting my private practice, I worked as an SLP within NYC public schools and for New York State Early Intervention program. While I loved both, I also found it stressful and overwhelming due to the excessive paperwork and push to maximize group therapy sessions (in the schools), which in most cases, I did not find to be effective therapy for the students.
As an SLP in private practice, YOU set the rules, deadlines, and expectations. Although running your own business can too be stressful, it’s a different type of stress. As a private practice owner, you have more time to focus on the individualized intervention, and you can dedicate more time collaborating & consulting with clients/caregivers, your colleagues within the field, and/or other interdisciplinary professionals.
My motivation every day are the clients of Taylor’d Speech! Knowing that progress is being made with our individualized therapies (each session, week by week, month by month) brings me absolute joy and highlights our growth as a practice!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
At this time, I would say my biggest accomplishment has been seeing my practice increase clientele, which in turn grew my need to onboard other Speech-Language Pathologists (SLP).
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the more challenging tasks as a business owner is managing the billing for all the clients, while still acting as a practicing SLP; servicing my own clients.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- When you first start your business, seek help with the paperwork needed to register your business for your affiliated state. It can be very tedious, and if you miss one thing or make the tiniest error, your applications could be delayed/denied!
- Utilize programs that will keep you organized. Whether it’s a program to input therapy notes, store intake forms, or Excel sheets to manage income & expenses. Use them!
- Create a business bank account. I’ve learned that it’s best to keep your business funds separate from any personal funds. Especially for tax season! Your profit & lost statements can be tricky to create without one.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.taylordspeech.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TaylordSpeech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylordspeech/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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