Is it too late to start a university degree? And is there any point?

[Keyhole]

Since I last posted things suddenly started heating up for a short while. I gave some more lectures to the public and to professional clinics. I acquired maybe 6-7 clients from these talks, and received good feedback from the local chiropractic clinic and osteopathic clinic. The professionals there have said they would like to start referring clients to me, and have taken my business cards and details. I already had a couple of referrals, although many have not materialised just yet. I am trusting that if my advice works and helps people get better, then word-of-mouth will account for a lot of my clientelle.

Some of the feedback I received from potential clients was that they would only book in to see me if I had my own office space, and were not comfortable with Skype or home-visits. Based on this, I had a look around early-September and decided to begin a rental agreement on an office for only £150 per month. Since renting a room in a clinic may cost around £50 per day, this seemed like a much cheaper option. Based on my prices, I typically need to see 3 clients per month to make up the rent on the office, which is not bad at all.

When I first purchased the office, it was in quite a poor state. I had around a week before clients were organising to come and see me there, so I spent the whole week (with the generous help of Jen and my mum and dad) decorating the office and furnishing it so that it was presentable. Here are some before and after pictures:

You cannot see much from these pictures, but the walls were a dirty off-white colour, grubby, and stained.














So we painted the walls magnolia, scrubbed up the skirting and repainted the door.
I also painted one of the walls a slightly darker shade as a feature wall.



Once the painting was finished, I needed to furnish it:







And this is now what it looks like in the daylight:



Since the influx of clients two weeks ago, things have become a bit stagnant. I have had some interest from a local homeopath who would like to build up a cross-referral relationship, and similar for another lady who is a reflexologist specialising in fertility. So I am following up those leads.

But apart from that, I have not had enough money coming in to pay for my basic expenses. I have accepted that earning a living from this may unfortunately take a year or two, and so I need to take responsibility and work another job to cover my lifestyle and bills. I decided to take on agency work in education, so hopefully start next week working with children with ASD, ADHD, developmental delay and other learning difficulties. Thankfully, I have experience in this area and it is flexible hours, which should allow me to fit clients around my schedule.

I will reply to the questions and feedback in my next post

 

[Keyhole]

Going through health food shops is a great idea. You could also make up posters and pin them in those shops, yoga studios, local community hubs/creative spaces. You may want to think about working under a well-known health centre for a while if you can. For example, where I work we have a nutritionist who is advertised on the health centre's well-established website. She gets clients through her own website and through the centre's site. Then she only pays a percentage of her fee to rent the room for a couple of hours when she has a client.

Sorry for the hundreds of questions but here are some suggestions:

Are there any directories that you can list your name under? Do you qualify to list what you do on Therapy Directory (UK site for listing professional therapists)? Could you add your business to Treatwell (Popular UK site for booking therapy appointments)? How is your website's SEO (search engine optimisation); can people find you on Google? Have you thought about doing a give away on Instagram for when you reach so many followers you can do a free consultation?

Thanks, Lainey. Lots of great ideas here, and I really do appreciate it.

Since reading this post, I had a think about some more things that I could do. So I printed some leaflets and have given them out at talks. I haven't gotten round to placing them up in public places just yet, nor have I given them to clinics. The one osteopathic clinic declined, but took some business cards first of all and said that they would like to "vet" me essentially, before recommending my services. This is understandable, so that they can maintain a reputation. The principal osteopaths daughter is now one of my clients, so we will see how that gets on. I spoke with a clinic manager about having one day per week where I came into the chiropractic clinic, and I am waiting back on an email to see if that is something they would like to organise. I am qualified to go into the "Nutritionist UK" directory, although it is £190 per year to list my name. Unfortunately, my funds are running extremely this right now, so I can't even afford to do that just yet. I will do it in the near future when I start the new job though. Treatwell is not appropriate for my profession unfornately, and I did consider doing a "giveaway" offer, but decided it was not the best thing. What I am learning is that people need to really want to get better if they come to see me. It is not like a massage, or even a physical manipulation/adjustment. People don't pay for me to do anything to them, but rather pay for my brain. All of the effort needs to come from them. I am essentially advising them to make substantial changes to the way that they live their life, and so unless they are 100% motivated, then it will be a waste of time for both parties involved. Hence, offering a giveaway means that they will probably not value the service.

Actually there is a government loan you could consider but unlike in other countries the money would have to be returned:

Apply for a Start Up Loan for your business

You could have a look at other funding options and grants here:

https://www.sage.com/en-gb/blog/government-grants-for-small-businesses/

It would be best to start generating income without investing first, at the end of the day your studies were already an investment, but I thought I'd share the links in case you come up with an idea that may require financial resources you don't have.

Yes, this is something I had a look at. The problem is that I am already in £11,000 debt which I start paying back in December at £320 per month. I don't think it would be wise to get myself into more debt at this point.

I was wondering if you checked how much experienced practitioners in your field charge in your area? If a potential client has an option to pay the same amount of money for a consultation with an established and popular practitioner and someone who is just getting started - they'll often go for the person with more experience.

Pricing yourself competitively (yet not cheap becuase that could raise suspicions about quality) may help you get started. If you've ever purchased anything on Amazon based on product reviews then you know how important testimonials are.

I had a look at the local practitioners, and it seems on average it is anywhere from £50-90 per hour. Based on experience, people do charge more. My previous supervisor charges £200 per hour. However, she has around 10 years experience and is certified functional medicine practitioner with IFM, and also an integrative cancer specialist - so that price is understandable. I decided to charge £60 per hour, and the feedback I received from that has been quite good. People seem to be surprised that it is so cheap, since it includes a comprehensive PDF plan/document following the consultation.

I will be certified in functional medicine before the end of 2019, so that will also give me something extra to add to the CV. However, I plan on maintaining the price for a while as I think it is reasonable for people who do not necessarily have much money, yet are in need of some support.

There's another one coming in November if this is something you're potentially interested in: FREE Marketing Workshop for Nutrition Professionals and Students

Here are other events for healthcare / nutrition professionals if you'd like to have a look: FREE Marketing Workshop for Nutrition Professionals and Students

Thanks for this, Ant. That is really helpful, and I plan on attending this event to hopefully gain some insight.

I think that given you have an awareness of such tendencies and a willingness to network you will be fine. You have a very engaging and enthusiastic personality, which combined with the knowledge you have, means giving talks and lecturing seems a natural, beneficial and joyful form of expression for you. Have fun

I agree with Gary here, don't worry too much and get it out there! What helps a lot in my experience if you get carried away during preparation and/or during your speech is to ask yourself: "in what way am I helping people with what I'm saying? How can I make a difference for them that helps at least some?" This thought tends to hold the temptation to wiseacre in check. It should never be about you, but for the people you are trying to educate/help. Other than that, I'd say don't hold yourself back!

Thanks for the encouragement and assurance. I will start toying with ideas on what kind of material would be suitable for videos, and then when I can afford the equipment I will record some and see how they go.

Something else you might want to consider are trade shows and health focused expos in your area. Maybe you could hire a small stand and give free talks on different subjects at set times. In between talks you mooch with the passersby, give out your brochures and generally network. Maybe if you contacted one of the suppliers of the high quality supplements you want to recommend they might let you coattail on their stand at one of these shows.

To be a bit cheeky and maybe helpful, try exploring diverse potential target markets, too. For example, busy professionals with way too much to do at work - maybe busy travel schedules, and not nearly enough home cooking under their belts. They kinda know the latest nutritional trends and have heard all about low carb, keto and all that. It's fashionable nowadays and costs a fortune at restaurants.

But where to start on a consistent basis? And how to make those sorts of feeds at home? What should even go into them?

Interestingly enough, I was wondering about targeting the corporate market. Jen's father attended a nutrition workshop at his workplace as part of the "Health and Wellbeing Week" they have there each year for the staff. Apparently they nutritionist only provided two hour-long talks, and charged £900 for the day. Jen's father is going to find out how this guy managed to secure a deal with the company, and hopefully give me some pointers on how I may be able to approach other companies to see if they would like similar talks.

Just to briefly summarize those principles of effectual entrepreneurship:

1) bird-in-hand principle – this means to start with what you have, who you know your skills, expertise, tools, competencies

2) affordable loss principle – this means to look at what you are able to lose, not at what you can potentially gain

3) crazy quilt principle – networking and forming partnerships: leveraging those you know and those your connected to your network, maybe some reciprocal/complementary collaboration can help making the sales

4) lemonade principle – dealing with surprises, meaning what you thought you would offer at the beginning might change somewhat based on what customers are willing to pay for, or what you can co-create with your network as a valuable service offering. The “making lemonade” when given a lemon idea.

5) pilot-on-the-plane principle – Co-create with others. This is being in control of your destiny so to speak. You are the one who makes things happen and is likely the main benefit of being an entrepreneur: you alone can affect the outcome (not like at a job where people feel somewhat helpless as they often feel they can not a affect the business/organization at all). Create services together with your network, taking control instead of predicting or reacting (‘controlling the controllable’ so to speak).

Thanks, Jefferson. Those recommendations seem key, and I wish I'd have known this a few months ago. It seems I was living in la-la-land, wishfully thinking that I would suddenly have an influx of clients and be able to make a sustainable living income by now. I did not plan for the scenario which I am now facing.

As I have learned these past few months, is that it doesn't always work like that for people. People told me that things would take time, but I just assumed it wouldn't be the case for me. I allowed myself to believe that I was "different", and that these rules did not apply to me. Boy, was I wrong. I have been under serious stress for the past couple of months because I can see that very little income has been coming in. Very little consideration was taken to account for the possibility that clients would not come pouring in.

This business thing is hard. I feel like I have been working straight tying up loose ends and whatnot for months, and yet very little has materialised.

The stress of not having an income makes it a tempting option to disappear into dissociation and avoidance of reality. What is so interesting is that, since I have secured myself a job just today, I feel as though much of the stress has immediately lifted.

 

[Chu]

Securing that job for a short while while you work on developing the business sounds like a good approach, keyhole. And your office looks great! Is it a place where Jenn could also work, so that you get to use it more for the same amount of money? Or sub-rent it to another practitioner in the times when it's free, so that he or she participates in the expense and gets to recommend you if possible? Not sure these are good ideas or not depending on how it works in the UK.

 

[theos]

The office looks great! I agree with Chu about getting more use out of it by Jenn using it for her practice or renting it out when not in use.

Thanks, Lainey. Lots of great ideas here, and I really do appreciate it.

Interestingly enough, I was wondering about targeting the corporate market. Jen's father attended a nutrition workshop at his workplace as part of the "Health and Wellbeing Week" they have there each year for the staff. Apparently they nutritionist only provided two hour-long talks, and charged £900 for the day. Jen's father is going to find out how this guy managed to secure a deal with the company, and hopefully give me some pointers on how I may be able to approach other companies to see if they would like similar talks.

If you could get your foot in the door with companies that would be great. You could still "share your brain" and not have to rely so much on your individual clients' exceptional motivation to change their lives in order to earn some income.

 

[luc]

Hi Keyhole, all in all that sounds really good! I second Chu's advice, I think it's extremely important to keep costs down and start making money (instead of losing it) as soon as possible, even if it's just a little (sparrow in hand and all of that). I also agree that companies is where it's at in terms of money. With our business, we don't bother with private people/"small fish" anymore, because they simply are not willing to pay and always expect more than they paid for (it's understandable, I would do the same). Companies on the other hand are used to high fees - for example, we often charge up to 2k for a 4-hours workshop (including preparation and documentation). There are other consultants who charge much more. This may sound like a lot, but as you found out, just making a living as a small business requires a lot of turnover! When approaching companies, I think it's key to identify the right people who are responsible for the companies' health programs and are in a position to hire you. Maybe there are also agencies/companies who organize whole programs for big corporations that are in line with regulations and health policies, so you could try to approach these and get on their roaster. Of course, in these kinds of environments there are unspoken restrictions in terms of how "far out" you can go.

FWIW - and seeing this as a side-hustle for the time being is the right mindset IMO.

 

[Meg]

The new office space looks great, Keyhole! I agree others that if Jenn could run her practice out of the same space, that would be ideal; if not trying to rent it while it's not in use.

The office really is lovely!

 

[lainey]

Loving the work space! It looks professional and welcoming.

I went onto Google and typed in "find a nutritionist" and opened all the links on the first two pages. Most of them pointed me to these websites (below). I know money is tight right now but you could register with one or more relevant professional body if you haven't already?

nutritionist resource .org
freelance dieticians .org
bda .co.uk_
hcpc uk .org
associationofnutrition .org
nutritionsociety .orgeatright .org

 

[Gary]

The office looks great! I agree with Chu about getting more use out of it by Jenn using it for her practice or renting it out when not in use.

I agree with this option too, if it is possible. The office looks warm, welcoming and professional.

 

[A Jay]

That new office looks very inviting and professional. Great job!

 

[Gaby]

I like the office! Good idea to sub-rent it to other people while not in use. Also, selling your services and conferences to big companies. Step by step. It's looking good!

 

[T.C.]

Loving the work space! It looks professional and welcoming.

I went onto Google and typed in "find a nutritionist" and opened all the links on the first two pages. Most of them pointed me to these websites (below). I know money is tight right now but you could register with one or more relevant professional body if you haven't already?

nutritionist resource .org
freelance dieticians .org
bda .co.uk_
hcpc uk .org
associationofnutrition .org
nutritionsociety .orgeatright .org

Also, I advertise on yell.com (Yellow Pages website). It's about £15 per month (maybe a bit less) and I've always gotten work through it. You get your own page that you can manage yourself with places for photographs, images, bullet points for services you provide, place for a bio/about us, and it comes up on the first page of google when you search for music lessons in my area.

The customer service is really good and you get your own agent assigned who handles the account for you, keeps in touch. They provide a website building service as well, I think.

 

[Voyageur]

Maybe there are also agencies/companies who organize whole programs for big corporations that are in line with regulations and health policies, so you could try to approach these and get on their roaster. Of course, in these kinds of environments there are unspoken restrictions in terms of how "far out" you can go.

luc touched on a valid thing to explore. Also, not just programs for corporations as many of these groups (governmental or similar) are looking for speakers at their own conferences, and there are many of these going on with coordinators looking for subjects and speakers. If networking in that direction on a particular subject of joint interest, there cold be opportunities. Of course, those "unspoken restrictions" as mentioned are a reality. Sometimes you can push the envelope with questions (and some do want to hear) without actually stepping outside.

About the practice, don't get discouraged - it takes a bit of time, networking, and the right clients who want to help themselves, with word of month the big one. As others have said, you can share the space etc. - so congratulations, like what you did with the space!

 

[Keyhole]

So, I finally got round to producing a video.

The editing took a LOT longer than I thought it would, and so did the filming. But, I think I am getting my head around it.

My aim is to produce content which covers some of the specific details about how things work. There are LOTS of videos on oxalate for example, but not many explaining the intracellular mechanisms. This is to attract a specific set of customers = the ones who seek me out for my knowledge. This has happened on several occasions now due to the articles I have been writing in recent months, and gives good clients who are thoroughly compliant.

So, here it is:

I would appreciate any feedback from those who get round to watching it. Thanks

 

[Pierre]

I would appreciate any feedback from those who get round to watching it. Thanks

I liked your video. The form is good (clear elocution, eye contact, lively delivery, body language, clothing) and the substance is good too (logical transitions, blocks of information). I think the diagrams illustrating your speech were a big plus.

The points above won't help you much to improve your video. So, what could be better?

- I would try to improve the lighting, it feels a bit dark and yellow to me.
- I would try to improve the background which looks dull. I would remove the clock from the background.
- I would have full face hair or no face hair at all.
- I would condense the content a bit. Same duration, more information or better: same information, shorter duration (viewers' limited span of attention).
- I would try to improve the structure of the speech by making it more more linear, avoid repeats and loops, smooth the transitions and make them very logical.
- Along the way, you might want to define more precisely your targeted audience (beginner, nutrition professional, nutrition enthusiast,...) and design the content (particularly levels of complexity and details) of your speech accordingly.

This is just my opinion. In any case, I think that for your first video it is very promising.

I hope you'll persevere and do more videos.

 

[nature]

Great initiative!
I fully agree with Pierre. I'll just add one or two points:
I get bored and I tend to skip videos where you see the person in full screen and on a long part of the video.
I would therefore suggest that when the person
- comments an image, he/she puts the entire images rather than next to them.
- talks for a long time, he/she puts pictures or videos in relation to the messages, for example here, puting videos of a garden with vegetables, the vegetables you quote, a field of wheat, etc..
Of course, seeing the person's face is nice, but I prefer to see people a little further away, for example you sitting at your desk.

And I also tend to avoid watching long videos.
Except this, thank you very much for you helping people!