Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Muddassar Raja, Co-Founder and CEO of Hijama Nation Ltd., located in Solihull, West Midlands, UK.

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

Hijama Nation Academy is an online course provider of Hijama Cupping Therapy, a natural cellular cleanse and detox treatment. It is classed as a holistic, complementary, and alternative therapy. It is usually practiced in Chinese and Islamic natural medicine, but many cultures practice it globally.

We have been offering various courses at different levels since 2011. Our most advanced one is the Level 5 Accredited Higher Diploma in Hijama Cupping Therapy (Dip. HCT), a certification program that qualifies graduates to start their own Hijama Cupping Therapy clinic and practice commercially.

Our students are global and from all professional backgrounds. They are individuals seeking to help their community feel better and improve their clients' health. Many professionals expand their current skill sets or are looking to start a new career in a new discipline. They are people with interest in natural medicine, holistic health and well-being, and improving mental health. We also run Hijama Clinics and carry out our research with our case studies.

Tell us about yourself

We are a husband and wife team who decided to enter the field of online education and holistic health because we are passionate about it. We experienced poor health with no answers from regular doctors, which forced us to learn more about alternative, natural health solutions. My wife was already a Holistic Health Practitioner, and I was in Real Estate Investment, IT & Management Systems, Digital Marketing, and Life Coaching.

We saw our clients feeling great with excellent health results after trying Hijama Cupping Therapy. People started asking us to do training courses, lectures, and workshops at community centres and universities. So we decided to give all this up to focus fully on our passion project, treating clients and teaching people about Hijama Cupping Therapy globally through online marketing.

We expanded our own qualifications and skills to offer an excellent product to our customers. We drew from our own personal experiences to fulfill the needs of others. We came up with practical solutions to solve the needs and problems of our customers. And we love doing it. We enjoy helping people heal, get qualified, and start their own businesses. We strongly promote entrepreneurship in our courses and want to motivate people to achieve their ambitions and goals financially and spiritually. Our core ethics are integrity, hard work, good intentions, helping others, and paying it forward.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

We have managed to reach millions of people internationally and have shared our message of improving your health and well-being naturally. We give free educational literature and promote holistic therapies. We are holistic health coaches and inspire people with health and business coaching. Our own clients and our students get healthy and are encouraged to learn this natural treatment to help others. They are able to start their own business. So we have been able to promote financial independence for women and men, boost the economy and encourage autonomy, ownership, and empowerment for people regarding their health and financial decisions.

Ultimately, we are in a unique position to teach and implement positive lifestyle changes and propagate a growth mindset in people. We help heal and educate people to improve their minds, bodies, and souls and motivate them to consider alternative health solutions to Western medicine, drugs, and chemicals. This all gives us a great sense of accomplishment. We offer scholarships and are able to pay it forward and share goodwill.

We have also won awards for two years running for Best Alternative Medicine Course Provider Of The Year and Best Islamic Medicine Course Provider Of The Year 2021 & 2022. We are leaders in our industry and have over 1700 students in over 50 countries. We are registered members of and approved course providers by the GRCCT, IICT, and PWA, and we were the first to have Hijama Cupping Therapy recognized and insured by Westminster Indemnity UK and BGI UK. So our Certified Hijama Practitioners can get fully qualified, recognized, and insured once they graduate with us.

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

We are a small business, so we had to work very hard to grow and stabilize. Now, scaling up is our goal, but this can be tricky with a global online market. The field of Hijama Cupping Therapy is a very unique and challenging product/service to offer the world. Unfortunately, not many people know about it, so they are hesitant. We have to educate people first, and then they will buy in. So we have to share a lot of free content on our blog, email marketing, and social media. Keeping people interested was very difficult during and after the lockdown.

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

  1. Have clarity of vision and a great marketing strategy, and go for it. Be brave, and do not give up. But learn to pivot and improvise when things do not go to plan. Stay positive and learn from mistakes. Embrace failure as an important life lesson and grow from it.
  2. Monetize your passion so you can inspire others. Always have good, pure intentions. Work with integrity. Help others, and that positive energy will come back to you too.
  3. Work hard, learn new things and try to implement your business strategies yourself. But also know your limits. You must seek help from professional experts who specialize in the work you need, even if it costs you extra. For example, content creation, social media, email marketing, and funnels. This builds your brand and increases customer loyalty. Have a clear message for your clients.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.hijamanation.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HijamaTraining/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hijama.nation/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hijama_nation


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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