6 Mistakes That Are Killing Your RD Business
Entrepreneurship is a tough game. There are a million hats to wear, a thousand tasks to check off, and an endless supply of fear and doubt. One of my goals here at DHQ is to squash all of those – help you maxmize all the roles you play in your nutrition business – clinician, CEO, founder, admin; help you prioritize + streamline you’re neverending list of “to-dos”; and help you realize you DO have the confidence and skills for what it takes to crush it as a nutrition entrepreneur (because you do – that’s why you’re reading this).
One way we can propel our business (and personal) growth forward? Learn from those that have gone ahead of us – learn from others’ triumphs and mistakes, victories and setbacks. So today I’m giving you 6 of the biggest mistakes I see RDs making in their businesses over and over again. No big deal if you’ve made them – or a making them now – we’ve all been there! But if you’re doing something on this list, pay attention to the “what to do instead” section and see if we can get you back on the road to growth and success faster + easier – because this should be a job a you love.
Here are 6 mistakes you’re making when it comes to running your RD business (and what to do instead) ??
You’re waiting until you have the perfect website built.
-> Websites are pretty and make you feel legit. And yes, when done right, they’re super useful. But if a website is what’s holding you back from getting going in your business or launching a new product or service, it’s not worth it to wait and wait and wait (or to spend your time and energy Googling how to write CSS and html or waiting for a web designer to fit you in). Plus, if you’re not exactly clear on who you’re serving, what your offer is, and what actions you want them to take on your website, then you might be wasting your time building a site you’re going to need to rebuild later.
What to do instead:
Use a landing page that says “coming soon” with a way to contact you or other ways they can find you (ex: Are you on Instagram? Facebook?). A landing page can be done on your own url (that will be the home of your future website) or through your email provider, like Mailerlite, ConvertKit, Mailchimp, or even something like LeadPages.
Put up a landing page with a waiting list and directly collect emails through a form. (You’ll need an email provider like those listed above for this.) Bonus: this gets you ahead of the game with building your email list!
You can even use a link to an email form, an application for services (Google Form, SurveyMonkey), or a scheduling link for appointments or discovery calls (Acuity, Calend.ly) directly in your Instagram bio, on Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.
Why:
You’re not only removing a barrier from you taking action, you’re also building up your audience in the meantime. (So you’ll have someone to sell to when the time comes.)
You’re not launching until you have X number of followers or subscribers
Sure, you might get more sales or appointments booked if you have a larger number of people you’re asking, but that’s just math and conversion rates. What that math doesn’t assess is how engaged your audience is or how ready they are to buy from you. Sometimes a smaller audience means they’re more connected and ready, so you’re actually hurting yourself if you don’t launch to them! (Fyi: launching = selling something: a course, membership, 1:1 appointments, group programs, etc.)
What to do instead:
Do it anyways. Waiting until your audience is bigger, whether it’s your follower count on Instagram or the number of people on your email list, is just going to delay you creating income. The size of your audience isn’t what guarentees sales; it’s the engagment, connection, and way you convey your messaging (who you’re helping and why you.)
(Psst. I launched the first RD Entrepreneur Symposium with NO list. I mean, I had a list, but it was for nutrition clients not RDs! That first launch surpassed 5 figures, so don’t tell me it’s not possible.)
You’re getting sucked into the “education” vortex
I know we LOVE to learn. (Why are dietitians so nerdy? Myself included, top of the list.) And while there IS a benefit to educating yourself, at some point we have to shut the book, close the webinar, and just do the thing. We forget that learning by doing is one of the best teachers there is. Plus, there’s that whole learning-as-an-excuse-to-not-fail thing.
What to do instead:
Be selective about what you really have to learn. Make sure you’re learning and immediately putting into action, not just consuming consuming consuming and not creating. Ask yourself: will trying help me figure it out? Should I turn to a mentor or colleague for guidance? What’s the minimum I need to learn to dive in?
“at some point we have to shut the book, close the webinar, and just do the thing”
You’re waiting until you have the “swipe up” feature to share on Instagram
Did not being able to post clickable links stop anyone on Instagram before the swipe up feature was introduced? Stop letting made-up obstacles dictate the progress you make and the action you take.
What to do instead:
Share anyways! Show up on stories, provide value in your feed. Some options for sharing more links: create a “links” page that you can list in your bio that points to multiple links (you can see my example of an Instagram bio links page here), tell them to DM you for a link (bonus: creating conversations + relationships), share an IGTV and directly link there, use a bit.ly or link shortener to share a link people can type in, share stuff that doesn’t need links! Remember, most of our “social marketing” should be just that – social. Use it to build relationships, create connections, and allow future potential clients to relate to you. That doesn’t need to mean making them click over to different links.
Why:
Social media is about building relationships, not pageviews and links.
You’re not marketing because you don’t have a “marketing budget”
Sorry, this is just a straight up excuse. There are plenty of ways to market and put yourself out there without spending actual dollar bills.
What to do instead:
Focus on what you CAN do to get your name out there. Show up on social media, send value-packed emails to your list (heck, build a list if you don’t have one!), guest post on blogs in your niche, network at an in-person event (gasp!).
Why:
It doesn’t have to cost money to be effective. It may cost you time, but it’s time that’ll pay off. Or, if you don’t want it to cost you time, maybe you need to rethink your funds and decide if putting $ into marketing (whether ads, a VA to help with marketing, or a marketing service) IS actually worth it for the time you’ll free up.
You’re not taking action.
Honestly, it almost all comes down to this. Whatever YOUR reason is: fear, lack of confidence, imposter syndrome, FEAR again. The entire list above is really different variations of not taking action.
What to do instead:
DO IT. You’ve got this. Start with baby steps if you need to: it all adds up.
Need help making sure you’re taking action (and figuring out which actions are the “right” ones to take)? That’s exactly what The Society is for: getting you unstuck + help you take action as a kick-butt nutrition entrepreneur.
