10 School tips Naturopaths use to grow their practice
1. Do your homework.
While no small business is guaranteed to be successful, one thing that will improve your odds is doing your "homework." For a naturopath, this means thoroughly researching your competition, financial options and target market, as well as having a solid business plan in place before you launch your startup or expand your practice. You'll have a much easier time passing the big tests of the elevator pitch, your marketing strategy, the first patient and recurring patients if you're thoroughly prepared.
2. Go for extra credit.
Providing exceptional patient customer service and going the extra mile for your patients can make all the difference in getting returning patients and patient referrals. Respond to questions and concerns quickly, express your appreciation for their business, and take the time to talk to your patients to learn about them and what they are expecting. Friendly, personal interactions will earn you a solid A in your patients’ minds (and probably a nice profit in your bank account, too).
3. Teacher knows best.
Mentorship is extremely important for entrepreneurs, especially when they're first starting out. You can really learn a lot from someone who's been in your shoes. A mentor can put you in touch with naturopathic industry connections, help you through your startup growing pains, and give valuable insights for your present and future business goals. Even if you don't agree with all the advice you're given, respect your mentor's willingness to share the time and energy to help you learn and grow as a naturopathic practice owner.
4. You can't be too prepared.
You can never be too prepared when it comes to running a naturopathic practice. Even if it seems like you're overthinking, it's good to be ready for even the unlikeliest of situations. What will you do if you don't raise all the funds you need? What if one of your team members unexpectedly bails on you? What if you need to rethink your entire branding strategy? Knowing what to do in the event of a crisis will help you navigate any obstacles you might encounter.
5. Make connections.
The right connections can open up opportunities that would have remained closed otherwise. Take every chance you get to reach out to other naturopaths and suppliers, whether it's to get a few tips, do a small favor or just have a friendly conversation. You never know who might be able to lend a helping hand to you at some point down the road.
6. You won't always stick to the syllabus.
Think of your business plan as the syllabus for your practice. Like the syllabus for a class, your plan includes a description of your practice, what you'll need to run the practice, and your long-term goals. And like a class, your practice might end up taking a slightly different path from what you initially anticipated. Maybe you didn't meet your first-year projections, or you ended up having to change direction halfway through. While a clear-cut strategy is crucial, part of running a practice is being able to adapt when things don't go according to plan. Students learn some of the most important and inspiring lessons when their professor veers from the syllabus; the same could be true of your business.
7. Find a balance.
Unfortunately, as a healthcare entrepreneur, you may find yourself even more cramped for time than you were as a student. It's important to remember to find the time to enjoy your personal life. There isn't a perfect division of your time, but studies have shown that burnout can be detrimental to your career if you don't take time for yourself.
8. Building a routine takes time.
It often takes students a few weeks to get back into the swing of things when the new school year begins. In the early stages of your practice (and even later on if you make a drastic strategy change), you're likely to have a trial-and-error period before you figure out the best way to operate. This might be a frustrating time, but you just need to persevere and power through until you get onto steadier ground.
9. Failure is not defeat.
In school, one failed test doesn't mean you should drop the entire class. Similarly, in business, one misstep doesn't necessarily mean you should give up on your entrepreneurial venture. Take the experience and learn from it. Retrace your steps and figure out exactly where you went wrong. If you have the resources to immediately try again, do so, while employing the knowledge you gained from your mistakes. If you can't keep going right away, hold on to that knowledge and wait for your next opportunity.
10. You're never done learning.
You might have thought you knew everything when you were in school, but you quickly discovered you were wrong. Having a successful startup and growth plan for your practice doesn't mean you have nothing left to learn about healthcare entrepreneurship. Always be open to lessons from others in and out of healthcare. The world is like a university, and your naturopathic practice is just one small course in it.
While no small business is guaranteed to be successful, one thing that will improve your odds is doing your "homework." For a naturopath, this means thoroughly researching your competition, financial options and target market, as well as having a solid business plan in place before you launch your startup or expand your practice. You'll have a much easier time passing the big tests of the elevator pitch, your marketing strategy, the first patient and recurring patients if you're thoroughly prepared.
2. Go for extra credit.
Providing exceptional patient customer service and going the extra mile for your patients can make all the difference in getting returning patients and patient referrals. Respond to questions and concerns quickly, express your appreciation for their business, and take the time to talk to your patients to learn about them and what they are expecting. Friendly, personal interactions will earn you a solid A in your patients’ minds (and probably a nice profit in your bank account, too).
3. Teacher knows best.
Mentorship is extremely important for entrepreneurs, especially when they're first starting out. You can really learn a lot from someone who's been in your shoes. A mentor can put you in touch with naturopathic industry connections, help you through your startup growing pains, and give valuable insights for your present and future business goals. Even if you don't agree with all the advice you're given, respect your mentor's willingness to share the time and energy to help you learn and grow as a naturopathic practice owner.
4. You can't be too prepared.
You can never be too prepared when it comes to running a naturopathic practice. Even if it seems like you're overthinking, it's good to be ready for even the unlikeliest of situations. What will you do if you don't raise all the funds you need? What if one of your team members unexpectedly bails on you? What if you need to rethink your entire branding strategy? Knowing what to do in the event of a crisis will help you navigate any obstacles you might encounter.
5. Make connections.
The right connections can open up opportunities that would have remained closed otherwise. Take every chance you get to reach out to other naturopaths and suppliers, whether it's to get a few tips, do a small favor or just have a friendly conversation. You never know who might be able to lend a helping hand to you at some point down the road.
6. You won't always stick to the syllabus.
Think of your business plan as the syllabus for your practice. Like the syllabus for a class, your plan includes a description of your practice, what you'll need to run the practice, and your long-term goals. And like a class, your practice might end up taking a slightly different path from what you initially anticipated. Maybe you didn't meet your first-year projections, or you ended up having to change direction halfway through. While a clear-cut strategy is crucial, part of running a practice is being able to adapt when things don't go according to plan. Students learn some of the most important and inspiring lessons when their professor veers from the syllabus; the same could be true of your business.
7. Find a balance.
Unfortunately, as a healthcare entrepreneur, you may find yourself even more cramped for time than you were as a student. It's important to remember to find the time to enjoy your personal life. There isn't a perfect division of your time, but studies have shown that burnout can be detrimental to your career if you don't take time for yourself.
8. Building a routine takes time.
It often takes students a few weeks to get back into the swing of things when the new school year begins. In the early stages of your practice (and even later on if you make a drastic strategy change), you're likely to have a trial-and-error period before you figure out the best way to operate. This might be a frustrating time, but you just need to persevere and power through until you get onto steadier ground.
9. Failure is not defeat.
In school, one failed test doesn't mean you should drop the entire class. Similarly, in business, one misstep doesn't necessarily mean you should give up on your entrepreneurial venture. Take the experience and learn from it. Retrace your steps and figure out exactly where you went wrong. If you have the resources to immediately try again, do so, while employing the knowledge you gained from your mistakes. If you can't keep going right away, hold on to that knowledge and wait for your next opportunity.
10. You're never done learning.
You might have thought you knew everything when you were in school, but you quickly discovered you were wrong. Having a successful startup and growth plan for your practice doesn't mean you have nothing left to learn about healthcare entrepreneurship. Always be open to lessons from others in and out of healthcare. The world is like a university, and your naturopathic practice is just one small course in it.
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