The Other Side of Hypnosis - Business

Occasionally I get emails asking how one even begins to be a hypnotist in this day and age. And when you think about it, there is a lot to it. And here is the rough rundown:

• Read, read, read, and read more about hypnosis.
• Get to know what the options are - i.e. stage hypnotism, clinical hypnosis, fringe hypnosis (that would be the whole hypno-erotica stuff), etc.
• Read more about these.
• See a stage hypnotism show (heck, participate in one).
• Try hypnosis (from the client side).
• Research school options - do they offer certification in a reputable group? Does the school's mission statement jive with your desires?
• Go to a reputable school (also be aware that some schools report to offer college degrees in this. Many are not legit. Make sure the school is accredited and that your degree is matriculated). However, there are plenty of wonderful schools out there that are not college based, but are well worth the money, time and effort.
• Get certified. It will help in business when people understand that you have an organization behind you.
• Practice, practice, practice.
• Keep reading, reading, reading.
• And begin the career path.
• Seriously, I would consider adding malpractice insurance at this point.

This is where it gets pretty tricky. I cannot speak about the steps to becoming a stage hypnotist (perhaps someone else can?). I suspect it means marketing, potentially finding representation, and running your business.

I have not a clue about the hypno-erotic field. I suspect that it means getting a website, marketing, advertising and running a business.

Now what I can speak to is for those wanting to open an office.With this, you will want to find a place to open your practice. Will your home work? I personally have gone the office route. I believe in keeping my home life and my work life a bit separated, and frankly, it makes me feel safer. There there is marketing, paperwork and remaining up-to-date with your skills.

Each point in this posting probably could stand a bit more explanation. I suspect you will see more appearing here. And for goodness sakes, you other hypnotist out there, feel free to jump in at any time.

Anyway, it has been interesting running a business. Sometimes I think it would be really helpful to have a business degree or two (general business, marketing, communications, accounting, any of those would be fairly helpful, I would think). But I do not have this type of degree and it has not stopped me.

There is a lot to it, but it is manageable. There are several options and business types out there such as self-proprietor, partnerships, various forms of corporations. You should choose one that best fits what you are doing. Be aware of all the legalities for each, as well as what the area you are practicing in requires. You may need a business licence. Be aware of IRS rules and taxation. Also, does your area have business restrictions. Maybe this should be at the beginning of this post. What does your state mandate for hypnosis? Do you need a degree of some sort, etc.? You can find out through most of the professional hypnosis organizations out there, though you may have to dig a bit if your local chapter is not up to snuff.

Get professional advice from sources like Chamber of Commerce and Small Business Administration.

There are also several resources out there that can help get it all together for you. Some types of businesses require filings and lawyers and all that good stuff. There are businesses out there that can help you with this process and make it much more tolerable, especially if you are looking to incorporate or form a limited liability corporation. Incparadise.com offers these services, as well as providing a virtual office and executive suites, which means you can use their offices, conference room, phone service and Internet, depending on which state you do business. These start at $45 a month. Considering what I pay for rent, utilities and business phone (the Internet cost for businesses where I am located is insane), this may be the way to go.

They say their most popular business ventures are their Nevada corporations. The next popular are Texas, Florida, and Arizona. They themselves are based in Las Vegas.

Just an idea or two that may help make life easier when starting out in business.

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