Podcast 17: How to Reinvent Your Holistic Business

business ethical business mindset podcast Jun 11, 2020

As we’re starting to move out of lockdown, people are getting back to work. As a practitioner, you may not return to working in person any time soon. When you do, you’ll have to change aspects of how you do business.

The environment is constantly changing and at the time of writing this, only certain statutory regulated practitioners (e.g. Osteopaths, Podiatrists, Physiotherapists etc.) are legally allowed to return to working in person with clients. However, their return to work is subject to adherence to guidelines laid down by the government, public health agencies, professional bodies and insurance companies.

Most complementary and alternative medicine practitioners aren’t statutory regulated and will, therefore, have to continue to work remotely. However, some practitioners who have shops as part of their business may be able to reopen in line with government guidance.

There are however a lot of opportunities arising from the experience of lockdown. We can take the lessons learnt and apply them to building a sustainable practice for the future.

Like many, I’ve had to move to working online. Luckily, I’ve been able to continue helping clients which I am deeply grateful for. It has however made me re-think how I work and what my business will look like once this is all over.

We’re moving out of the survival stage and now need to start moving forward again. It’s time to work out what that will look like for you. Here are my tips for reinventing your holistic business:

Reflect on the lessons learnt

What have you learnt from lockdown that will help you to make your business better for the future?

There are many positives to come from lockdown. People are realising what the important things are, such as relationships and human connection. Many have taken up new hobbies and discovered the power of getting out into nature. We’ve had to learn new skills and adopt technology.

What have you learnt that you can apply to your business? Have you acquired new skills to help your clients or streamline what you offer? Have you discovered different ways of working?

What would you like to continue with after lockdown? What are you going to drop?

Make peace with change and let go

If you’re struggling to let go of what your work was, it’s time to accept the changing environment and move on. You must let go of the past, in order to move on and create your new future.

Accepting things have changed and making peace with it will free up headspace. Let go of the stories you’ve been telling yourself about the situation – if you don’t they will keep you stuck. How you used to work has changed, don’t let upset and disappointment define your future.

Be kind and compassionate to yourself as it will help you to flow through the changes you’re making. If you’re resisting the changes, you’ll be fighting your way through, which will make the transition challenging at best.

If you need to, hold a mini closure ceremony. Decide what’s the best approach for you symbolically to let go of your stories and fears. A few examples are to visualise them floating away, or write them down and burn or shred them. Do whatever works for you.

Have a plan for getting back to work in person

Having a plan ready, to return back to work in person will make the transition as smooth as possible. Before returning to working in person, ensure your plans comply with government, professional body and insurance company regulations or advice.

Understand the rules around hygiene, social distancing and your working environment as laid down by the Government. For example, many Osteopaths returning to work are only able to see half the number of patients because they must thoroughly clean and air the clinic before the next appointment. They’re also required to change personal protective equipment (PPE) in between patients.

Consider your options for example, can you work outside whilst maintaining confidentiality? Are you able to do Pilates sessions outside or go for therapy walks in nature? Will you have access to larger rooms with plenty of space so you can socially distance yourself?

You will need to risk assess your business, to go back to working in person and ensure it’s COVID-19 secure. It’s good practice (and may be a requirement of your insurance or professional body) to publish these. Create information for your clients so they know what to expect when they come to see you.

Remember, the guidance and regulations related to working during the COVID-19 outbreak change regularly. Keep up to date with information published by the Government, The Health and Safety Executive, Public Health England, your professional body and insurance company.

Revisit your vision for your business

Whilst you may have a vision for how your business was going to be, has recent events changed anything? Have you found a new way of working that you absolutely love and would like to adopt going forward? Now is a good idea to re-visit your vision and update it so you have a renewed direction to work towards. Here is an article on creating your vision for your business.

Be flexible and create buffers

No matter what happens, we’ll have to learn to live with it. Being flexible and adapting as you need to will put you in a powerful position to really step up in your business.

You’ve started to develop ideas for what your new business will look like. While you’re planning how you will make it happen, build in some buffers. These will help you to ride the challenges easier and make your business stronger for the future. Here’s an article on building buffers

If you need help reinventing your business for the next chapter, book a strategy session with me and we’ll work out your plan of action in a morning or afternoon together. Click here to find out about and book your strategy session.