Your Ideal Day

Tip: Picture your ideal day. Consider work/life balance.

You are creating your business.  What do you want? What do you want to model for your clients and other practitioners?  Take a magic wand and create your ideal day, week, month.  How much vacation do you want? How much flexibility do you want in your work time?  Do you want to work with others or more alone with a support system?  What kind of support system do you want to develop – alone or with a group?  Is this a three-year, five-year, or 10-year plan?  Dream… Actualize. 

Office or no office…that might be one
of the first questions

Tip:   Stay with as little overhead as you can for as long as you can.  It is best to have the growth of the business push you into the next level of expansion rather than have an expanded operation from the beginning hoping to grow into it. 

One way to save on the cost you need to pay every month to be in business (overhead) is to work from your home.  Of course, this depends on your services but if you can work from home, that is a good way to begin if you have limited start up funds.  Having an office in your home has pluses and minuses.  The obvious plus is that it saves you money and travel time/expense.  Usually it is difficult to write off a home office these days so that is no longer much of an advantage.  Consult your accountant for specific advice on this issue.  The disadvantage is that you are bringing people into your home who you may not know well and it may be a disruption to other people in your home.

Another way to start, if a home office is not appealing or practical, is to share office space.  This has an economic benefit as well as your office mates may increase your business through referrals and collaboration.  It is one way to help build your network and help with marketing your services

Contact your state board of nursing regarding your nurse practice act

Tip:  Much of holistic nursing practice fits easily into the role of health maintenance and prevention of disease.

If you have a question about your services and the nurse practice act in your state, contact the state Board of Nursing.  

Business Cards 

Tip:  If you have a business card that you really like, you will pass it out more often.   Your card is part of your branding…you are setting up a look and feel that will let others know about the subtle aspects of your services.

You can use your own name for your business or you can create a name for your business,  especially if it will include others.  If you use your name, you will want to identify what services you will be offering.  For example, Linda Bark PhD RN---Holistic Life Coaching.  If you have many things that you offer and want to list them, you can use the back of the card for additional room.  Look at other cards for ideas.  Use intuition, dreams, guided imagery to help you find a symbol or logo that feels right for you.   

For your card, you want to list the following:

• Your name and credentials….Linda Bark PhD RN
• Your contact information including a phone, email address and website if you have one
• Your services
• Something visual that is a WOW…

 Get a business license and a bank account

Tip:  You need a business license before you can set up a bank account.  You need a separate bank account to keep track of your business income and expenses. 

You can obtain a business license at the City Hall.  You can use your name as the name of your business.  There is a form to fill out and a fee to pay.  You can obtain a tax ID number or use your own social security number.  The bank will help you set up a business account.