Learn from our community entrepreneurs! In this interview, Michael Smith shares the story of building and growing Planet Naturopath, located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
Hi! Tell us about your business and what problem are you solving?
I am a naturopath who works with clients around the world with virtual consultations. The big difference with my business that allows me to work virtually and not see physical clients is that I do very detailed functional medicine testing to understand the underlying cause of a client's health issues and not just treat the presenting symptoms.
Some types of tests I offer are detailed pathology testing, advanced stool testing to assess the microbiome and gut health, and detailed hormone testing. Most of these tests can be done anywhere in the world, and with the exception of the pathology, testing can be done in the comfort of your home, so you don't have to visit your doctor or a clinic.
What's your one biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest business accomplishment has been able to transform my clinic into a virtual clinic 6 years ago. This not only enabled me to see clients worldwide, but I was able to live between Canada, where my wife is from, and my home country of Australia, and spend more time with my family and not have to travel to get to work.
Now with COVID disrupting businesses around the world, I found that my online business was not affected by all of the shutdowns that other health businesses experienced.
What’s your one biggest challenge you face and how do you overcome it?
The paperwork and the administration side of things is my least favourite aspect of running a business, but still an important part of the business that has to be done right. I try to automate as much of this part of the business as possible, but it still takes up precious time.
To anyone looking to start or grow a business today, what three tips would you give them?
1. Don't try and please everybody. Know your ideal client and focus on them.
2. Be organized and keep up with the admin on a regular basis.
3. Hire people to do the parts of the business that you don't have to do. Focus on being the expert. It took me too long to hire people to help with email and other admin tasks.