The 3 Most Challenging Business Models to Bring to Market (And How to Overcome the Challenges in Your Practice)

Starting a business isn’t for the faint of heart—but some industries are particularly tough to crack. You’ve probably heard that opening a restaurant is one of the hardest businesses to succeed in. But did you know that running a one-on-one allied health practice is also on that list?

If you’re struggling to attract patients and build a profitable practice, it’s not because you’re not good at what you do—it’s because the business model itself is inherently challenging. The good news? There’s a way to make it work, and today, I’m going to show you how.

The 3 Most Challenging Business Models

1. Restaurants

Restaurants are notorious for razor-thin profit margins (often 5% or less), massive overhead, and unpredictable consumer demand. Even the most passionate chefs struggle to turn a profit in this cutthroat industry.

2. Food Products

Launching a food product—especially a health-focused one—comes with steep risks. From strict regulations to the challenge of getting shelf space, not to mention the threat of product expiration before you break even, food product businesses demand deep pockets and relentless marketing.

3. Allied Health Practices (Yes, Your Practice!)

Believe it or not, running a one-on-one health practice is just as tough as opening a restaurant. In fact, health practices consistently rank among the most difficult businesses to grow. Why? Because most practitioners are selling the wrong thing.

Why Most Health Practitioners Struggle to Grow

Most clinicians focus on selling their credentials, but here’s the reality: The average person has no idea what those credentials mean or how they can help them. If you're a functional medicine doctor or a naturopath, you are mysterious to the average patient.

Consumers don’t buy credentials—they buy solutions to their problems. And right now, most health professionals aren’t clearly communicating how their services deliver results.

On top of that, most practitioners lack a marketing system that consistently attracts the right patients. Instead, they try a little bit of everything—social media, networking, email marketing—without a clear strategy. As a result, their practice remains stuck in the feast-or-famine cycle.

How to Fix the Broken Health Practice Model

The key to building a successful practice? Shift from a transactional model to a transformational model.

Step 1: Sell Outcomes, Not Services

Instead of leading with your credentials, lead with the outcome you help patients achieve.

Example: Instead of saying, "I'm a functional medicine doctor," say, "I help women balance their hormones naturally so they can feel energized, lose stubborn weight, and regain control of their health."

Example: Instead of "I’m a chiropractor," say, "I help runners eliminate chronic pain and get back on the road stronger than ever."

When you sell an outcome, prospective patients will naturally ask, "How do you do that?"—giving you the opportunity to explain your methodology and services in a way that makes sense to them.

Step 3: Build a Marketing System That Works

A successful practice needs three essential marketing phases:

Outward Marketing – This is your content strategy: social media, blog posts, podcasts, or any medium where you showcase your expertise and educate potential patients.

Conversion Events – People need an opportunity to raise their hand and engage with you. This could be a webinar, an in-person talk, or an online workshop where they opt-in and get to know you better.

Nurture System – The majority of potential patients won’t book an appointment right away. A simple weekly or bi-weekly email newsletter that answers common patient questions keeps you top of mind and builds trust over time.