Better Living Through Better Spaces

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Chris McPhie, founder of The Healthier Home, located in Cupecoy, Sint Maarten.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

We help others create healthy living and working spaces, focusing on a range of factors that might be impacting one's ability to thrive. We conduct indoor environmental testing, including air quality and electromagnetic fields testing, and we also offer educational material and online learning options, all with the aim of helping others feel amazing by creating the healthiest living spaces possible.

Tell us about yourself

There is a huge gap in the health field, and that is indoor environmental health. Many people are sick because of unhealthy living and working spaces. You might be exposing yourself to extremely high magnetic fields due to a wiring error in your home or overhead power lines. This can lead to a range of issues, including cancer. Mold exposure is highly problematic for people, and the list of potential issues in space goes on and on. I'm motivated to help people figure out how their home might be impacting them and, most importantly, give them solutions to create a healthier space and body. When I see how people can improve the quality of their life by improving the health of their indoor living environment, I'm motivated to keep going and help empower others to do the same and create a healthier, happier life. I first got started in this field in 2016. My daughter was experiencing some health issues, and sensitivity to electromagnetic fields was determined by our doctor. I had scarcely heard of this before and began researching it immediately. I was shocked by what I found, and this inspired me to switch my career as a teacher and become a Building Biologist, helping others realize how much of a difference a healthy living space can make.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Besides helping out regain their health, my biggest accomplishment is releasing my new children's book, "The Wishing Tree: A Building Biology Inspired Fairy Tale." I'm passionate about educating others on health, and I hold a special place in my heart for educating children. To me, hearing about how a child has begun implementing healthy habits after reading this book is the biggest accomplishment I could ask for. This children's book is a magical adventure story that also teaches about the principles of Building Biology. It follows our main characters on a quest to find the Wishing Tree and try to heal their Mom.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

Taking on all hats and needing to do them all well! It can be challenging having to do your own marketing, social media, in-person advertising, accounting, etc. There are so many elements to owning a business, and depending on what you do, there are going to be many, many balls to juggle. So I like to make a list of everything that needs to be done, prioritize from this list, and then tunnel-vision focus on one thing at a time. This strategy helps me to keep things in order. Also learning when to outsource is also very important.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

If you've got an idea and your gut is telling you to do it, then go for it!

My first tip would be to enter in with a positive mindset. Affirm your success, write these affirmations of success down, and read them over each morning and night. Feel the emotion attached to these and visualize your success. This is my most valuable tip.

The second tip would be to research your competition very thoroughly and decide on where you're going to enter the market. What type of niche or twist are you going to offer? What is going to set you apart?

My third tip is to be sure to give it enough time. It takes quite a while to build a name for yourself and get things rolling. So be sure you're planning ahead for this when you're getting started and anticipate buildup time in your budgeting.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.thehealthierhome.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chris.mcphie.925/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehealthierhome/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/TheHealthierHome/

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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