Welcome back, AcuFam!

I was reading a post on the Practitioner’s Journey blog recently (Another Five Books Every Practitioner Should Read) that really got me thinking. (If you haven’t seen the Practitioner’s Journey practice management blog yet, check it out.)

One of the books they recommend in this post is Mindset by Carol Dweck (affiliate link). In her book, Dweck promotes the idea, and I completely agree, that people are not born entrepreneurs. Sure, some people are talented. But for most of us, we didn’t pop out of the womb with an eye for business. And that’s okay. Because you can learn to be a great entrepreneur, just like you can learn to do anything else in your life.

And yet too many acupuncturists think that they are either naturally “good at business” from the get-go, or “bad at business” and therefore hopeless cases. We get down on ourselves. We think to ourselves, “I’ll never be good at this. I’m an acupuncturist, not a business owner. I can’t learn this.” Not so! I repeat: Not. So.

When I first got into business, I felt very intimidated by… well, everything. I felt insufficient to take on the task of managing every single thing in my practice. I used to joke, “Who thought it was a good idea to put me in charge of all this?” when I was feeling overwhelmed.

But early on in my career, I connected with an amazing marketing coach. She taught me, among many other things, to think like an entrepreneur. To trust my instincts and not fear creative problem solving. To look at the world through the lens of a business owner. And as time passed and I learned, my confidence grew. I eventually felt comfortable calling myself an entrepreneur. Essentially, she taught me to own my role as an entrepreneur.

Because of Deb, this blog exists. Thanks Deb!

What’s my point? What Deb shared with me, I want to share with you – that idea that you shouldn’t be afraid to embrace your role as an entrepreneur.

That you can learn to run a business, and run it successfully. You will become better at it over time. You can own it. And you should own it. You’re the boss! You’re in charge! Be proud of that.

How do you do that, then? How do you learn to think like an entrepreneur, to take ownership of it?

Thinking like an entrepreneur doesn’t (usually) happen overnight. It’s something you have to cultivate. I worked with Deb for years.

First, stop thinking to yourself that you’re “not good at business.” Forget it. Banish it. So what if you’re not a marketing whiz right now? Nobody starts as a whiz. You move towards it over time.

Second, immerse yourself the entrepreneurial mindset on a regular basis. How do you do that?

1. Get a marketing adviser/coach.

2. Read, read, read. There are loads of small business, entrepreneurial, and marketing books, blogs and podcasts out there to get you in the right mindset.

Immerse yourself in marketing, management, and running-a-business concepts, so that you grow more comfortable with the ideas the themselves, and with the image of yourself as an entrepreneur. Then when it comes time to implement certain ideas (especially if you’ve seen them repeated across many different books or blogs you follow over time), you’ll be more comfortable and emotionally prepared to tackle them.

Where to get started? First, don’t miss this list of twelve acupuncture-specific practice management blogs. Then, definitely check out the general entrepreneurial blogs (all of which focus on small business owners) below. And remember, consistency is important. The idea is to pick blogs that you can follow regularly, to get comfortable with the ideas they promote over time.

The next time you find yourself worrying about your ability to run your practice, take a deep breath and remember that you’re always learning. You’ll get better with time, if you put in the effort. You can do this!

7 Blogs for Entrepreneurs Every Acupuncturist Should Read:

1. Penelope Trunk (Previously the Brazen Careerist):  Articles such as “How to Balance Your Business and Family,” and “Entrepreneurship is a Spectrum: Find Out Where You Are.” Tends to have a more female-centered perspective.

2. Jackie Huba: Articles like “Gaining Loyalty: Sometimes It’s as Simple as Responding When a Customer Reaches Out,” and “Give Your Loyalists Something to Hashtag About.”

3. Small Business Association (SBA) – Managing a Business Section: The SBA doesn’t post often, but when it does, it usually contains tips you can put into action right away, as well as useful lists. Examples include “8 Small Business Tax Preparation Mistakes to Avoid” and “4 Ways to Better Manage Irregular Income.”

4. Drew’s Marketing Minute: I love Drew’s writing style and straightforward advice in every post. Articles include, “Don’t Forget the Marketing Basics” and “How Effective is Your Email Marketing?”

5. Young Upstarts: They often do reviews of products that might be useful to business owners (phones, tablets, printers, etc.) and post articles such as, “Tools You Can Find Online To Write A Killer Business Plan.”

6. All Businesses – Sales & Marketing Categories – Practical advice for things like “A Guide to Building Brand Loyalty Online” and “5 Phrases That Should NEVER Be in Your Business Vocabulary.”

7. Duct Tape Marketing – This site is loaded with free eBooks about marketing and managing a business, such as “Teaching Your Business to Market Itself” and “The World’s Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide,” It also has a blog that often supplies practical advice.

Thoughts? Do you have difficulty seeing yourself as an entrepreneur, or are you comfortable with it? Were you always comfortable with it, or did it take practice? How did you find that mindset in which you were able to “own” your role as a business owner? Advice for others?

We want to hear your story! Leave it in the comments below so we can learn from each other’s experiences.