Are you looking for ways to leverage your skills to work independently? Are you thinking about earning more money? In our rapidly changing society, there’s a new breed of entrepreneurs: Nurse Entrepreneurs.
In many states, Nurse Practitioners are now able to work independently, sparking all kinds of new business opportunities. Let’s look at the big moves to get started.
Start Your Education
If you want to work as a Nurse Practitioner (NP), you’ll need to get the right education and training. The fastest and most convenient way to do this is with an online nurse practitioner program.
This is a great way to balance a busy work schedule and keep your career moving forward. Online learning is flexible, making it possible to juggle a full work schedule while you pursue your career goals.
Start Your Practice
Like every entrepreneur, you’re looking for ways to earn more money by starting your own business. That’s why it helps to look at your practice as a business.
Know your clientele and the local population. Staring with the ‘who’ for your business is a step that will shape everything about your practice. It may affect your business name, logo, and branding. It will impact your messaging and communication with the community. It may inspire you to go into special areas of practice such as private or concierge nursing.
Start Expanding
Some states make it possible for NP’s to practice independently. If you live in a state where this is possible, the sky is the limit. However, even if you live in a state where the practice is restricted, there are many business opportunities to explore.
You can use your nursing expertise to help people in ways that you may not have considered. Here are a few ideas to get the wheels turning:
- Offer medical consulting services
- Offer medical consulting services for legal issues
- Open a medical spa or shared treatment clinic
- Offer health coaching for individuals, families, teams, and companies
- Provide concierge nursing
- Offer telemedicine consults as part of a larger facility
Start a Social Media
As you get your NP business off the ground, start sharing ideas with social media. A lot of nurses are doing this and creating a following. When you’re thinking about social media, think about things that you want to share. It may be that with your special knowledge and expertise, you’ve got important insights to share.
Use your passion for health and wellness to reach people who may be in your community and region. Explore ways to encourage questions, interaction, and lively conversation. While you may start with Facebook or Instagram, you can also expand into YouTube videos.
If you’re not sure what is best, join some online groups. Check out entrepreneur groups and nurse practitioner groups. This kind of networking grows organically. It will give you a sense of community and help you organize your content in ways that appeal to your target audience.
Start Your Team
When you’re starting your practice, you will quickly realize what every solo entrepreneur comes to know. You can’t do it alone. Not only “can’t,” but “don’t” want to do it alone.
Even if you have a “solo” practice, you’ll want a team to support your work. You may want staff, co-workers, or co-practitioners. You may also find that it’s helpful to have a complementary practitioner who knows the local population. Perhaps you will find it useful to work with a business partner for legal, financial, or professional support.
Your team also includes people outside your practice. For example, you’ll build a team of advisors to help with issues such as licensing, taxes, insurance, and legalities.
Start Your Wellness Plan
There’s no question that personal health and well-being are important. That’s why you are working in healthcare. However, when you’re starting your own business, personal health can come up short.
Since you want to not leave this for later, start now. Make a health plan for yourself. Set up your workload to include self-care. Schedule off time, me-time, and regroup time. Set up a weekly exercise plan. Organize your calendar to include time for seeing friends and family.
Be sure to hit the high notes: nutrition, exercise, and sleep. Have a solid plan for maintaining a healthy diet. Set up exercise as part of your workday. Schedule relaxation so you get quality sleep. It may seem like a lot, but as an entrepreneur, you’re in charge. Create the business you’ve always dreamed of having.
