New ABA business owner. Could someone experienced audit my startup?
Hi everyone!
I'm a first-time ABA business owner in California and recently started Blooming ABA. I've spent months trying to build everything correctly before serving my first client, but I'm getting to the point where I feel like I'm overthinking every decision and could really use guidance from someone who's been through this.
So far I've:
- Formed my LLC
- Obtained my EIN and Group NPI
- Secured office space
- Set up my EMR, billing company, and payroll
- Started credentialing with Blue Shield, Aetna, and Medi-Cal (PAVE)
- Begun the Regional Center vendorization process
- Created intake packets, clinical templates, and onboarding documents
- Started recruiting BCBAs and BTs
My biggest concern right now is the DOJ ORI and Live Scan process.
I'm confused about:
- Whether I should wait for my ORI before having employees complete Live Scan.
- Whether there's anything I should be doing while my ORI is pending.
- What a compliant employee onboarding process should look like before serving my first client.
At this point, I honestly don't know if I'm overthinking things or if I'm actually missing important compliance steps.
If you've successfully started an ABA company, especially in California, I'd really appreciate your perspective.
If you were auditing Blooming ABA before opening, what are the top 3–5 things you would make sure are completed before accepting the first client?
I'm not looking for anyone to build my business for me. I genuinely want to learn from people who've already been through this so I can avoid preventable mistakes and build a strong foundation.
If anyone offers startup consulting or mentorship for California ABA agencies, or knows someone who does, I'd truly appreciate any recommendations as well.
Thank you in advance! I really appreciate your time and any guidance you're willing to share.