Starting a wellness private practice and becoming a wellness entrepreneur is an exciting, but often intimidating, process. Thankfully, starting a private practice has never been easier (or more possible). With advances in technology platforms designed specifically for wellness entrepreneurs, there are a host of resources and tools for launching a business.

There are a few steps to keep in mind when starting your very own private practice.

1. Generate Leads For Your First Few Clients

Of course, starting your practice means having clients. Unfortunately, it’s not always as easy as getting your website up and running or hanging your “open” sign outside of your office.

To grow your business, you need to generate buzz. Hustling to spread the word in the beginning is essential to create multiple sources of referrals.

Here are few ways to start:

• Announce your practice to family and friends.
• Make a list of 10-15 people, typically family and friends, that you can e-mail to introduce yourself and provide an overview of your services. Through word-of-mouth, you’ll be able to reach prospective customers who are interested in your services you have to offer.
• Introduce yourself to key community players.
• A few local doctors offices, gyms, and local community centers –> say that you’re a nutrition professional, give a brief overview of your background, and say that you’d be happy to support any clients / patients who are looking for nutritional care.
• Host an event.
• Depending on your community and neighborhood, it can be useful to plan and host a lunch n’ learn, webinar, or any event related to nutrition to create buzz about your services. Find a topic that interests you and your ideal clientele (diabetes, eating out, staying fit at the office) and get people excited about your cause.

2. Legally Start Your Private Practice

Believe it or not, you don’t have to do everything at once to officially form your business. Starting your private practice will be an ongoing endeavor, but you can start small and build over time.

Here’s a short checklist to help you establish your private practice.

• Purchase Liability Insurance
• Here are more details about choosing the plan that’s best for you.

• Form an LLC or Sole Proprietorship
• Avoid over-spending on lawyers (just our two cents), if you’re just getting started. Depending on your state, a sole proprietorship may be all you need, but think about the tax implications and costs.
• Put Together a Website:
• The website for your private practice is important in helping you reach more customers in your market. There are plenty of DIY websites like Squarespace, Wix, Weebly, and WordPress that make it easy to get started.
• Pro tip: Don’t overthink your business name! It’s totally fine to use your name or a variation of your name, and iterate on that over time.

3. Consider a Business Mentor

If you’re not going into business with another practitioner, being an entrepreneur can be lonely at times. You will encounter obstacles along the way, and having a mentor to bounce ideas off of or to garner support can make your entrepreneurial journey feel more collaborative. Plus, a good mentor will know how to lift you up when you need it, but still push you to come to conclusions on your own.

Also, keep in mind that your mentor doesn’t have to be in the field of nutrition. Business is business. In fact, it may be more beneficial to pick your brother-in-law’s brain who is very business savvy, for example, to gain a new perspective.

These are the “very first steps” in starting your private practice. Try not to let your focus drift on the future of your business, instead, stay attentive and present to the beginnings of your practice.

Becoming a wellness entrepreneur is an exciting endeavor but requires the right amount of support, and the best business tools. With an all-in-one practice management platform like Healthie, you have everything you need when starting your private practice, including:

• Scheduling
• Telehealth/virtual care
• E-paperwork
• Client Messaging
• InsuranceBilling +Payment Processing
• Charting/EHR
• Client Food Logging
• And more