Motivation for Online Business: Stay Motivated in Your Online RD Business
The entrepreneurial journey is an incredible one to take as a Registered Dietitian. When you decide to leave your 9-5 and open your own private practice, you can realize your true calling and embrace your full potential. As a Dietitian Business Coach, I always recommend RDs open their private practice online, because it allows for lower overhead, more freedom, and a wider potential client base!
However, when you’re running a business of any kind, staying motivated is tough. This is especially true with an online business where isolation, distractions, and burnout feel almost inevitable. In the beginning, motivation feels easy, but it gets harder as your business grows. So, today, I am dedicating this post to sharing tips on how to stay driven and focused on your goals through all seasons of the entrepreneurial journey.
Here’s what you can do to maintain your enthusiasm and determination while building your nutrition business:
Motivation for Online Business: Stay Motivated in Your Online RD Business
There are lots of advantages to online business, but there are some challenges, too! As you grow your private practice online, it’s easy to feel lost in a sea of competition, exhausted from the daily grind, and isolated as though no one can relate to your struggles.
When all this happens, motivation is HARD to come by. Losing your drive could mean eventually giving up on your practice but the world needs your unique passions and perspectives in nutrition. It's important to stay the course, push through, and keep your momentum going!
Is It Normal To Lose Motivation When Running An Online RD Business?
Yes! It's completely normal to experience periods of low motivation when running any kind of business, especially an online one. That said, you shouldn't take a season of low motivation as a sign that you're not cut out for business or an indicator that you should close your practice.
Seasonal Changes
Almost every business experiences seasonal fluctuations in demand. For a nutrition business, New Year's resolutions at the beginning of the year drive a lot of sales. However, during the holidays and summer months, fewer people set health goals and seek dietitians. Many RDs feel their motivation waning as business slows in the off-seasons, lowering revenue and making all aspects of business management a bit more challenging.
Between Product Launches
Any time you launch something new, it’s energizing! It's exciting to add variety to your day, make an impact in a new way, and develop an additional revenue stream. However, when it’s been a long time since you’ve offered anything new, the business can feel stale and stagnant.
Economic Downturns
Depending on the type of dietitian you are, your assistance may be a luxury for your client base. That means if there’s an economic downturn and people have less disposable income, your target audience may be less likely to hire your services and will instead go at it alone. This can slow down your business considerably and the struggle to grow can be demotivating.
Operational Challenges
Every business has innumerable working parts. When everything is working like a well-oiled machine, it’s easy to stay motivated and reach goals. However, entrepreneurship is rarely a smooth journey! Staffing shortages, technical setbacks, poor communication, supply chain disruptions, poor record keeping, and other logistical challenges can distract you from your business goals and prevent you from enjoying the parts of the practice you’re really passionate about!
Shifts in Consumer Behavior
Shifts in consumer behavior can be overwhelming and disheartening for an RD! When trends change or clients’ priorities shift, it can mean there’s a sudden drop in demand for your services or it can mean your offers have to change to meet the expectations of your target audience. This may mean reworking years of effort! Constantly adapting your practice to reach new client needs can be exhausting!
Marketing Gaps
To grow your nutrition business, you have to master your marketing. A good marketing mix should ensure you reach your target audience and draw in a steady flow of new dreamy clients. However, if you have gaps in your marketing strategy that’s preventing you from growing and reaching your goals, it can be stressful and de-motivating. Scaling is essential for your practice's success. Without bringing in new clients, running the business can feel as fruitless as running on a hamster wheel!
Personal Struggles
Your business is not the only thing that affects your business. Your personal life and practice are intimately intertwined. If you’re personally experiencing turmoil of any kind, it may distract you from your goals or even make your goals feel unreachable depending on the severity of your mental state.
How To Stay Motivated In Business As An Online RD
Get support from an RD coach and/or community.
As I mentioned, running an online business can feel isolating. However, there are so many RDs out there on the same entrepreneurial journey as you! Make sure you have someone in your corner that can encourage you, mentor you, and guide you to success. A virtual or in-person RD community can be a great asset, but a Dietitian Business Coach can provide next-level support and wisdom. The Rise® program would be PERFECT for helping you maintain motivation and reach your goals as quickly as possible!
Focus on long-term vision and your “why.”
Don’t ever lose sight of why you started this journey in the first place! You have SKILL, PASSION, and a VALUABLE PERSPECTIVE. The world needs you and your practice. Keep your long-term vision top of mind to focus your energy and maintain motivation. A vision board, action plan, journal energy, etc. are all great ways of keeping track of that “why,”
Keep a list of client wins to re-visit.
Our brains are literally pre-programed to focus on the bad. All the “losses” can pile up in our minds and make us feel inadequate and hopeless, which translates to poor motivation as a business owner. Keep a list of all your wins, big and small, to refer back to when you’re feeling less than.
Accept payment plans, so you can predict some monthly income.
A lot of times strain and lack of motivation stems from the stress of variable income! To keep your revenue more consistent, so you can better focus on growth over dollars and cents, consider offering payment plans or monthly memberships to make some income more predictable.
Stay updated on the latest trends and research.
You don’t want to be blindsided by a new trend that changes your current and potential clients’ expectations of you! Keep an eye out for new trends and fresh research to help you predict the ebbs and flows of your industry. Plus, as an RD, you love learning, and the more you know about your niche, the more excited you’ll be to share your knowledge with your dreamy clients!
Set boundaries to avoid burnout.
Work-life balance is essential for every business, and without it you could lose all motivation. To avoid burnout, set clear work hours, limit your client load, delegate what you can, change your scenery once in a while, and seek out the support of a Dietitian Business Coach. For more on this, here’s how to prevent burnout as a private practice dietitian.
Diversify your services and offerings.
Variety is good for the soul. Though you’ve probably niched down to a specific area of dietetics, that should limit your offerings and service options! Offering traditional nutrition counseling, but consider other services you could offer to keep your day fresh.
Reach out for testimonials and feedback.
Your clients love you! To be reminded of how incredible you are, reach out to your clients and request feedback or testimonials. They will have constructive criticism, yes, but more importantly they’ll have a lot of positive things to say that’ll help build you up and motivate you to conquer your goals!
Take advantage of technology.
Technology can help smooth so many processes! To stay motivated, take advantage of online tools that can help streamline administrative tasks, enhance communication, and even track progress toward your goals. These online resources can be game changing!
Prioritize social interaction and getting out of the house.
Even though you work online, be careful not to spend too much time alone in your house or office. It can increase those feelings of isolation, exhaustion, and stress! Make sure you’re spending plenty of time out of the house interacting with people in the real world to stay stane and focused.
Prioritize your own nutrition and self-care.
To be the best RD for your clients, you need to be in optimal health. So, don’t ever forget how important it is to prioritize your own nutrition and self-care! Putting yourself first before your business will inadvertently improve and grow your private practice. Your health, mood, energy, and more all come from good nutrition and self-care. It’s time to treat yourself!
Stay motivated to grow your practice by prioritizing the right strategies, resources, and support networks.
Running a business is full of ups-and-downs. Even the most successful business owners will tell you as much! When managing a private practice online, there are a lot of setbacks that could make you lose faith in the success of your business.
Don’t let yourself get there! Use these strategies, resources, and support systems to help you reach your goals and take your nutrition business to the next level! No matter what you’re going through, I know you’ve got this!