Guest blog: how to keep your passion as a therapist when you work from home

Kerry Beavis is owner of The Revive Company in Wixams and winner of this year’s Professional Beauty Therapist of the Year 2016 award. She reveals how you can keep the passion alive for what you do if you’re a mobile or home-based therapist

I’ve always wanted to work for myself – to do things my way, work the hours I want, decide what products to use in treatment and so on. However, setting up a business on your own can be lonely, and I should know after setting up my own home-based salon, The Revive Company, in Wixams in 2013.

Some of the issues I faced included: who do I bounce ideas off or go to if I’ve got a problem? Who can tell me “well done” and give me a pat on the back when a client gives me amazing feedback or purchases all the products I recommended? In essence, who can I share the highs and lows with?

When you’re self-employed you become the wearer of many hats with no comradery from team mates, so it’s normal to feel a little flat at times. In these moments I find it’s important to remember the reasons why I decided to go it alone and why I love what I do.

Here are nine ways you can keep your passion alive as a therapist when you work from home:

1. Write a gratitude journal – every night write 10 things you were grateful for on that day, be it personal or business-related. Feeling good about your day will remind you why you do what you do.
   
   
2. Make time to network with like-minded individuals – join an online community or attend business events to network with therapists in the same boat as you.
   
   
3. Get out of the house – every once in a while do your business admin in a trendy café. An afternoon spent in different surroundings can do the world of good.
   
   
4. Find an accountability buddy – this person doesn’t necessarily have to be in the beauty industry but can be someone like your mum, friend or partner who you feel comfortable talking to about what you’ve achieved/not achieved in the past month.
   
   
5. Find a mentor – you won’t get better business guidance than from someone already successful in the industry. Reach out to those who inspire you and if they reply, work out a scheme where you can bounce ideas off them – for example, meet or schedule a telephone call once a month.
   
   
6. Dream big, but within reason – you have to action your dreams into small, manageable chunks to make them a reality and not get overwhelmed. So, set yourself goals, create an action plan and monitor your growth. It’s also important to regularly review those goals but don’t beat yourself up if they change over time, it’s still a step in the right direction.
   
   
7. Never stop learning – it seems obvious but when you stop learning that’s when you become complacent and focus on the negatives.
   
   
8. Understand the importance of self-evaluating – regularly ask yourself “what did I do today that was amazing? What could I improve on?” Reflection is good for yourself and the business.
   
   
9. Take time out and learn to say no – if you hate doing a particular treatment then don’t offer it anymore, after all you are the boss and can make these decisions. It’s better to spend time doing the treatments you love performing because clients will notice the difference.