Comprehensive Psychological Evaluations

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Emin Gharibian, founder and director of Verdugo Psychological Associates, located in La Crescenta, CA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I am a licensed psychologist in California. My training and clinical experiences are in forensic psychology and neuropsychology. Most of my work is in the legal world. I do evaluations for civil and criminal cases for attorneys and the court system in L.A. County. The rest of my work is with patients needing evaluations for various reasons such as pre-employment, academic accommodations in school or at work, or to help with treatment planning.

Tell us about yourself

When I was in graduate school, I knew that I wanted to work within the criminal justice system. I completed my internships and fellowships in forensics and started my private practice as soon as I could. The intersection of psychology and law was very interesting for me, and I enjoyed working in that niche as a graduate student. My evaluations help lawyers and judges determine the appropriate course of action for clients in criminal and civil cases. This ultimately helps the clients receive the appropriate care and treatment in the long term.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

The road to starting my practice was very long. I went to four years of undergraduate training, four years of graduate school, and another two years of post-doctoral neuropsychological training. It was a huge accomplishment and time commitment to even finish the training, let alone start my practice.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

The hardest part was getting started and building everything from scratch. There were a lot of small steps that I needed to do, and it took a while to get through them all. As a new business owner, you have to set up the right type of business structure with the help of an accountant, work with a web developer to get a website up and running and work with an ads person to start running digital and print ads to market your services, and then also do the clinical work. Once you have a good foundation set up, things tend to run easier, but the first year or two was a bit hectic.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Develop a plan and identify where you want to be one to five years out. You can't get anywhere without a clear vision and plan.
Learn to outsource work when you need it. You're not an expert in anything, and time is money. Use your time to work on the things that increase your income (e.g., networking, meeting new clients, etc.). Outsource as much as you can to the appropriate professionals (e.g., accounting, web development, ads, graphics, etc.).
Focus on building relationships with those around you, including your competitors. I made it a point to network with other providers in my field. Those professional relationships have developed into friendships, and we've helped each other over the years.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://verdugopsych.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emingharibianpsyd/

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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