Before You Quit Your Job: How to Know if Business Ownership Fits You

It’s one of the most honest questions a future practice owner can ask:
“How do I know if I’ll actually like being a business owner?”

Because the truth is, not everyone who’s great at patient care automatically loves entrepreneurship. Running a private practice requires a different kind of courage, creativity, and self-trust—and the best way to find out if it’s right for you is to start observing how you respond to the process, not the idea.

Let’s break this down.

1. You’ll Know You’re Ready If You Crave Autonomy More Than Certainty

Most PMHNPs who end up thriving in business have one thing in common: at some point, the freedom to decide mattered more than the security of being told what to do.

If you find yourself wanting to create your own schedule, design your ideal patient load, or build a model that aligns with your values, you already have the business owner seed within you.

Ownership isn’t about loving every detail (no one loves reconciling QuickBooks at 10 p.m.), but it is about feeling more alive when you’re in charge of your own direction.

2. You’ll Know You Can Handle It If You’re Curious About the “How,” Not Just Afraid of the “What If”

It’s normal to feel fear when stepping into entrepreneurship. The difference between fear that freezes and fear that fuels lies in your curiosity.

When something feels overwhelming—like setting your rates, registering your LLC, or choosing an EHR—ask yourself:

“Can I learn this?” instead of “What if I can’t do this?”

If your gut says, “I could figure that out with some guidance,” that’s the business owner mindset already forming. Entrepreneurs don’t know everything; they just trust that they’ll learn fast enough.

3. You’ll Like It More Than You Think If You Value Impact Over Image

Business ownership can be messy. Some weeks you’ll feel like a visionary; other weeks, you’ll feel like the intern and the janitor all at once.

But if your motivation runs deeper than titles or appearances—if what really drives you is improving patient care, building access, or modeling what’s possible for the next generation—you’ll thrive.

Because in entrepreneurship, meaning is what carries you through uncertainty.

4. Test Before You Leap

You don’t have to quit your job to find out if private practice fits you. Start with a small experiment:

• Take on one private-pay client under supervision.

• Shadow a colleague who runs their own practice.

• Join a mentorship program or community for NPs.

Notice which parts energize you versus which ones drain you. That’s your blueprint for how to build in alignment.

You don’t have to know if you’ll love business ownership; you just have to be willing to find out.

You’ll discover your tolerance for uncertainty, your capacity for leadership, and your power to create something that reflects your values.

And if that still feels intimidating? Remember: every confident practice owner you admire once asked this same question. The only difference is that they decided to find out for themselves.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure where to start, join us inside Strong Roots Mentorship. We take you step by step from ground zero to seeing patients and beyond, without the overwhelm.