How it started

If  haven’t already mentioned this before, I basically tripped into becoming an independent contractor, landing head first into being a nurse entrepreneur. When I  moved back to Colorado after working at Hopkins for a couple of years I thought that I would just pick up a few shifts per diem at a few of the area hospitals.

At the time, we had a 2 year old and a 9 month old. My wife had accepted a full-time job, so I was ultimately with my kiddos during the day trying to coordinate employment for myself, and of course line up daycare. I didn’t think this was going to be an issue. Well, try finding care for two little ones just as the school year has already started and parents have been on wait lists for months, even up to a year(s)…Crazy! Just the reality we were faced with.

So, I made numerous calls, interviewed daycare staff, and essentially became more confused as this was new territory for us. Previously, my wife was consulting from home, and I worked a few days out of the week, so we were able to balance this quite nicely. Although, it was a nightmare trying to re-set my internal clock on those few occasions when I had to work nights.

I could have just stayed home with the kids, but I have to admit, I really love to work.

Disclosure: It’s not that I have a problem being a stay at home dad, but I just really like working, and I just figured it would be an easy balance just working a little here and there while spending more time with the kids. Full Disclosure: Fast forward a few years. The balance is more like controlled chaos around here. Having three boys 6 and under is no easy task, but it’s a trip. I digress a little…

So, during my search for daycares, nannies, and employment, I thought to myself, “what if I started my own business?” I believe this has been mentioned in other posts, but I’ve previously been self-employed and I thought that I could combine my nursing experience and entrepreneurial experience into an opportunity.

Great! I’ll research it and see what I can come up with.

As you can probably imagine, my searches turned up very little.

Okay, so I’ll just have to pioneer this thing. No problem.

Yep, there’s a problem. What in the world was my business going to provide? What’s my product or service? Who’s my target?

Well, about two weeks after moving back I received an email from an old colleague that had started a business providing services to individuals that needed support with daily living needs (simply put). One of the areas of focus was that these individuals were often medically complex, and warranted the consultation of a licensed medical professional. I was very familiar with this population and thought that it would be a good opportunity to launch my business. It started with one organization, with one patient, and one type of service. I worked hard honing this skill, and building my brand.

Today, my business offers a variety of consulting services, which I’ll go into more detail in various blog posts and on my YouTube channel. Depending on your current situation, my advice is to slowly work your way into becoming an independent contractor if your entrepreneurial experience is limited. A good place to start is seeking out information at the U.S. Small Business Administration. As a business owner, you’re going to have to be multi-dimensional, especially in the early days of your startup.

Get out there.

1 thought on “How it started”

  1. I don’t think the title of your article matches the content lol. Just kidding, mainly because I had some doubts after reading the article.

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