5 Key Benefits to Growing Your Wellness Business

There's nothing more satisfying than working with clients over a long-period of time, developing a relationship with people whose lives you help improve, live the life-purpose you are meant to live, and get paid really well while you're doing it. Isn't that what YOU want, too? I bet it is. One of these situations might be you:

• You have a business, but no matter how hard you work, you still can't get ENOUGH clients, or keep them long enough to help them make permanent changes to their health.
• Your business is growing, but you feel you're just running from fire to fire, working WAY too hard, aren't making enough, and aren't really living your life's purpose.
• You have just started your business, but suddenly you feel you're in WAY over your head, not sure what to do, when to do it, or even HOW.

In some cases, you're wondering if it's all worth it! Oh yea, you bet it is! And, I'm sure you believe this, deep down in your heart. You're just frustrated and scared. Let's then help remind you about the 5 key benefits to growing a wellness business, to bring that passion back into your vision. Key benefit #1 - Doing exactly what you love to do. I remember when I was working as a clinical dietitian in a teaching hospital. Most of what I did I loved, but not all of it. And eventually there came a time when I felt I was just going through the motions, not really loving what I was doing. And I hear this all the time from people: They're stuck in a job they just dread! I hear from others who are afraid to give up their job, because they're so afraid their business won't support them. But all they need is a plan! What is it YOU love to do? That's the first step in putting your plan together. You have to be CLEAR what you love to do! Key benefit #2 - Doing what you love to do on YOUR terms. If you've worked a job where you had to clock in, eat at particular times, and see a certain number of patients per day, you get that straight-jacket thinking of doing what you have to do, when you have to do it. Imagine setting your OWN work hours, and determining how and where you'll see your clients! Yes, it really IS possible to do it, because not only did I do that when I had a nutrition and fitness business, but I still do it, today. And that's what I help my clients to, too. Most of the people I work with want to build a thriving business AND enjoy their families. I've shared this before: I work out of my home office, I work MY hours, and I work 2-3 days a week. What would YOUR ideal work schedule look like? Why not put that together (on paper), now? Are you following that schedule? If not, what has to shift in order for that to change? Key benefit #3 - Working with who you love to work with. I have to say that when I quit my job, back in 1996, one of the greatest joys was to know that NOW I could work with exactly who I wanted to work with! Granted, at first, I took anyone who called me! If they were breathing, they were who I wanted to work with. If I knew then what I know now, however, I would have been much more selective, which would have led to faster success. But I didn't know business, back then, either! I know this is a hard one for many wellness professionals, because you also want clients, and that means ANY clients. But when you get very clear and focused around who you LOVE to work with, and craft your marketing to attract those clients, you're going to enjoy what you do so much more. And, a little secret: You STILL can accept anyone who breathes. But now more of those IDEAL breathing clients will call you. So, identify who your ideal client is, as if he/she is sitting across from you, and then determine what that person struggles with, and what he/she wants instead. There's your 'client attraction' marketing materials. Key benefit #4 - Living your life's purpose. Let's face it; you went into the health and wellness field for a reason much bigger than yourself. In fact, I would bet you didn't go into it AT ALL because of the money! But we'll address the money part in a moment. You went into wellness to make a difference in the health of those you work with. You wanted to make a difference. THAT was your life's purpose. Unfortunately, too many wellness professionals struggle with really making an impact. Instead, they're just trying to keep the doors open! It's hard to fully live your life's purpose if you're 'trying' to grow your business. That's more fear-based than purposeful-based. What IS your life's purpose? First get very clear about that. It's the bottom line of what you're in business for, no matter what you do or who you do it for. Once you have that question answered, then ask yourself what has to happen to step INTO that purpose. Key benefit #5 - Making great money while you do what you love. When you fully are doing your life's purpose work, working with people you love to work with, and you're solving their problems, which is what you're all about, the money will come. And when the money gets better (and you're not working yourself ragged to MAKE it), you're then able to reach more people. And when you can reach more people, THEN you are living your life's purpose in a much greater way! So, when you shy away from thinking you want to make great money doing what you love to do, think of how trying to NOT make good money is not only hurting YOU, but also hurting those whose lives you could really impact! It took me a long time to figure this one out. I had heard it over and over again from one of my coaching mentors. But I didn't believe it. I thought: "Shouldn't I just focus on helping people instead of making more money?" What I didn't realize was that when I stepped FULLY into helping people in a bigger way, the money THEN would just easily come to me, which then allowed me to create more programs and services for other people who couldn't work with me in my private programs. Thus, I realized that by making great money, I was able to fully live MY life's purpose of making a difference in the lives of those I touched. Probably the biggest thing to focus on is to ask yourself what causes you to AVOID making great money? I've heard it all:

• "I don't want clients to think it's all about the money." (No, it's not, but if that's what you're thinking, your focus is NOT on the client.)
• "I don't want to raise my rates, because that's not fair to ask that of my clients!" (Actually, when a client makes a greater financial investment, they are stepping up to invest in THEMSELVES!)
• "I don't want to make a lot of money, I just want to do what I love to do." (You can do MORE of what you love to do if you have the freedom to hire people to do the things in your business you DON'T love to do.)

These are just the top three excuses people make against not making great money. There might be one you're thinking of right now, but if so, please share what that is, so I can help you debunk it.