(Akiit.com) Health is everything- you could have the most wonderful life and opportunities ever, but you simply won’t be able to enjoy your life to its full potential if you struggle with your health. For this reason, health and wellness businesses can become incredibly lucrative, especially in recent years since more and more people are taking a proactive approach to their health. You don’t have to be a doctor, nurse, or any other medically trained professional for that matter to do well. Here are some ideas for ways to turn health into wealth.
Write a health blog
You don’t have to be a medic or any kind of trained professional to write a health blog, you just need a passion and good writing skills. Of course, you will want to ensure you research all of your posts thoroughly so that they’re correct when you publish them. But this can be an opportunity to learn as you go along, and can be just as much of a learning process for you as your readers. You could focus on all elements of health from nutrition and exercise to dental, mental health and more. Or you could focus in more on one thing and make your blog primarily about that. Blogging is great as it’s cheap and relatively easy to get started, all you’ll need to do is purchase a domain and a blog template which won’t cost much. On the downside, it can take a long time to get up and running as a paid blogger- years in fact. This is something you could start as a hobby, with a view to monetising and making it your job later down the line. When the paid work does start coming in, you can earn a very respectable living with your site.
Become a personal trainer
Lots of healthcare businesses are aimed at treating illness, but as a personal trainer you get to focus on wellness- and preventing issues before they start. If you’re already in great shape, love to exercise and it’s your passion to help others then this is the perfect starting point. You will have to train and get qualified, but it’s not something that takes years to do. You get to work with people, helping them achieve their goals which can be really rewarding. You can help people lose weight and get fit, massively improving their quality of life. And due to the nature of the job, you’ll also stay in shape yourself which is always a good thing! You could work in a gym, or even go self employed and travel to clients. Some personal trainers even offer advice and sessions over Skype to clients all across the world.
Sell health equipment
Buying and selling for a profit is a tried and tested business model, so why not do this with health equipment? You could ship items abroad that some countries struggle to get hold of. You could offer a one stop shop for all kinds of medical items, or you could even sell things like fitness trackers, sports equipment or something else entirely. If your passion is health, and you’re business minded then this is certainly something that could make you a lot of money. Decide on your USP, you need to be doing something that’s unique in some way- and then sell either from your own website or on an online marketplace like eBay or Amazon.
Design a health app
In recent years, we as consumers have gotten much more used to and comfortable with managing our own health online. We use fitness trackers and online calorie counters, we book doctors appointments online and access our medical files through computers and apps. This means that as an app designer, you have customers that are willing and ready to use what you create. Due to stricter laws governing how data has to be dealt with, people feel safe using their devices to track or manage their health. Take télémédecine as an example, they are providing companies with leading, innovative and affordable health care that is directly accessible online or from a smartphone. While there are lots of health apps out there, there’s still plenty of work that can be done. Take specific illnesses for example which don’t currently have apps to manage their conditions, look at gaps in the market. As an app designer, you can get creative, solve a problem and genuinely improve the lives of others.
Start an online pharmacy
Going back to the point that people are comfortable managing their health online, this has lead to the creation of online pharmacies. Here, people can either order their prescription or repeat prescription which has been prescribed by their doctor, or they can buy medicine which isn’t available over the counter after speaking to a pharmacist. This can include medication such as antibiotics, birth control and certain disease treatment. It means people are more likely to get the treatment they need, even if they’re too embarrassed to speak to their doctor! If you’re not a qualified pharmacist then you will of course have to hire one. But it’s most definitely something you could run and earn great profits from. Online pharmacies are useful as customers can have their medication posted right through their door. Those with ongoing conditions or who struggle getting out of the house will find this especially beneficial.
Become a massage therapist
In many places in the world, you don’t need specific qualifications to become a massage therapist. Of course, you will want to undertake some training and ensure you have the right insurances to practice. Massage therapy has lots of proven health benefits, it can help people suffering with chronic pain, it can reduce stress, increase mood and speed up recovery after an injury. You could always take further training later on for things like sports massage, Swedish massage or hot stone massage. You could work in a spa or go mobile and go to customers homes. Either way, it’s a fantastic way to promote wellness, and makes for a great business idea for those that like working with people.
Health is a massively broad area. It could be anything from treating sickness to promoting wellness. It could be medical, nutritional or psychological. Decide on the areas of health you’re interested in, and create your business idea from there. Regardless of the route you go down, you’ll be genuinely helping to make people’s lives better, and it can be equally lucrative as it is rewarding.
Would you start a business in the health industry? What kind of direction would you go in with it?
Staff Writer; Ronald Love