Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jake Baker, Co-Founder of Revamp Wellness, located in Langley, BC, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Revamp Wellness is an integrated health clinic that offers massage therapy, physiotherapy, chiropractic, naturopathic medicine, acupuncture, and kinesiology. Our customers/patients are generally people who have suffered minor to severe injuries and people who are looking to improve their health and wellness.
Tell us about yourself
Growing up, I always had the dream of owning a business. I never knew what it would be, but I knew something would eventually come along. My partner (now wife) and I had been dating just over a year when we started chatting about running a business together. She was an RMT, and I was an accountant. She had always wanted to start her own massage therapy clinic. As I got to understand how things worked at the clinic she was working at; it became more and more evident that this was what we should pursue. As a retired professional hockey player, I knew how important therapy was for the body. I had suffered several injuries myself and had to go through long stints of rehab with physiotherapists, massage therapists, chiropractors, and kinesiologists. Without them, I know I would have never been able to return to play at 100%.
The best part about our business for me is hearing patient success stories. When you watch a patient come in for the first time and see that they are in pain, it really makes you feel for them. But it is so rewarding to watch them leave their last session with a big smile on their face and hear how a therapist has changed their life. This is what truly motivates us to come in and be better each day. Healthcare is always evolving, and we always strive to be at the forefront of it.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
As business owners, our biggest accomplishment was growing from 5 to 20 practitioners and expanding our business within our first two years, all during a pandemic.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
For me, one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner is all the sacrifices you need to make to run your business. In the first year of business, my wife and I worked 10-12 hour days, seven days a week. Because our business was self-funded, we had to wear several hats (reception, janitor, etc.) to save on costs in order to handle the growing stage.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Hire an accountant or take a course on how to manage your business finances. I think it is so important to know how your business is doing financially every step of the way. Too often, you see business focus solely on the revenue and not see what's really happening to the bottom line.
- Hire good people and take care of them.
- Be open-minded and continuously strive to improve. Don't be stagnant. The world of business is competitive and changes rapidly.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Starting a business has been one of the most challenging, stressful, fun, and rewarding part of my life. If you are passionate about something, you should pursue it and pursue it with 100% of your heart and mind.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.revampwellness.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/revampwellnessBC/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revamp.wellness/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/revamp-wellness-ca/
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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