Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jon Cain, owner of Cain Exercise Rehab, located in Victoria, BC, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I am a Certified Athletic Therapist. My business is a multidisciplinary healthcare clinic that offers multiple treatment modalities but all under the promotion of using and promoting physical activity as a means for long-term health.
Tell us about yourself
I came from an inactive family and saw the side effects of lack of self-care as I grew up, motivating me to pursue a career in helping others enjoy freedom within their own bodies. Every day, I am able to assist clients in regaining physical abilities that they may have thought lost to them and help them learn how to trust their bodies again. Teaching resilience as opposed to fragility!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Honestly, surviving COVID was probably my biggest accomplishment, and not in the sense of simply staying in business. We were able to thrive despite the pandemic, and it was gratifying to be able to deliver not just our treatments but to build trust in our community that we would forever approach the world's situations with pragmatism in a way that we would always put our clientele's safety and comfort first.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
I think every business owner has those weeks that leave us missing the days of a 9-5 job where we got to come home and put work completely out of mind until the next morning. It can be exhausting to always have your business on your mind. There are mornings when you wake up already anticipating the to-do list that's awaiting you. In the end, though, I am quickly reminded that the benefits to working for myself are massive, and the trick is managing and outsourcing your to-do list even when it comes at an expense because your own time is your most valuable asset.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Personal mentors will outweigh the benefit of professional paid advisors when you're starting out. Find someone who knows you and your sector in depth rather than having a general knowledge of your field.
- As I said, outsource. We, business owners, tend to have a background in our profession, not in business and finances themselves. Hire a bookkeeper, hire a social media manager, and hire a virtual assistant. Paying a few hundred dollars per month rather than spending 20 hours on duties that are only worth $5/hour will allow you to make more money in less time in the long run.
- Get to know your community. I pounded the pavement, walked into other businesses, appeared at tradeshows, and made myself known at community events constantly for the first few years. People want to know YOU. A logo without a face only goes so far. People like personable approaches, which also means you should let your personality show. Be professional, but also be goofy and familiar when the time allows.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
I just want to reiterate that new business owners are never expected to know every in and out of business. It's ok not to know things, as long as you know WHAT you don't know so that you can seek the advice for it. And there will always be another new thing that you realize you didn't know.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://cainexerciserehab.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cainexerciserehab/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cainexerciserehab/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-cain-6143a440/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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