Jonathan Morgan chats in the office of his counseling service that specializes in addiction in the Southern Saddlery building.• Name: Jonathan Morgan
• Location: Southern Saddlery, north building, on South Broad Street
• Products/services: After spending four years as a hospital specialist, Morgan has decided to start his own practice. His specialty is addiction, depression and anxiety, but he also does individual, couples, family and group counseling. He hopes to also work with corporate clients, discussing with employees how personal habits can have an effect on work.
• Age: Less than a month
• Startup investment: $5,000
• Annual sales: $32,000
• Ideal client: A young adult who is struggling with addiction as he copes with a new family.
• Biggest hurdle: The business side of starting a company can be difficult to someone with a psychiatry background, Morgan said, and getting legal permits filled out to start a business can be a confusing process.
• Biggest reward: “I love being able to come here every morning to work in a place that I created,” Morgan said. “I like the independence of being able to work for myself.”
• Challenges in the future: Keeping a constant clientele base will continue to be difficult. That’s because as the economy gets tougher, spending money on mental health is not always a priority.
• Lesson learned: Begin marketing as early as possible, because opening the door doesn’t mean clients simply start showing up.
• Goals: In five years, Morgan would like to have a larger office shared with several other practitioners, allowing for communication as well as saved money on shared resources.