Are you dreaming about launching your own holistic business? Are you ready to share your passion for holistic wellness with the world but unsure where to start?
Starting your own holistic health business doesn’t have to be overwhelming. In this post, we’ve laid out the essential starter steps for launching your holistic business and starting your dream career!
Define Your Niche
First, you have to define your niche. What aspect of holistic health most interests you? Are you an expert at aromatherapy mixtures and recommending essential oils? Do you prefer to focus on a well-balanced diet and holistic nutrition? Or maybe you have a hand in a variety of wellness methods, and you’d like to be a wellness coach for the people in your community. As you start to answer these questions about your products or services, you’re engaging in strategic planning!
No matter your interest, picking a specialized niche will allow you to focus your efforts on excelling in that area. Your niche is what sets you apart from other businesses, and it’s how you’ll make your mark on the wellness community. If you’re having trouble finding your niche, take a look at the community around you. Do you see any holes in the health community that your holistic experience could address?
Create a Business Plan
Once you have your niche, it’s time to create your business plan. This is where you plan out your business’s trajectory. List the goals you want to achieve, and write down the steps that lead to each one of them.
Business plans are beneficial for two reasons: First, they give you a template that allows you to stay consistent and on track in all your business decisions. Second, they can be given to an investor to demonstrate that you have a well-thought-out plan for their money, encouraging them to invest.
Build a Brand
A brand can be a difficult thing to define. Is it your business cards, the logo on your website, or the personalized emails you send to customers?
The short answer is: your brand is all of those things. Think of your brand as your business’s personality. It should shine through in every aspect of your branding, including your website, business cards, logo, and social media.
When designing your brand, remember to incorporate your business’s purpose and your niche since both of those ideas should show up in the messaging to your customers.
Find the Legal Requirements in Your State
As a wellness business, you need to make sure that you’re complying with all of the legal requirements present in your state. These vary from state to state, so there isn’t a one-size-fits-all checklist, but we can recommend a few places to start your research.
- The ACHS website has industry-specific information about licensing for those who are seeking certifications.
- The National Association of Nutrition Professionals has an overview of licensing requirements for nutrition counseling by state.
- The American Nutrition Association has an overview of Nutrition and Wellness practice laws in all 50 states.
Develop a Marketing Plan
Now that you’re on track to launch your business, it’s time to plan your marketing strategy. The key to a successful marketing strategy is to know your audience and know what you want them to do.
By understanding your specific audience, you can determine the tone of your marketing messages. Examples of tones include “friendly,” “professional,” and “educational.”
If you know what action you want your audience to take, you can craft your messaging with that purpose in mind. Clear marketing that directs an audience to download a coupon, learn more about your product, or place an order is a critical step in getting your audience to take those actions.
Network and Collaborate
No one succeeds in business alone. Your customers, your support network, and your peers will all contribute to your success as a wellness business. Be open to collaborating with other wellness professionals to expand your audiences.
If you’re a student at ACHS, you can talk to our career services team for networking guidance. To get started on your own, look into local businesses and wellness-focused groups and reach out to them for potential collaborations. For example, if there’s a local yoga studio that uses essential oils during their classes, they might be a beneficial partner for your aromatherapy business.
Let ACHS’s Classes Help You Launch Your Business
If you’re interested in developing your business skills further, ACHS has recently launched a brand new Micro-Credential: Wellness Business Operations Specialist™. This micro-credential is designed specifically to provide essential insight into launching, managing, and growing a business in the wellness field. Sign up for the first course today!
ACHS also offers several business education courses grounded in sustainable principles and organizational wellness. We can give you a comprehensive look at online business communication, flexible marketing strategy, and other entrepreneurial skills.
For more industry insights and news, check out our blog for the latest updates!
Disclaimer & Important Information
This article is for informational purposes only. Please contact ACHS Admissions at admissions@achs.edu or 800-487-8839 for additional information and to apply for admission. Graduation from any ACHS program does not confer a license to practice medicine. ACHS graduates do not claim to treat, diagnose, cure, or prescribe. Please note that professional success is achieved by a number of factors beyond education and experience, including soft skills, work ethic, integrity, and other skills that may not be developed through education and training alone. Not all graduates will achieve the career outcomes provided as examples in this article and other ACHS marketing materials.
