The ONE Question to Ask Yourself

If you’re just thinking about becoming an advocate or care manager in private practice, you probably have a dozen or more questions about what that will entail. That’s especially true if you have never been in business for yourself before. It seems overwhelming.

But the truth is, that running your own business doesn’t have to be difficult. There are many ways to simplify it, and there are dozens, maybe hundreds, of resources available to help you! From other independent advocates, to coaches and mentors, to organizations like the SBDC, or the SBA – you can easily find all the support you need.

Over the years, I’ve talked to maybe a thousand or more advocate or care manager wannabes, and I have found there is ONE question that will help them determine whether they can be successful. Because the answer to the question tells them all they need to know about themselves to make that determination.

I first wrote about the question in one of my books, So You Want to Be a Patient Advocate? Choosing a Career in Health or Patient Advocacy. If, after you’ve asked yourself THE question (below), you still want to know the answers to others, you will very likely find them in that book. You can purchase that book on Amazon, or other online bookstores, or from the publisher (at a discount!) from the link above.

So what is THE Question?

THE question is this:

Am I comfortable asking people for money?

Are you surprised? It seems very simple for something that sounds so complex as starting and running a business, right?

But whether or not you can ask others for money indicates a few things about YOU that will be integral to your ability to succeed:

It means you can shift a conversation from “yes, I can help you” to one that determines your income.
It indicates you have enough confidence in your ability to help that you can get to the heart of what will keep your business afloat – income.
It shows that you are a PROFESSIONAL and not just a wannabe.
It’s a good illustration of your ability to toot your own horn; to showcase that yes, you are GOOD at what you do and are PROUD of your ability!

If you are in a gray area with your answer, such as you THINK you might be able to ask a potential client for money, but you aren’t sure…. Then do what it takes to grow your confidence in that ability. You can fake it till you make it! You can practice in front of a mirror. You can ask a close friend to support you in that quest and let you practice with them.

Once you feel the confidence is there, that you can confidently ask for the amounts of money you’ll need to keep your practice afloat, then, AND ONLY THEN, will you be ready to start your own independent practice.

Additional Resource: Online course: Client Acquisition: Converting Callers to Clients