Introducing the Holistic Accountant

I thought I would start by stating my purpose.

I need a place to write down my thoughts and ideas on building and maintaining a successful practice. It pains me when I meet fellow acupuncturist who are excellent doctors but are not able to create abundance in their practice. It is just as simple to have a successful practice as it is to have an unsuccessful one. I would love to share my ideas with those who cross my path but I do not think it is received well when you tell people how to run their practices. I will discuss in a future post why it is not a good idea to give unsolicited advice, no matter how good your intentions. So rather than giving unsolicited advice I will blog here for the time being. This way I can let it all out and you can choose whether you want to read it.

Why me? Who am I to prophecise (not a real word) business advice for acupuncturist? To start I enjoy helping others so this is as much for me as it is for you. I am not talking theoretical I actually have a successful acupuncture practice (we will define success in a future post). I have helped a few friends/colleagues turn their practices into successful clinics as well so it my tolls will work for others as well. I also have this great background in business. I have to be honest. Most of my success does not come from my post graduate business education although I think my colleagues believe it does. It comes from what I have learned from my father. My family members are all entrepreneurs, they work for them selves, and my dad is a self made millionaire. I have learned so much from my regular business discussions with my father as well as just by watching how he practices business. The same way you pick up skills from observing an “old” doctor in his clinic. My father has “doing business” down to an ART. And he is all about the Win Win. He has integrity. He plays fair and honest. It was from him I learned that making money is not “evil” and that you can do a lot of good when you have $$ in the bank.

I guess I should do the white elephant thing that the late Randy Pausch has taught so many of us to do when giving a presentation or my case a Blog. State the white elephant and get it out of the way. Like it or not, if you practice TCM you are in business. The moment you began accepting payments from your patients in exchange for treatments you began a business for profit. And unlike most of my colleagues, I openly share the fact that I like money. Actually I value abundance, freedom and safety and mot actually money. Since I do not fear money or feel embarrassed by having money I think it is attracted to me easily actually. Every business venture has done well for me. I often wonder if the negative beliefs that my colleagues have around money is the reason they are always struggling financially. I think it part of it. Just like we use intention our medicine, your intention has the same affect in business.

I am really not motivated by money. However, I am anti poverty. It goes against my values of abundance and security which for me money helps provide. I feel blessed that I get paid to help people. And I love Chinese medicine. I am so grateful that I get paid to do what I love and it is also helps others in the process. Having abundance along with your spiritual values aligned can really make life on this like planet a blast. Money is just Qi. Put it in the right hands (those with sound integrity and ethics) and we could possibly turn this world into one of peace and abundance for all. Maybe all we need is wealthy acupuncturist to set our world right.

So my plan is to blog occasionally on my personal experience of how to operate a successful clinic.