Ready to create your own business but have no idea where to start? Here are Jenny’s top tips on how to turn your dream business into reality!

Jenny Westerkamp, RD, CSSD, is the founder of All Access Dietetics and Chicago Bulls, Nutritionist. She is a very successful entrepreneur who loves sharing her business tips with dietetic students and registered dietitians to help them reach their dream jobs.

Commit to yourself and your business!

Taking the first step is always the hardest. It can be scary to start a business but move past that fear. Find your niche and start planning exactly what you want to do and what you wish the goal of your business to be. Commit to turning this plan into action. Discovering what your goal is will help you to set the foundation for your business. Check out my Life-Changing Books to read for inspiration.

Put in the time and manage your time wisely.

Once you pinpoint your niche, it’s time to get to work. Starting a business is a lot of work. Schedule time daily to work on your business plan and learn more about building a business’s logistical side. Write to-do lists or plan one thing to work on each day. See how you can best fill your time to be productive. If you currently operate a nine-to-five job, find time in your day where you can focus only on building your business. Explore different career options that might offer a more flexible schedule so that you can put more time into your business. Your business is a commitment, and it is your responsibility to find time to put it together.

Grow your social media.

Social media plays a significant role in businesses today. It is helpful in both marketing and setting a tone for your brand. Social media also helps you to network. Take a class on building social media. The lesson I took to grow my social media was Beat the Algorithm by the College Nutritionist. Check it out here!

Take a business course.

Registered dietitians build significant business courses to help guide new businesses through the starting process. Rise to the Top is a virtual business course created by Maggie Michalczyk, RDN, and Mary Ellen Phipps, MS, RDN that helps dietitians grow their social media, stand out as an expert, and create a profitable business. It focuses on everything from marketing to billing and taxes, making it great for entrepreneurs.

DietitianHQ is another excellent program that offers both membership training and a 4-day symposium for entrepreneurs. A seminar is an online event offering masterclasses from successfully registered dietitians who have been in your shoes.

The Unconventional RD business Bootcamp offers three courses about content building, making income, and email marketing. Finding dietitians who help dietitians build businesses is a great way to start your brand while supporting the profession!

Get a business coach.

Starting a business is complicated and confusing, especially if you have never done it before. Get a business coach to help guide you. They created a company by helping others to develop a business. Cultivate Advisors is one example to check out!

Business coaches genuinely want to help you and your business to succeed. They can offer great tips to help get you off the ground. They can give insight into the parts of building a business you did not expect to have. Investing in your business early will help you to make it with fewer setbacks.

Don’t reinvent the wheel.

There are so many resources already out there to help entrepreneurs make their businesses thrive. Teachable allows you to create beautiful online courses, so you can share your knowledge without worrying about creating a new platform.

The Better Nutrition Program offers dietitians an easy way to gain information from their patients and clients. Their nutrition assessment tools are easy to use and analyze, which help you to make recommendations for your patient’s health efficiently.

Surround yourself with people who support your business.

Never be afraid to ask for help! Surround yourself with people who encourage your vision and plan. There will be bumps in the road, and having people to lean on or talk about these challenges will be crucial as you continue to build. Your support system may offer different perspectives or be your best listener. Let yourself have a cheerleader! You do not have to do this alone.

Get Excited!

This is your business! It is your passion. Get excited about it! The more excited you are about your business, the easier it will be to put in the tireless time and effort to get it off the ground. The feeling you get when you put in the work and create your passion, knowing the success is truly your own, is unlike any other. Have fun building your business, knowing it is YOURS.

PS. If becoming a successful and very knowledgeable registered dietitian is in your future, grab one of our FREE toolkits!