Anim Aweh is the founder of Aweh Support Services, which specializes in BIPOC mental health. Her practice provides therapy, career coaching, and health education to a wide range of clients.

‍

In addition to launching Aweh Support Services, Anim has spent over 15 years serving as a Medical Social Worker and program director at multiple healthcare organizations.

‍

But for Anim, the path to private practice wasn’t always clear. “I started my practice in April of 2018,” she said. “I was part-time when I first started because, to be honest, I didn't know what I was doing and was afraid to leave my full-time job.”

‍

It wasn’t until 2020 that Anim took the plunge, going full-time while turning her solo practice into a group practice—something she had never intended to do.

‍

{{resource}}

‍

“I had many trainees reaching out to me to be their supervisor,” Anim said. “Under California law, you must either be hired under a practice or be the agency hiring the clinicians before you can provide supervision.”

‍

Building a group practice allowed Anim to supervise up-and-coming therapists. It also allowed her to build a safe space for BIPOC women seeking mental health support, and serve more clients.

‍

But it also made her practice—and its finances—more complex. That might not have been too difficult to manage, but at the same time that she was launching her group practice, Anim expanded her clinical work to provide immigration evaluations.

‍

“It's been a great experience,” Anim said.  “Sometimes I can be called to court as an expert witness in a case, which is exhilarating.”

‍

Immigration evaluations allow Anim to use her expertise in clinical assessment skills, literature reviews, and public speaking to expand her practice’s reach. She recommends it to other therapists.

‍

“It's a significant additional income to add to your practice,” she said. “[However], I see many people take training and get frustrated that they have not received a case yet, and I often remind them that their success is connected to their marketing.”

‍

For Anim, new cases come through a variety of channels, including social media, word of mouth, and attorneys she has worked with in the past.

‍

“Also, it does help being licensed in states where there are a lot of immigration activities,” she added. “The best way to determine that is to ask around and talk to an attorney.” 

‍

{{resource}}

‍

With multiple income streams and a group practice to manage, it was time to outsource some of her back office. 

‍

“I had to remember that I don't need to be the expert in every part of my business—hiring help is okay,” she said. 

‍

Anim signed up for Heard in 2020. She said she likes Heard because Heard specializes in serving therapists specifically. “They understand how much we must spend to maintain our licenses and operate our business,” she said. Anim added that her Heard team’s specialist knowledge fills a gap in the offerings of most CPAs and tax services.

‍

Plus, once she outsourced her accounting to Heard, Anim began to see her tax bill shrink. “My tax bills used to be very high,” she said. “They have become more manageable because Heard helps me stay on top of quarterly taxes.”

‍

Anim’s business continued to grow, and in 2023 she realized it was time for a change. She decided to form an S corporation. 

‍

“I was talking to my accountant one day, and she recommended I make the switch,” she said. 

‍

The S corp structure allows a business owner to pay themself a salary. Only the salary is liable for self-employment tax, at a rate of 15.3 percent. The remainder of the business’s income is not subject to self-employment tax—which explains why Anim began to see tax savings almost immediately after making the switch.

‍

“I even got a refund recently, which I had not seen in years,” Anim said.

‍

She said that making the change was easy: “My accountant directed me to the proper forms to complete on the IRS website. When I finished them, I mailed them to the IRS and heard back four months later.”

‍

{{resource}}

‍

Heard helps Anim set an appropriate salary for herself—one that both provides fair compensation and saves her practice the maximum amount in self-employment tax—and files all the appropriate tax forms for her S corp after the end of the year.

‍

Today, the future of Anim’s practice is looking bright. She has built a thriving business that specializes in serving BIPOC women in five states, with more locations planned. In the meantime, Heard handles the financial side of Aweh Support Services, helping to ensure the practice continues to enjoy the benefits of an S corp business structure and accurate tax filing.

‍

That saves Anim more time to focus on her clients and the therapists working in her group practice.

‍

“I love not worrying and having a team I can contact when required,” she said. “[Heard is] one of the best investments I have made in my business. Now I can confidently pursue opportunities and not think twice because I have a team behind me.” 

‍

—

‍

Interested in learning more about the S corp tax election? Check out our complete guide to S corporations for therapists.

‍

This post is to be used for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, business, or tax advice. Each person should consult their own attorney, business advisor, or tax advisor with respect to matters referenced in this post.

‍

{{cta}}