“LNC Professional” Doesn’t Equal “Entrepreneur.”

As an LNC Professional, you're a nurse and may have one or more specialties and degrees. You have a lot of experience and expertise. So, at this point in your life, the career of clinical nursing has stopped fulfilling you.

Other nurses you know have started their businesses as legal nurse consultants, expert witnesses, and other careers. They're having varying degrees of success. As a result, when you hear their stories, you get the urge to grow your business.

Often, would-be solopreneurs make one of two mistakes when they contemplate their businesses.

First, is to assume that they could never succeed because they have no business experience or skills.

Second, is to assume that because they're skilled professionals, they will be great business successes.

The truth probably lies somewhere in between.

What You Bring to Your New Business

Clinical experience, which should include knowledge of correct procedures and protocols

An eye for detail

Sometimes supervisory experience

The ability to organize complex tasks and procedures

The ability to multitask

This is a partial list.

If you think you have no business skills, take heart. Each of the skills above helps to form a foundation for beginning an LNC business. In short, you having them gives you a much better chance than others who want to start different businesses.

For example, an advertising writer who wanted to start her agency but had no experience delegating responsibilities would not have the advantage of a head nurse who is a de facto boss on her floor.

What You Don't Bring

Budgeting experience

Marketing experience

Advertising experience

Networking experience

This, again, is a partial list.

You will have to learn some of these things. With a positive attitude, persistence, commitment, and the willingness to be mentored, you can understand them. So, if you begin to learn them before you start your business, you will have a significant advantage.

I will emphasize the word "commitment." This means being willing to understand the basics of bookkeeping and accounting. You don't have to be eager. You only need to recognize the necessity of understanding. As a result, when you reach the point where you can hire people to do these things, you will still need to check the books.

This reality points to a larger truth. That is, people who want to leave their salaried jobs because of all the things they don't like about them must realize that running their own business doesn't eliminate tasks that may not always thrill them. Overall, the difference is that you're doing it for yourself.

Communication is Vital

As a nurse, you have much experience talking with people, and this will help you. However, the conversations you're going to have now have a particular orientation: their relationship to your business.

As distinct from working as a nurse and doing things for other people, you will often have to ask for favors and assistance. (And you should be prepared to give this, too.) Therefore, you may have to assert yourself in different ways than you did in the past.

You will frequently have to remind yourself, for example, "This is my business. I am in charge. What happens depends on me."

Think about those statements a lot. For instance, they may terrify you, or they may exhilarate you. More likely, you will feel both emotions. However, exhilaration should outweigh terror.

That's how you know you have a chance at success.

Get motivated, inspired and educated at our LNC Virtual Conference called LNC Success taking place October 23, 24, 25, 2020. You'll have ample networking opportunities to meet your colleagues, and learn from a panel of doctors, attorneys, LNCs, and business people. Get the tips you need to thrive in today's legal world.

Take advantage of our reduced rates, available for a limited time only. Click here to get started.

Read my blog post, How well does your LNC website represent your LNC business, to provide you with more information about your LNC business.

Pat Iyer is president of The Pat Iyer Group, which develops resources to assist LNCs obtain more clients, make more money and achieve their business goals and dreams.