I firmly believe that there are not enough Osteopaths in the world, so it’s an exciting time of year when many more qualify and get ready to treat more people in pain.
Congratulations to all the newly qualified Osteopaths!
Those established Osteopathic Practices get to choose from the pick of the crop in order to expand their services. Some will choose to be brave and branch out by themselves and set up in business. Exciting times!
However, wherever you are in your Osteopathic journey, it’s a good idea to be mindful of few things.
Tip 1 – Have a plan
Sometimes I tell a story about a guy who wants to drive from London to Birmingham. He sets off but he doesn’t bother with his sat nav. He travels for miles and miles not paying much attention to road signs as he enjoys the scenery.
Eventually he arrives at a city. Only it’s not Birmingham. He has ended up in Cardiff! He’s not happy as he didn’t intend his journey to end here. Worst of all, he cannot understand how this has happened He’s feeling tired and miserable. Perhaps this is what a mid-life crisis is.
Whilst I’m a free spirit, not liking to be boxed in, I do believe in having a general plan for life, work and family. So have a think about where you see yourself in 2, 5 and 10 years’ time. Make sure your goals are congruent with all aspects of your life too. Sometimes I hear people ambitiously wanting to expand their businesses whilst also saying they want more family time, holidays and reduce the mortgage too – it ain’t gonna happen!!
Tip 2 – Get stuck in!
Whether or not you are working for yourself, take a run at it! Getting a business off the ground is just like getting a rocket into the stratosphere – most of the fuel is burned up at launch. If you’re working as an Associate, do get involved in the marketing. It isn’t fair to expect the Principal to do it all. Better still write some short blogs on topics close to your heart and add them to the website at regular intervals. Establish your social media presence; those who do are way more visible and stay top of mind when patients find themselves in pain and dosed up on anti-inflammatories.
Introduce yourself to local businesses and tell them briefly what you do. We’re still battling with the lack of general awareness about what Osteopaths can treat. Educate and inform all the time. Nobody can recommend you if they don’t understand what you can help with.
Tip 3 – Specialise
I know it goes against the grain because you are taught (quite rightly) that you can treat anyone for almost anything. However, when it comes to getting established, it’s way better to be known for a specialism. Take me as an example; I can help any small business to grow and be more successful. But I’m nuts about Osteopaths so I have niched right down and have become well known in the profession. So what would I do if a different therapist came to me for help? Would I turn them away? Of course not. I would welcome them with open arms and apply my knowledge to their case.
It’s the same for you. Working towards treating more sports injuries, children or animals than just generalising will, in time, elevate you to ‘expert’ status. This will also mean that you can also charge what you’re worth. I know Osteopaths who have specialised in fertility work, some who have a knack with frozen shoulders and those who even get urgently called to see VIP celebrities when they fly in from America!
If you want to make an impact quickly in your work, then you can get very affordable help in my Osteobiz Club where we work online on one topic each month so that there’s steady progress and no overwhelm.
And please don’t ever feel stuck and halfway to Cardiff! Get in touch and let’s see how we can get you back on the right road for your life’s journey.
