The sad truth is that many holistic practitioners are barely making a living.  People who offer these transformational services (like coaches, healers, consultants) get into business to help others, and then discover they are unable to grow or sustain a practice.  Often, its because they are uncomfortable with marketing and sales; they feel they shouldn't charge much for what they do, and they struggle with the overwhelm of trying to run a business while also making a difference in people's lives.

In order for these 'transformational entrepreneurs' to successfully grow a practice or business, three components must be in place.

Three Necessary Components for Success

Strategy

Although marketing and sales is different for these 'transformational entrepreneurs', there is still a need for a solid business strategy that includes:

1. Knowing your ideal client
2. Having an understanding of the marketing language needed to reach that client
3. Being able to offer your services in an authentic, effective way
4. Having a business structure that pays you enough to sustain yourself and to get support to grow

Mindset

A mindset is the series of beliefs, or thoughts, you hold about yourself, your services and your business that are aligned with growth. For example, if you think 'marketing is manipulative and selling is sleazy', it will be difficult to build a business and keep a sense of integrity. Often new perspectives are needed to see that there is virtue in the business side, not just the transformational side of what you do.

Empowerment

Even if the strategy and the mindset (thoughts) are in place, it is necessary to be emotionally aligned with those thoughts and the strategy. This emotional alignment provides both the motivational energy necessary to grow your business, and it produces joy and ease while doing business tasks. This is an area of business development that is largely misunderstood or ignored.

Does anyone have all three components?

Usually business people fall into two categories: (1) those who are successful at business but get burned out, and (2) those who aren't comfortable with business but are doing it anyway so they can help others.

The first type of entrepreneurs, those who are successful but get burned out, have the strategy and the mindset in place, but often lack the empowerment piece. They believe that building a business should be hard and take pride in that difficulty. Unfortunately, this type of success is not sustainable and doesn't produce happiness.

The second type, people who aren't comfortable with business tasks but do it anyway for the sake of serving others, have the empowerment, but no business strategy and mindset. Often, they have been told that business is something you 'have to do' in order to help people, and they are doing their best to stay true to what makes them happy by avoiding business tasks. Many holistic practitioners fall into this category. It not only costs them clients and income, it prevents them from making the difference in the world that they could make.

What are the next steps to grow a transformational business?

First, decide whether you want this to be a profession or a hobby. If it's a hobby, fine! If you choose to make it a profession, decide what that means and create a vision of the business that you want.

Second, commit to improving your business skills, just as you would seek to improve your coaching, healing or transformational skills.

Third, find a training or mentorship program that will give you the information, the environment and the guidance to grow your business to match your vision.

As a holistic practitioner, if you don't have all the clients you want, you're not just hurting your bank account. There is someone in the world who needs you, but is not being served.

The world needs the transformation that you provide.

Pamela Bruner is a Business Coach, author, speaker, and EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) expert. After running what she calls ‘an imaginary coaching business’ for 4 years (having two clients, and one of them coaching for free) she worked to remove her own marketing fears to take her business from $375/month to $1,000,000 in less than 3 years.

Bruner specializes in working with conscious entrepreneurs to build six-and seven-figure businesses by combining strategy with cutting-edge mindset and empowerment work. She is the co-author of the Tapping into Ultimate Success book and DVD with Jack Canfield, creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul.

Pamela Bruner's Empowerment Blueprint Tour will come to Asheville, NC and Atlanta, GA in September.

For information and to register for upcoming trainings and events, click here.