Setting up your own practice takes time, money and energy.
It’s so exciting. If you are anything like me, you just want to focus on what you love doing and do more of it. And. Nothing. Else!
Well, that led me to an epic fail in my first business. Yes, I have been around this block before!
At that time, I was so excited to share my knowledge, help people grow and give as much of myself as possible. Pretty soon my savings were being invested in the ‘biz’, training on things like Google, AdWords, other suitable systems and a whizzy, do-it-all-sparkling website.
Just about everything I needed to make a real good go at the ‘biz’ of being a Complementary Therapist. Whatever the guru’s said I needed, I got. After all, they know their stuff, right?
Yes. They knew THEIR stuff… not mine!
They knew about lists and getting tonnes of Facebook likes. They didn’t know about healing modalities, therapies or what my work was. They didn’t know what my clients needed. Or that most of my clients didn’t even come from a list!
Needless to say, the more I followed their advice, the more I bought and the more I felt less like a therapist and more like a stranger in a foreign land.
Lost and even more confused, none of what the guru’s insisted on helped my business grow. In fact, after two years I ran out of capital, savings and self-respect. And hey ho gent, down the drain my business went.
Eek!
Soon I was back in the corporate world, burning out (again) pretty fast…
One morning during meditation I felt the phrase: ‘You are your business. When you have a ‘bad’ day, so does your business. When you have a great day so does your business’.
I had to stop and let that sink in.
There was so much more than doing what others told me to. Not to say what they advised was wrong, rather I had to adapt what I learnt and apply it in my unique way.
It was only then I decided to make life easier for myself, to let my heart sing. These three steps entered into my thinking:
- Work from your soul
Working from your heart-space makes your heart sing. When your heart sings, your clients benefit. They love your energy and that inspires and motivates them. In turn, they inspire and motivate others… a global snowball of happiness grows and grows.
Bring soul-full-ness into your business. Serving rather than selling is the best advert you can have. By serving, I don’t mean being a doormat.
Serving is about giving your clients value, as well as having an awareness of your clients wants versus needs.
- Give your client what they want…
Yes, give your client what they think they want. Secretly (or not so secretly in this case) give them what they need!
A client may say they want more clients themselves when actually the hidden need is to build self-worth. Grow their confidence then support identifying the ideal client for them along with charging the right fee.
Show your client the process of how to find clients, then, add the value of resolving the hidden need. You client will thank-you, their clients will thank them.
- Understand what you really need to run your business
Not everyone needs a website, a book or tonnes of Facebook likes – even today!
Are you going to use the website, Facebook page or mailing list for a specific strategy or simply because you think you should have one? Where does each of these fit in with your overall plan?
Plan your business growth needs.
Hobbyist or entrepreneur: Everyone needs a solid well thought out business plan. Your plan will take you logically through exactly what you need when you need it and how you will grow your business.
A clear plan allows you to make better decisions, save money and time by showing you where your energies need to go. Yes, leaving you more time to do what you love most!
So, get excited about your plan. It will save you time, money and energy… with plenty more time to do what you love!
Cheryl-lya is a Soul Adventurer and Planning Queen: helping women around the globe plan launch and grow successful sustainable businesses. She runs workshops alongside one-to-one coaching. Contact her: Book a call, or visit her website soulscompass.net and schedule a free 15 min Connection Session to get your needs sorted. Say ‘hello’ or share your joys via email: hello@soulscompass.net