Are you someone who has found your passion and now you want to start a business of your own? Or maybe you've already made the leap of faith but find you're struggling to understand all the things necessary to run your business? Well, I have to say, I completely understand both of these scenarios.
You are one of thousands of new businesses that start every month in the State of Minnesota (and likely many other States in the US). This can be a confusing and tumultuous time for you. Especially since you are dealing with your budget, your time and likely all of the emotions that go along with putting yourself out there to the world.
While starting a business can be tough, it can also be one of the most liberating and exciting times in your life. You are stepping up and deciding to show the world your ideas, your talents and that you have the calling to help others along the way. This is not for the faint-hearted, but for you it makes you excited to wake up every day and you can work your craft for hours on end because it gives you energy and fulfillment. For this, I say welcome to the world of being an entrepreneur and change maker!
A number of years ago, I started my own computer sales and service company. Shortly after that, I also started my own healing practice where I provided reiki and breathwork for clients. In doing these businesses, I made a lot of mistakes and learned a ton about all of the necessary aspects of starting and running my own business.
When I furthered my training in various healing arts, I noticed that many people were thinking about starting their own practice but didn’t have a clue what to do. Since I had a degree in business and many years working with business management software, I decided to create a workshop called, “The Business of Healing”, where I taught students the basics of getting started. The class was well received, and the students had a lot of questions. I knew this was a needed thing then, and I believe it still is today.
Fast forward many years and a lot of life changes, I married Melissa who was also in the midst of changes in her life. She had spent many decades as a school social worker and then decided to go back to school for her master’s degree in Social Work. This allowed her to fulfill a dream of being a licensed therapist and to start her practice from the ground up.
If you know anything about being a licensed practitioner, you know that getting started in the field is not a simple as graduating from a program and starting full time work the next day. You have to put in many hours being an intern, then possibly pre-licensed hours, which can include time with a supervisor tweaking your craft. On top of all of this, you likely have continuing educations hours and passing a written exam by your state governed licensing board to deal with on an ongoing basis. Managing all of this is a lot for anyone to do, but now you are thinking about starting your own business!
Even though we had learned a lot in her initial years, going into private practice opened up a much wider realm of things to consider and put in place as a business owner. This is especially true for businesses who have to consider and implement client privacy procedures in virtually all areas of communication and records retention. As we moved forward, we continued to document, refine, and adjust the processes we used. This is an ongoing effort that is regularly reviewed, updated, and communicated.
As I worked alongside Melissa in her business venture, I was also starting my own coaching and consulting business, as well as authoring and publishing books. As I was starting to consider what I should publish first, I couldn’t stop thinking about that workshop I had done so many years ago guiding practitioners starting their own businesses. With that, I decided to update and expand “The Business of Healing” and create a guide for wellness startups.
I define the wellness industry as any specialty or modality that provides individual wellness care or insights to someone, including practitioners of Alternative Healing, Intuitives/Psychics, Mental Health Therapists, Massage Therapists, Yoga Instructors, Nutrition, Chiropractic, and the list goes on.
I now have published “The Business of Healing” in both and eBook/Kindle as well as Paperback formats. The eBook (epub) and PDF formats can be found on my web site at www.raatz.com/shop or you can see all of my published works, including the paperback version, on Amazon from my Author’s Page.
If you need assistance in getting started in your business, please check out this new paperback. I also provide coaching sessions to help you review your business idea and assist in guiding you through the necessary steps and resources you need. You can book a session with me via Zoom at https://www.raatz.com/book-online.
I also have a new pricing plan for business startups that includes a copy of the Business of Healing book, plus 2 - hour long coaching sessions per month, and messaging support as needed for $300/month. You can find the plan by clicking here.
The best way to alleviate your stress in starting and running your own business is to educate yourself and create your own processes that work best for you. While most businesses have a common core of requirements, how you run yours is going to be unique. Spending time preparing yourself for stepping into your new role as an entrepreneur is key. If you do this success will surely follow!