After 12 years living in Washington, D.C., a move to North Carolina led Dr. Tina Lepage to open her psychology and psychiatry practice, Lepage Associates. Though she now has three offices in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, starting a new business in a new city wasn’t easy at first.
“It seemed like a curse to be starting a practice from a place where you knew nobody, versus a place where you had 12 years of contacts,” Dr. Lepage said. “I was interested in creating a multi-specialty practice because there aren’t many businesses around that are multi-specialty. They either tend to be generalist or specialized in one area. Being new to the area turned into a positive in that it really forced me to go out and meet people quickly. I met lots of people in the psychological and psychiatric community here, and in the end, it was such a blessing.”
Some of the people Dr. Lepage got to meet in North Carolina were Scott Scarano and the team of Padgett Business Services of Raleigh-Durham. “They found me, which was fantastic,” she said. “At that time, I was handwriting checks and doing all of those things, but always in the back of my mind I was thinking I really need to have a professional doing this. So, I just luckily had them walk in my door.”
Padgett initially began as Dr. Lepage’s payroll partner. “It was starting to take up a lot of my time, and if any little thing came up or if any mistake was made, it was sort of a big deal for me to have to go back and fix it,” she said. “They came in first with payroll and then I quickly saw that there were other things like bookkeeping and taxes—just the whole realm of financial things that a small business needs—that they could be really helpful with. Looping in people who understood the financial side of my business took a lot of pressure off me, and it just made me feel confident that my bookkeeping was in place, my taxes were good.”
For Dr. Lepage, partnering with Padgett has been key. “I value them, they’re one of the most important things I think, success-wise, for my business,” she said. “Scott, I’ve known him for over a decade now and he’s been fantastic to work with. In the midst of trying to muddle through numbers and such, he can have a sense of humor, which is really fun as we’re trying to take care of the financial side of the business.”
The advice Dr. Lepage would give other business owners? “Very quickly roll in professionals,” she said. “I didn’t do that myself as quickly as I should have, but once you do that, it makes everything easier.”
If you’re looking for a professional to help you feel confident in your business finances, find a Padgett office near you today!