Nutritionist

Startup Costs: $2,000 - $10,000
Home Based: Can be operated from home.
Part Time: Can be operated part-time.
Franchises Available? No
Online Operation? Yes

Nutrition is big in everybody's minds these days--people want to live longer, think smarter, eat healthier and weigh less doing it. As a nutritionist, you'll help your clients attain all these goals through a variety of venues--you can act as a personal diet coach or as a consultant to restaurants and food manufacturers, give classes and seminars, or work with health clubs and health-conscious companies. If you like teaching other people about healthy lifestyles, cheering on their achievements and motivating them through plateaus, then this is the business for you. The advantages to being a nutritionist are that you can tangibly measure your success through your clients' successes, you can make a positive difference in others' lives, and you can do it all for a small start-up cost, start on a part-time basis, and work from home. You'll need a strong knowledge of health, nutrition and psychology, along with sales and marketing skills to snap up clients. You can get (or you may already have) a registered dietician degree (called an RD) from the American Dietetic Association. This is a definite plus but not a necessity. Since state licensing and certifications for nutritionists vary, call your state Board of Dietetics and Nutrition.

The Market

Your clients can be just about anybody you care to target: individuals or corporations. You can coach on a personal level in your clients' homes or offices; you can also work as a consultant for health clubs, large companies or institutions. If you choose to work with clients on a one-to-one basis as a coach, place ads in local publications. Network in your community. Offer your services to one lucky person at a charity auction or raffle in exchange for free advertising. Make up a brochure and mail it to people in the middle- to upper-income levels of your town. Send brochures and sales letters describing your services to corporate, institutional and health-club prospects, then follow up with phone calls requesting appointments.

Needed Equipment

About all you'll need is a computer, a printer and the usual software for creating sales letters, brochures, menus and other materials for your clients.

Nutritionist Ideas

Health Seminars

Provide health-conscious individuals with a group of experts gathered in one place.

Medical Equipment Sales

In the wake of ever-advancing medical technology, it pays to sell medical equipment.

Medical Braces

Offer the hundreds of types of medical braces to people with injuries.

More from Business Ideas

Growing a Business

At 24, She Was Fired From Her Advertising Job. Then an 'Incredibly Important' Mindset Helped Her Build a Multimillion-Dollar Business.

Melissa Ben-Ishay's brother Brian Bushell encouraged her to follow her passion — and it led to major success.

Side Hustle

This Couple Started a Side Hustle Out of Their Volkswagen. It Made $1 Million a Month Last Year and Is 'So Fulfilling.'

Husband and wife Joe Demin and Rachel Connors are committed to building Yellow Leaf Hammocks — and supporting artisans in Thailand along the way.

Leadership

As a Leader, Take These 5 Steps to Bridge the Gap Between Innovation and Execution

Companies that want to turn ideas into action must align their people and listen to their customers.