"I'd Love A Spiritual Business, But..."

Many of us are becoming more and more aware that we’re here to use our gifts and talents to make a difference, doing spiritual work that we’re passionate about. Often we start on our spiritual journey after a life-altering event which makes us go deeper into self-development, which usually leads us to study many different healing modalities (often in order to heal ourselves). As we heal and work on our blocks, we are guided to use our experiences and learning to help others.

There’s never been a better time to become self-employed, with many free ways to market ourselves and spirituality becoming more and more a part of many people’s lives. So why do so many of us struggle to start up spirituality based or heart-centred business, or find it hard to support ourselves doing this important work? Here I share some of the challenges that I’ve faced – I’d love to know if you resonate!

I need to know more/ I need more qualifications before I put myself out there as a spiritual business owner – as self-development is so important on this path, it’s easy to get into a cycle of thinking, “just one more qualification” or “just one more book” before we put ourselves out there. The fact is, there is never a perfect time to take the leap. Often we’re guided to do it when we don’t feel ready – we feel like there’s still healing work to do and blocks to overcome. Just remember that you can help others and still be working on yourself, often we’re just one or a couple of steps ahead of our clients. I did this recently with coaching, I purchased two courses after finishing an in-depth spiritual coaching course, and then realised that I have enough experience to get started. There’s nothing wrong with lifelong learning, but don’t get stuck in believing that you’re not enough as you are. There are people you could be helping!

How am I supposed to make enough money with a spiritual business? – So many of us have been conditioned to do traditional careers and jobs, so when we’re guided to do healing work often we question ourselves and start to think that it’ll be a struggle to find clients and make enough money. I have struggled with this, partly because I have tried to have therapy rooms in the past which didn’t work out, so I started to believe that it would always be a struggle. Now I’m realising that the timing wasn’t right, I wasn’t feeling my best back then and I didn’t have the confidence at the time. Just because something didn’t work out in the past doesn’t mean every venture will always fail. A big part of it is having the right mindset, having trust and faith that the clients will come to you as well as knowing how to effectively put yourself out there in a way that feels comfortable to you. I often advise people not to put too much pressure on a spiritual business to cover all living expenses at the start – it’s a good idea to work around a full-time or part-time job until you have enough clients to make the leap.

I hate selling so how am I supposed to find clients? – The majority of spiritual business owners just want to help people, and find it difficult or icky to sell their services and put themselves out there. It can be helpful to see it as sharing instead of selling, whenever you put an offer out there you are sharing your gifts to help your potential customers. You have the right to put yourself out there and make a living from your gifts and talents. Marketing is an important part of owning a business, so it’s worth spending time learning about marketing and feeling comfortable being visible. It’s all about finding what works for you – depending on what you do you might choose to focus on one type of social media (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Youtube). Practice doing Facebook Lives or being on video. Word of mouth can still play a big part, especially if you’re a therapist or card reader.

I struggle to charge for my work – a lot of spiritual practitioners find that it takes time for them to feel comfortable charging for their services, even after doing numerous qualifications and spending time honing their skills. We just want to help people, so it feels weird to charge or charge what we’re worth. Yes, in the beginning it can be tempting to offer discounts as we build our confidence, but often it’s better to add value than to reduce your prices (for example offer a card reading with coaching). It can help to look around at what others are charging to figure out our pricing. It is also worth doing some healing work around money and money blocks, as even past life vows could be affecting us this time around.

My health issues get in the way – many of us on the spiritual path are empaths, which can leave us more susceptible to feeling stressed, anxious and depressed. Physical issues can also manifest as a result. As we’re helping others, we’re also at risk of burning out. It’s very important to be aware of your body and mind, and make sure that you make time for rest and self-care. Don’t feel guilty if you need to rest – it’s vitally important when you’re doing this type of work.

Do any of the above beliefs hold you back? Remember you don’t have to figure everything out yourself – there are people out there that specialise in things like spiritual marketing and abundance coaching that can help you to build your confidence. You can also delegate certain parts of your business if you really hate doing it (accounts anyone)?! Join Facebook groups for support and to expand your knowledge. And there are lots of books out there too! Yes, there may be many obstacles to starting a spiritually based business, but there’s lots of support available too.

Debbie x

I’m here to help – my four week Zoom Spiritual Biz Course gives you the confidence to start your spiritual business, learn more about marketing that feels authentic and have a better relationship with money. It’s just £149 and you receive a free in-depth business planning reading by email to help you to navigate the way forwards. Click here for more information.

I also offer 1 to 1 spiritual business coaching if you are looking for support and accountability when you’re getting started or if you’re struggling in your business. It’s £33 a session or £111 for four sessions. Click here for more information.