VANCOUVER, Wash.—For the four years Kevin Farnham was studying traditional Chinese medicine (commonly abbreviated TCM) and earning his acupuncture license, he was comforted by the fact that he already had a job waiting for him in the practice where he had once been a patient.
In November 2024, with his doctorate from the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine in hand, he met with his former acupuncturist to discuss joining the practice.
The terms of the proposed agreement made it clear that there’s a big difference between working for someone else and owning your own practice. Farnham decided if he was going to work that hard—which he was excited to do—he might as well be working for himself.
Within days he had reached out to the Washington Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for assistance. His initial email read, “I am starting my business from scratch. I need to make a name, logo, business cards, website, business plan, marketing strategy, pricing strategy, as well as financials like business bank account, POS system, etc. Any assistance that can be provided to help me get started with a solid foundation would be greatly appreciated.”
He began meeting with SBDC business advisor Kyle Todd in December. Remarkably, by mid-February he was able to start treating patients at Tong Shen TCM Clinic, his new office on Main Street in the uptown neighborhood of Vancouver.
“I signed the lease in December and had to start paying rent in February,” Farnham said, “so that was my deadline to be in business.”
Farnham’s to-do list was long and getting longer (see above), but once he started meeting with Todd, he said, the path forward seemed a little more manageable.
“The assistance I received from Kyle before and around the startup time was invaluable,” Farnham said. “I got encouragement as well as practical strategies I could implement between meetings to help get me to where I wanted to be. As a former teacher and having just come out of grad school, I appreciated my homework assignments. Having more meetings with Kyle helped me stay motivated to meet the goals we set up together.”
For his part, Todd says Farnham was the ideal client. “He is passionate about TCM and helping people live healthier and happier lives,” Todd said. “Even though he was on a steep learning curve with regards to the nuts and bolts of running a business, he rolled up his sleeves and did the hard work of launching his practice. We met regularly, he hit all of his goals and task deadlines, and his business is growing steadily to reflect all of the hard work he has invested in it and in himself.”
Prior to going all-in on acupuncture and Chinese medicine, Farnham had tried various occupations, from land surveying to teaching, and had even set up his own business as a math tutor. But setting up his own healthcare practice that would require attracting an ongoing mix of new and returning clients was a new order of stress and responsibility, especially since he had a five-year lease on his office space.
Having an SBDC advisor whom he could reach out to as often as he needed to, without worrying about the cost, lowered his stress significantly, Farnham said.
The Washington SBDC is a network of more than 40 business advisors who work in communities across the state to help entrepreneurs start, grow or buy/sell a business. The Washington SBDC is administered through a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and Washington State University, which is the statewide host of the program. About half the funding for SBDC services comes from Congress through the SBA and the other half comes from state and local stakeholders, including the Washington State Department of Commerce, WSU, other institutions of higher education, economic development agencies, county and city governments and business and civic groups.
While it’s still early days in his practice, Farnham said he’s incredibly encouraged by how quickly things have come together and the positive response from the community. Being able to help people improve their health through acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine truly feels like what he was meant to do.
Through his varied work experiences, the one constant has been a desire to help others, Farnham said. He himself experienced the incredible healing power of TCM and acupuncture in his own life, he said, and he’s excited to share that with others. “Helping people improve their health, and the health of their families and friends, has been very gratifying,” he said.
The decision to open his own clinic was initially an economic one, but as Farnham has talked through all the decisions involved in setting up a practice, he realizes that even more than that, it is a philosophical one that allows him to set up his practice with purpose and integrity.
“I want to provide health care where patients are heard and cared for throughout their appointment,” he said. “I want patients to feel better leaving the door and have a plan of action for what they can do between appointments to continue getting better. I want to build a team with my patients, so we are working together on a plan that not only works for them but is also supported by medical training.”
In a way, Farnham’s philosophy for working with his clients is not that different from how SBDC advisors work with their clients. Listen first, ask clarifying questions and help create a plan of action that moves the client closer to their goal.
Would you like to receive support with your business like Kevin did? Visit www.wsbdc.org to connect with a Washington SBDC advisor and take the next step toward your own business success.
To find out more about Kevin’s story of becoming an acupuncturist and learn about what conditions are treated at Tong Shen TCM clinic, visit www.tongshenclinic.com.