Harbor View Counseling Group

Words in [brackets] are blanks you fill in with your own details when you adopt this sample in Supreme Plan AI.

Executive Summary

Harbor View Counseling Group is a group therapy practice in Washington. We bring together licensed counselors, social workers and marriage and family therapists in one welcoming office and offer in-person and online sessions for individuals, couples, families and groups. Clients can book online, be seen within about a week and use their insurance, and we offer a small number of reduced-fee sessions each month.

The need for counseling is high and growing, and many people wait weeks or months for an appointment. Solo therapists fill up and stop taking new clients. Large agencies can feel impersonal. A group practice can add clinicians, share the cost of an office and billing and match each client with the right therapist.

Here is what our numbers show. We expect about 2,400 individual sessions, 400 couples and family sessions, 900 group visits and 260 intake assessments in Year 1, which brings in sales of $482,600, growing to $2,003,532 by Year 5. Clinicians are paid per session, and that cost is counted in each session. We expect a loss of about $131,100 in Year 1 while we credential with insurers and build our caseload, then a profit from Year 2 ($22,600), growing to about $278,300 by Year 5.

We need $320,000 in total. Of that, $103,800 is startup costs (the office build-out and soundproofing, furniture, a telehealth system, credentialing and setup) and the rest is cash to cover the first months while insurers pay. I am putting in $80,000 of my own money, and I am asking for a $240,000 SBA loan.

I am Daniel Park, a licensed clinical social worker with 13 years of experience in community mental health and private practice, including five years supervising a team of therapists. These numbers are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end of this plan, not promises.

Company Description

Harbor View Counseling Group is a small, independently owned counseling practice in Washington, planned as a professional limited liability company. We will lease about 2,200 square feet in a quiet office building with six therapy rooms, a group room and a calm waiting area.

Our mission. To make good counseling easy to start and easy to keep going, with warm, skilled clinicians and honest communication.

What we believe. People deserve to be heard and to choose their path. We match clients with a therapist who fits, explain how counseling works and what to expect, respect each person's culture and identity and protect their privacy. We do not promise a cure or a timeline.

What we offer:
- Individual therapy. Support for anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, stress, life changes and relationships, in person or online.
- Couples and family therapy. Help with communication, conflict and parenting.
- Group therapy. Small groups for skills such as managing anxiety, grief support and parenting teens.
- Intake assessments. A first meeting to understand what the client needs and who is the best fit.
- Reduced-fee slots. A small number of sessions each month at a lower price.

Who we serve. Adults, teens and families within about 25 miles, and across the state by telehealth where licensing allows.

What we do not do. We do not provide emergency or crisis services, psychiatric medication management or court-ordered evaluations. In a crisis, we direct people to 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or 911. We do not promise outcomes.

How we are run. I am the owner and clinical director and see clients. Licensed clinicians and associates are paid per session. A practice manager, an intake coordinator and a billing specialist run the office. A small advisory group of a psychologist, an attorney and a community member tells us what is working.

Where things stand today. We have a lease option, a draft clinician agreement, quotes on build-out and furniture and a list of 60 people who have said they would book. Before we begin, our attorney will review the lease, clinician agreements and consent and privacy forms, and we will begin payer credentialing.

Problem & Opportunity

Many people who need counseling cannot get an appointment. Surveys of mental health providers show long waits, and many therapists do not take insurance or are not accepting clients. Demand rose sharply in recent years, and the supply of clinicians has not kept up. People who finally reach out may give up after a few calls.

For clients with insurance, finding a therapist who is in network, has openings, fits their needs and is easy to reach is a chore. For those without insurance, costs of $120 to $180 a session are a barrier.

Therapists who want to start a practice face their own barriers. Insurance credentialing takes months. Billing, records and privacy rules take time away from clients. Renting an office alone is costly. Many leave agencies because of pay and caseload and need a better place to work.

Group practices help therapists and clients. A practice with a manager, a biller and shared space lets clinicians focus on care. A well-run practice pays clinicians fairly, supervises associates and supports them.

We want to be clear about what we know and do not know. Demand for counseling is strong, and the main limit is clinicians. We will use the most recent numbers for our area in our final plan and will not overstate them. We do not know how fast credentialing will go, so our plan assumes a loss in Year 1 and cash to cover the payer delay.

Products & Services

Harbor View will make it simple to start counseling, match each client with a good fit and support our clinicians.

How it works, step by step:
1. Booking. A client books online or by phone. The intake coordinator checks insurance, explains costs and offers a first appointment within about a week.
2. Intake assessment. A clinician meets the client to understand needs, goals and preferences and recommends a clinician and a plan.
3. Matching. We match on specialty, style, schedule and identity and change therapists if the fit is wrong.
4. Sessions. Clients attend in person or by video, usually weekly or every other week, for 45 to 53 minutes.
5. Groups. Short, structured groups run in the evenings.
6. Privacy and records. Records are kept in a secure electronic system and shared only with the client's written consent, except where the law requires.
7. Crisis and safety. Clinicians follow a written safety protocol, and every client gets information about 988 and our after-hours message.
8. Quality. We track wait times, attendance, client feedback and standard symptom scales, and we use them to support care and not to promise outcomes.

Why this approach is strong. Short waits, a good match and a supported team lead to better attendance, and clinicians stay in a practice that treats them well.

Market Analysis

Who we serve: adults, teens and families who want counseling.

Our primary group is adults with insurance who want regular counseling. Our secondary group is couples, families and teens. We will use the most recent numbers from the census, state surveys and payer data for our area in our final plan.

How we sized our plan. We plan about 2,400 individual sessions in Year 1 (about 50 a week), 400 couples and family sessions, 900 group visits and 260 intake assessments, growing to 9,000 individual sessions (about 188 a week) by Year 5. Our Year 1 rates are about $135 per individual session, $165 per couples or family session, $48 per group visit and $190 per intake (a blend across payers), rising about 3% a year. Clinicians are paid per session.

Demand data. A list of 60 people who would book and letters from three physician offices cover about a quarter of Year 1 sessions. We do not count on any one source.

We do not take every client. We refer people who need psychiatric care, a higher level of care or a specialty we do not offer.

Competitive Landscape

Other options for clients, and what makes us different.

- Solo therapists. Many are excellent and full. We offer faster scheduling and matching.
- Community mental health agencies. They serve many people, often with long waits. We offer shorter waits and a smaller setting.
- Online therapy platforms. They offer quick access and different quality. We offer local clinicians and in-person options.
- Employee assistance programs. They offer short-term help. We offer ongoing care.
- Hospital and integrated care clinics. They work well for people with medical needs. We offer a focused counseling practice.

What makes us different.
- Appointments within about a week.
- A careful match with the right clinician.
- In-person and online care.
- Fair pay and supervision for clinicians.
- A small number of reduced-fee sessions.

What we do not claim. We are new. Established agencies have long referral relationships. We plan to earn trust one client at a time.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How we will reach clients and referral sources.

Referral sources. We will meet primary care offices, school counselors, pediatricians, clergy and employee assistance programs, bring a simple referral guide and offer a short call about fit. We do not pay for referrals.

Clients. A friendly website with online booking and clinician profiles, a Google business listing and reviews, an online directory listing and workshops at libraries and workplaces.

Clinicians. We will recruit through licensed professional groups and local universities and describe our pay, supervision and flexible schedules.

Payers. We will complete credentialing with the main insurers and offer self-pay and reduced-fee slots.

Pricing. About $135 per individual session, $165 per couples or family session and $48 per group visit in Year 1.

Operations Plan

How the business will run.

Setup (the 4 to 6 months before the first session). We will form the PLLC, sign the lease, build out the office with soundproofing, buy furniture and a telehealth system, apply for payer credentialing, hire the first clinicians and staff, write policies and buy insurance. Credentialing can take two to four months, so we plan the first months with self-pay clients and cash.

The office. About 2,200 square feet with six therapy rooms, a group room, a waiting area and staff space. Rent is $4,400 a month in the plan.

Staffing. In Year 1: I serve as owner and clinical director and see clients. Clinicians are paid per session, which is counted in the cost of each session (about $80 per individual session in Year 1). A practice manager and a part-time intake coordinator run the office. A billing specialist joins in Year 2, and a second in Year 4.

Billing. We bill insurers through a billing service and our own specialist. About 12% of annual sales is owed to us at any time.

Safety and privacy. Every clinician is licensed or supervised as the state requires, passes a background check and follows a written crisis protocol. We follow the federal privacy rules for health records.

Insurance. We carry professional and general liability, cyber and workers' compensation insurance. Insurance is about $7,000 a year in Year 1.

Management & Organization

The people who will run Harbor View.

Daniel Park, owner and clinical director. A licensed clinical social worker with 13 years of experience, including five years supervising therapists in community mental health. He leads clinical quality, supervision, hiring and finance and sees clients. (Replace this paragraph with your own background.)

Clinicians (paid per session). Licensed counselors, social workers and marriage and family therapists, and supervised associates.

Practice manager. Runs the office, scheduling and staff.

Intake coordinator (part-time). Handles calls, insurance checks and first appointments.

Billing and insurance specialist (from Year 2). Manages claims and payer follow-up.

Outside advisors. A psychologist, an attorney, an accountant, an insurance broker and a free mentor from SCORE or the Small Business Development Center.

Staff pay in this plan is a full year per person: owner and clinical director $85,000, practice manager $44,000, part-time intake coordinator $28,000 and billing and insurance specialist $40,000. Clinician pay is counted in the cost of each session. Replace them with the pay you can offer where you live.

Milestones Narrative

Our goals and when we plan to reach them.
- Before opening (4 to 6 months ahead): collect at least 50 people who would book, recruit at least 3 clinicians, submit payer credentialing, get build-out and lender quotes, form the PLLC, get an EIN and open a business bank account. Sign the lease only after the lender's commitment is in hand.
- Year 1: about 2,400 individual sessions, 400 couples and family sessions and 900 group visits; $482,600 in sales and a loss of about $131,100.
- Year 2: about 4,800 individual sessions and the first profit; $977,470 in sales and a profit of about $22,600.
- Year 3: about 6,800 individual sessions; $1,422,385 in sales and a profit of about $161,500.
- Year 4: about 8,200 individual sessions and a second billing specialist; $1,767,828 in sales and a profit of about $211,800.
- Year 5: about 9,000 individual sessions; $2,003,532 in sales and a profit of about $278,300.
Growth depends on winning and keeping customers, so treat the later years as goals, not promises.

What we check every week: sessions per week, days to first appointment, cancellations, clinician turnover, days to get paid and cash in the bank.

Funding Request

How much we need and how we will use it. Total we are raising: $320,000.

How we got that number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds up three things:
- Startup costs of $103,800, listed item by item in the Startup Costs section: $42,000 for soundproofing, office build-out and a calm waiting area; $20,000 for furniture for six therapy rooms and a group room; $9,000 for computers, a telehealth system, phones and a secure network; $8,800 for lease security deposit and first month of rent; $4,000 for payer credentialing, state business license and enrollment fees; $6,000 for attorney and accountant: consent forms, privacy policies, clinician agreements and setup; $8,000 for brand design, sign and a website with online booking; $6,000 for staff background checks, training and the first insurance payments.
- The cash the business uses before it breaks even, about $129,287: because insurers pay weeks after the session and credentialing takes months.
- A cash cushion of about $71,200: three months of Year 1 operating costs.
- Together that comes to about $304,287, rounded up to the nearest $500: $304,500.
We are raising $15,500 more than that, $320,000 in all, to cover the loan payments and the extra cash the early years take. With this funding, the lowest year-end cash balance is about $17,700, at the end of Year 2.

Where the money comes from:
- My own money: $80,000.
- SBA 7(a) loan for startup and working capital: $240,000.

Kind of funding we are looking for. An SBA 7(a) loan through a bank or community lender, plus our own equity. Lenders for a counseling practice look at the owner's license and experience, the credentialing plan and a cash plan for the payer delay.

How we will pay it back. We expect a loss of about $131,100 in Year 1 and a profit of about $22,600 in Year 2, then a profit of about $161,500 in Year 3, a profit of about $211,800 in Year 4 and a profit of about $278,300 by Year 5. With this funding, the business has money in the bank at the end of every year of the plan. The loan is planned at sba 7(a) loan for startup and working capital at 12.75% over 10 years, about $3,548 a month. That is about $3,548 a month in all, and it is already included in our cash flow. We chose these as cautious planning rates; ask the lender for the real rates, which may be lower or higher.

What we are offering the lender: a personal guarantee, a lien on business assets and the signed lease.

A smaller first step, if needed. If we cannot raise the full amount right away, we can start smaller and grow into this plan:
- Phase 1: start with a smaller space or shared office and two clinicians while credentialing is pending.
- Phase 2: once you have steady payments, add clinicians and rooms and follow this plan.
To plan the smaller start, make a copy of this plan (use Duplicate) and lower the numbers to match.

All numbers in this plan are estimates. We will update them as real results come in.

Appendix Notes

Documents to attach before you send this plan:

- Your resume, license and supervisor credentials.
- A personal financial statement (a list of what you own and what you owe; lenders usually provide a form).
- Business registration papers and your EIN (your business tax number from the IRS, free at irs.gov).
- The lease or lease option and a floor plan.
- Build-out and furniture quotes.
- Your payer credentialing applications.
- Insurance quotes or proof of insurance.
- Your clinician agreement, consent and privacy forms and crisis protocol.
- Your list of people who would book and referral letters.
If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue.

The assumptions behind our numbers (change them in the Financials section to match your own):
- Individual Therapy Sessions: about $135 in Year 1, rising to $152; about $80.00 in direct costs, rising to $91.80; about 2,400 in Year 1, growing to 9,000.
- Couples and Family Sessions: about $165 in Year 1, rising to $186; about $96.00 in direct costs, rising to $110.16; about 400 in Year 1, growing to 1,550.
- Group Therapy (per person-session): about $48.00 in Year 1, rising to $54.02; about $22.00 in direct costs, rising to $25.25; about 900 in Year 1, growing to 3,200.
- Intake Assessments: about $190 in Year 1, rising to $214; about $105.00 in direct costs, rising to $120.49; about 260 in Year 1, growing to 820.
- Individual sessions about $135 in Year 1 with about $80 in clinician pay; couples and family sessions about $165 with about $96; group visits about $48 with about $22; intakes about $190 with about $105, rising about 3% to 3.5% a year (rates are a blend across payers).
- Pay (a full year, per person): owner and clinical director (licensed clinical social worker) $85,000; practice manager $44,000; intake coordinator (part-time) $28,000; billing and insurance specialist $40,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: office lease $52,800, electronic health record and telehealth software $9,000, professional liability and general insurance $7,000, billing service and claims fees $14,000, marketing and referral outreach $14,000, clinical supervision and continuing education $6,000, accounting and legal $6,000, supplies and utilities $8,000, payroll taxes and benefits (staff) $11,000. These grow between 3% and 12% a year.
- Startup costs and equipment ($103,800 in Year 1, then $4,000, $4,000, $4,000, $4,000) are spread evenly over five years in the plan's books.
- Customers and payers pay about 44 days after service. Income tax at 21%.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your own quotes and research.

Startup Costs