A career in healthcare can be very rewarding. It is also extremely demanding, especially in a hospital environment. That’s why studies are finding that physicians and healthcare professionals are much happier when they are self-employed.
Entrepreneurial endeavors are on the rise, and that trend is true in all industries—even healthcare. The road is never easy, but just imagine being able to ensure the level of care you consider best for every patient you see. Isn’t that a beautiful idea?
Here are five signs your career may be headed in this direction, whether you know it yet or not.
You feel unhappy or stuck in your current role.
Are you having difficulty with administration or with a difficult co-worker who just doesn’t get the value of your role? (Nurses, we get you.) If any of these things frustrate you, you may want to consider entrepreneurship, especially if you have a good solution in mind:
Procedures that could use an update
Scheduling and administrative processes
Regulations (the ones that seem pointless, not the necessary ones) for hospitals and surgeries
Is it time for you to open up a clinic centering on your area of expertise?
2. You want FREEDOM with your time.
Let’s face it. We all want more of this!
If, specifically, you want to be able to spend more time with your patients or set your own hours, think about starting your own healthcare business.
If you’re currently working in healthcare and you’ve established your credibility, you may be at the point where you can step out on your own. Do some research based on our other tips and see how many other signs you see.
3. You get great online reviews from your patients.
This is huge. Online reviews establish your reputation. Many people look at reviews before going to a new doctor today, so having a positive presence online will be a factor in whether you can draw in new patients to your practice.
You may even want to think about hiring a reputation management service to help you build on the presence you already have in order to further establish yourself before you set up your healthcare business.
4. You have loyal patients.
Will your patients follow you to a new location? If so, it’s safe to move on. If not, take some more time to strengthen those relationships and make some new connections.
Also, don’t be afraid to use marketing to advocate for yourself. You are going into business, and every business requires advertising—no matter what industry you are in.
5. You’ve found your office.
If you’ve been eyeing an amazing office space, you’re moving into the action phase. Just remember that your location needs to be accessible and have parking options for your past patients as well as newcomers, so you need it to be reasonably close to where you were practicing before.
Would you be happier if you were self-employed?
I challenge you to do a little dreaming and a lot of researching to see if this is a career path you want to take. It could be the best decision you’ll ever make! If you need some more insight into being a healthcare entrepreneur please check out my webinar!