Running a small business requires the ability to make smart decisions on a regular basis. There are so many choices to make when building and running a clinic. Some of these include sorting out costs and expenses, hiring help or doing things yourself, choosing team players and clinic mates, tax and accounting decisions, logo and website designs, and even the naming of your business. Whew… who knew that when we graduated from acupuncture school we’d be faced with so many things to think about?
Today I had an interesting thing happened. I had been renting out my treatment rooms by the hour to two different massage therapists on a google calendar arrangement. I don’t even think these two therapists had met each other. They had both been renting from me between 2-4 months. Today within in one hour they both called and told me they had each found a new space and weren’t going to rent the space anymore. I found this a funny coincidence and it got me thinking . I recall that when I had met each of them they were not very impressive to me, and I have found it a little challenging to get them oriented and up and running with our systems, rules, and setup. They weren’t difficult or annoying, but they just didn’t excite me in any way and I wasn’t particularly overjoyed that I have found them or that they wanted to be in the clinic. So needless to say I wasn’t disappointed today when they gave the notice to move on.
Looking back on the decision to invite them in…. well I have to say that I wan’t really that in-tuned with the process or the people. My dad used to always tell me that interpersonal first impressions are usually right on if you are paying attention. And that the feelings that we get when we first interact with a new potential business associate will most often remain true. I believe he was absolutely correct in this statement. I’m sure that they were as lackluster with me and my clinic as I was with them. That business decision to rent to them didn’t yield much revenue and it actually cost more in time and energy…. so as far as business decisions go…. it wasn’t horrible, but it certainly wasn’t a stellar choice. Today I am again reminded that the right people and team as so valuable and worth taking the time to choose wisely and from the heart.
I’ve had 6 associates, 3 websites, multiple staff members, three different payroll companies, many different scheduling platforms, and worked in 5 different locations in my 20 years of practice…. and the list goes on. I’m not saying I have all the answers or know the right formula, but I do know that the choices and decisions I have made along the way have been hard and numerous. When I have made decisions that have used my gut feelings and my intuition it has never steered me wrong. In fact those are the ones that jump out as the most successful . There is a skill to relying on your instincts and intuition for business decisions and it can take time to hone it.
As acupuncturists we are using our intuitive instincts on a regular basis in the treatment room. We are listening, observing, smelling, sensing and feeling as we consider the diagnosis and the patterns being presented before us. We have been trained to be this way and I feel that it can also be a major strength in business. When I’m faced with a challenging choice or business decision, I have adopted a strategy of letting the choice sink in to my body. Of course we need to rationalize and weigh out cost-benefit ratios, but we also can use our senses to lead us into the right direction.
I often find that stepping back for a day or two yields the best results. First I hash out the mental pros and cons, envision my desired outcome, then sleep on it and try to let my mind and heart come into a natural balance. I ask myself questions like : Is this feeling great? Is this exciting me? Is my heart warming up as I consider this? Is this creating fear in my body? Do I LOVE this person or space or opportunity?
This process often brings up new ways of looking at the dilemma or choice at hand that I hadn’t seen in the initial phase of making the decision. The picture becomes more clear and often the solution ends up presenting itself in a much more organic way than if I had only used my analytical brain. Next time you are in a decision making situation take a step back, quiet your mind, and tap into what your heart and body are feeling. The answers are usually closer than we think.
“Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow know what you truly want to become.”
-Steve Jobs
