As a nurse practitioner entrepreneur, it is important that you wire your brain the right way as you venture down this entrepreneurial journey. Your mindset is critically important to your success. I have discussed this multiple times in multiple articles because it is just that important.

You need to be motivated.

You don’t need to operate from a state of FEAR.

You shouldn’t let limiting beliefs stop you.

Don’t let naysayers prevent you from pursuing your dreams.

If you say you can’t, then you are right.

You need to be okay with failing because that is how you ultimately succeed.

You need to be positive and focus on the processes that lead to your ultimate goal. My ultimate goal is complete financial independence. I want to be able to do whatever the hell I want, whenever the hell I want. I am sure that is the goal of many of you as well, but I digress.

One important mindset shift you need to make is focusing on the BIG PICTURE. You need to focus on the BIG DOLLARS. You need to focus on what generates income in your business, because as a business owner that is your job. A true nurse practitioner entrepreneur sets the vision of their business, and then the cards fall from there…

This is done by focusing on INCOME generating work, not busy work.

This is done by working ON your business, not IN your business. There is a big difference.

And ultimately, this is done by asking $10,000 questions, not piddly $100 ones…

So many nurse practitioner entrepreneurs get stuck with focusing on nonsense in their business. They are PLAYING business vs DOING business. They get trapped in a perpetual cycle of focusing on the wrong things when starting, operating, and growing their business. I am not immune to this either.  If you truly want to grow into a successful nurse practitioner business owner, then you must shift your mindset and begin focusing and asking the BIG questions that lead you to ultimate success.

Focusing on your business cards is a waste of time. That is a $100 question.

Focusing on which EMR you should get doesn’t matter that much. It is a $100 question.

Focusing on which phone system doesn’t matter. That is a $100 question.

Focusing on which needle you should switch to for your injections doesn’t matter. That is a $100 question.

Determining what address you should use for your EIN doesn’t matter. That is a $100 question.

Focusing on what color scheme and font you should put on your website doesn’t matter. That is a $100 question.

Focusing on saving $10 a month switching from one vendor to another isn’t going to move mountains in your business. That is a $100 question.

I hope you get the picture…

These things DON’T MATTER that much in the grand scheme of your business. It will not make or break your business. It will not make you anymore successful. It just WON’T. Instead, you need to be thinking about 5 FIGURE questions because the answers to those questions MOVE MOUNTAINS in your business.

Focusing on the vision of your marketing campaign increases business. That is a $10,000 question.

Focusing on what new services you are going to integrate into your practice increases revenue. That is a $10,000 question.

Focusing on which states you are going to begin providing telemedicine services in will increase your patient volume. That is a $10,000 question.

Figuring out how you can outprice your competition to drive more business to your practice will increase revenue. That is a $10,000 question.

Hiring the right employees to do the busy work for you so you have more time to focus on patient care and revenue generation will increase revenue. That is a $10,000 question.

Figuring out which clinical services you can outsource to another nurse practitioner who refuses to venture on their own will increase your passive income. That is a $10,000 question.

Creating systems and processes in your business so it runs itself. That is a $10,000 question.

Determining which relationships in your area which are worth pursuing for a patient acquisition and referral standpoint increases your patient volume. That is a $10,000 question.

Creating a tax lowering strategy and actually executing it will increase what you take home by tens of thousands of dollars a year. That is a $10,000 question.

The point here is that as a TRUE nurse practitioner entrepreneur, you need to focus on the actions that you can take in your business that MOVE MOUNTAINS. You need to focus on those processes that truly move the dial in your business and in your life. That is what ultimately builds a business that works for you.

Listen, I was stuck asking stupid $100 questions when I first got started. Hell, I still ask them sometimes. The other day I was contemplating switching internet providers as a new one in town was offering a special promotion. It was going to save my business $20 a month… Honestly, filling out the application and going through that entire process sounded like a headache not worth saving myself $20 a month. Instead, I spent my time creating a new job listing for another nurse practitioner for my men’s health clinic because we continue to grow. THAT is worth my time. THAT is a $10,000 question and action.

As a business owner, focus on what generates income because that is how you grow a business. By focusing on the big money questions, your business will grow exponentially, and it will eventually turn into a powerful passive income source for you. That is how you break FREE.

So, as you start, operate, and grow your practice always be thinking about what questions you should be asking that TRULY move the dial in your business. Focusing on minor things really won’t change anything in your business and your mind shouldn’t be clouded with minor nonsense. Instead, focus on what brings in revenue, increases patient volume, and builds passive income for you.