Great Tips For How Self-Employed Massage Therapists Can Grow Into A Small Business

Growing a part time gig into a small business is no easy feat. While it may be easy to get your first couple of massage clients, there are some pretty big steps you need to take before your business hits it stride. Your work may become stressful and draining for you, but it doesn’t have to be that way. With some good planning and solid strategy, growing your business can be a breeze. We’re here to take a weight off your shoulders with some top tips to go from a self-employed massage therapist to a small business with the help of massage software and savvy business marketing.

Know your service inside and out

As a self-employed massage therapist, it’s easy to offer services tailored to your specific clients. But if you’re looking to grow and become a fully-fledged small business, people will come to you expecting to pick from a selection of services.

Decide whether you’re going to offer a general selection, or go down a specific path such as sports massage or using a technique you specialize in. In order to diversify your brand, you could also offer a range of massage-related or soothing products.

Additionally you need to decide where you’re working from: from home, from your own office, or if you’ll travel to your clients’ homes. Take into account the overheads that come with each option: renting or buying office space will be the most pricey, but might provide a more appropriate space befitting a small business. And if you’re going mobile, you’ll need transport for you and your kit, so a company car or van will be required too.

Create a solid customer network

A massage therapist’s greatest asset is their network. Word-of-mouth is a powerful but underestimated tool for growing a business. It costs nothing, but shows your credibility as a brand while providing you with reliable clients.

The trick is in getting the ball rolling. What is your Unique Selling Point (USP)? Do you think that you’ll be able to tempt your current clients into talking about you based on what you do alone?

If you need an extra little push, try including a couple of perks. It pays to reward loyalty! Try offering money off massages if your client refers a friend, or a free massage if they come back to you a number of times.

Customer satisfaction should be a top priority for your business, especially when you’re just starting out. If you have an unhappy client, do your best to give them a flawless customer experience, or they could damage your carefully crafted network with negative social proof.

Go digital with your business

The beauty of the digital age in which we live is that you don’t simply have to rely on people telling their friends about you at dinner parties, or flyers pinned on newsagent notice boards. Make a website, set up Twitter and Facebook accounts and start attracting clients! It’s worth taking a look at what other companies, both local and national, are doing in order to either mimic their successes or learn from their mistakes.

Massage Envy is a massage franchise that manages their social media pretty well. Their focus is on taking care of your body, and with links to professional golfers, audience knows that their massages will help keep them on their game.

The Austin Massage Clinic is a local business that uses social media to get clients. They benefit from an official-sounding name, and make sure to utilize hashtags and share articles to get a wider reach. If you work on your brand when setting up, create a logo and a mission statement, you can put yourself across to a larger audience as a solid, reliable business.

Building a significant digital presence as a small business is well within your grasp. Check out one of the many online startups for sale for some shining examples of entrepreneurs who have built up a sizeable online venture on their own. It might seem daunting, but it’s entirely possible and, in this day and age, entirely necessary too.

Don’t rush into it

The worst thing you can do is to buy a whole load of equipment or start renting out a studio to practice in without having a plan. When setting up your own business it is vital that you have a step by step strategy, detailing when you will spend money and how you’ll make it back. We’ve seen countless entrepreneurs flop before they even start because they think that by spending money, they’ll make money. This is not the case!

Massage therapy is a great business to get into as it requires very little seed money. The main cost is your own time and effort, so you can survive on the basics until you feel like it’s time to take your business a step further.

Time management is key

With the mix of excitement, determination and stress that comes with starting a new business, it can be tempting to work all hours of the day and night to get things done. But if you don’t manage your time right, you’ll soon burn out.

Don’t overbook yourself. As you grow, consider the possibility of hiring an extra pair of hands. It may be hard to relinquish that little bit of control, but it means you’re on the right track to a bigger, more successful business.

Growing a business is hard work. But with some careful planning and business savvy, you’ll be able to get more clients and turn your one-man-band into a brand. It may be worth talking to an accountant if you haven’t already, just to make sure that you’re doing everything right tax-wise. Otherwise, set up your social media accounts and book in a few massage appointments, and you’re good to go!

Kayleigh Alexandra knows how tough it can be starting a small business for the first time — but also how rewarding it is too. To help fellow entrepreneurs on their journey to business success, she shares her knowledge and support on Micro Startups. For everything from marketing and design to business savvy and inspiring stories, find us on Twitter @getmicrostarted.

My Inspiration to Become a Massage Therapist

After high school, I was at a loss for what to do. I scored really high on my ACT test for literature. The community college counselor got all excited and said "that was MY major!". My thought was.... then what are you doing as a college counselor? Not that there's anything wrong with being a counselor, I just didn't see the connection to a literature degree. 

I didn't want to teach below college level, and I didn't want to go to school for the years needed to teach at the college level, and I didn't know there were many other options available for a possible English or Lit major. (Now I know otherwise, but at the time, I thought those were my only options.)  I despised math, and didn't feel particularly passionate about any other subjects in school.

I took a few community college classes after HS, which included a "career exploration" class. We took several personality tests and researched different careers that we might be interested in or that popped up as a good fit for our personalities.

I can't actually remember if massage therapist came up in my test results, but nurse definitely did and that kind of started me exploring similar paths. I was more interested in holistic health than nursing, and looked into acupuncture and massage. 

Acupuncture really intrigued me, but it was more schooling than I wanted to do and would have also involved relocating which I couldn't afford at the time. So I looked a little deeper into massage therapy. I interviewed a therapist and received my first massage. 

I don't actually remember it being anything amazing. Not because of the quality of the massage, but I think I was paying too much attention to everything to just enjoy it.


*Woo Warning*
If you're triggered into anger by mention of energy work or anything woo, skip over this next part. Side note: I'm not huge into woo, but I really hate how much energy therapists get harassed and bullied online these days by science-minded therapists who think they're superior. It's part of the industry, it always has been. Build a bridge and get over it.

Then I watched this therapist give a massage (with permission from her client). After only about 10 minutes into the session, I got very warm and felt like I was going to puke. I quietly slipped out of the room, and felt fine after a couple of minutes in the waiting area. I didn't go back into the treatment room, thinking I must be getting sick.

When the therapist came out at the end of the session, she asked why I had left the room. After I told her what happened, she explained that was the energy being released during the massage. Whaaaa??!

This is in the 90's, you guys. 

Talking about "energy" was not a common thing, and in fact I had never heard it discussed having come from a small farming community. I didn't know what to think of that. I found it fascinating and started to look further into massage therapy. You would think I would have gone down a more energetic path in my bodywork career, but it just really wasn't for me. My school was kind of heavy on the energetic aspect of massage, and maybe that's why I didn't get more into it as I felt my school left out a lot of science that I think would have made for a better balanced education. 

Anyway, that's where it all started - and here I am almost 20 years later still in the industry. I still have a private practice as well as working on Bodywork Buddy. There was certainly no such thing as online scheduling 20 years ago, and I'm so grateful for how much easier it has made running my practice!

What first got you interested in massage and bodywork? Do you remember receiving your first massage?

Cindy Slack is a licensed massage therapist who has had a private practice since 1999 and cofounder of Bodywork Buddy massage software.

My First Tui Na Massage

I took a trip to Chicago a few weeks ago. A friend (also a LMT) and I decided to try our first Tui Na massage from a business that touted "authentic Chinese massage".

They have many google reviews ranging all over the board, but the majority are positive. Most reviews rave about the reflexology, kind of bummed I didn't add that to my session! We both signed up for the Tui Na massage and having never tried before (and really not knowing anything about this technique), we weren't sure what to expect.

The business is a simple store front (not a spa). Personally, I've found some of the best massages are from small businesses rather than big chains or fancy spas.

My table was in a couple's massage "room" with 1 wall being a curtain to separate it from the hallway and other rooms. (All other rooms did have all walls.) The table was set really low and was the kind with the hole in the table for the face instead of a face cradle. Zero instructions were given from my therapist, so I just undressed and crawled under the sheet for draping.

My therapist started the session much like the below video - with rocking and compressions over the sheet. After that, she climbed onto the table and did compressions with her feet. Literally walking on my back. (I noticed after the session that there was some pvc piping on the ceiling for her to hold on to for support.)

Next, she undraped my back and used oil to do gliding strokes. I'm not sure if Tui Na is typically done directly on skin with oil, but this was their Signature Tui Na service, so maybe it was a blend of other techniques as well.

When she began working on my legs, it was as if the draping was in her way so she just pushed it off to the side. Completely off from me. I laid there completely exposed (prone) while she continued her work without missing a beat. If it'd been my first massage, I would have been completely freaked out, I think. But I just lay there thinking "well, this is different. I don't do it this way...". It is a different state (I need to do some further research to see if draping is a requirement in Illinois), and I'm sure there's also some cultural differences with Chinese massage.

But after the session was over and I talked with my friend, I discovered that she had left her underwear on for her session. When her therapist got to her legs, she just yanked my friend's underwear down to expose her glutes! Um, ok... that seems a bit more invasive and exposing than my therapist just pushing the draping off to the side.

Awwwk-waaaard.

I want to point out that I'm not massage-shaming this place. I just wanted to talk about the differences from what would be acceptable in my practice in my little Michigan town. As I mentioned, I don't know if state laws are different or if it's cultural differences, I just found it interesting. The massage was very effective, and while I wouldn't recommend it for newbies, I'm glad I got to experience it.

5 Ways to Relieve Anxiety in a Natural Manner

5 Ways to Relieve Anxiety in a Natural Manner

I think we can all agree that today’s fast-paced modern world is a tough place to live.

The incessant bombardment on our self esteem caused by our social media addictions, the fear generated by crisis-obsessed rolling news channels, tribal politics, global warming and overpopulation – basically the list of things that generate anxiety and stress is almost endless.

It’s enough to have you reaching for some industrial strength anxiety medication in order to calm your nerves. And many people do. Before you take that drastic step why not try instead these five ways to relieve anxiety in a natural manner first.

Do a digital detox

Smartphones and social media are two of the most important developments we’ve ever seen. Never before has the human race been so connected. The omnipresence of technology in our lives has seen a radical and profound shift in the way we interact with the world and each other.

The consequences of the technological revolution are still be fully understood but one thing is certain – we’ve become a society of tech addicts.

Our smartphones rarely leave our hands and we are hooked to the feeling likes and retweets give us, each one releases a tiny dose of dopamine into our bloodstream and it feels great. The downside of our technology addiction is like that of any other drug, we need more and more and when it’s taken away from us we get anxious.

Taking a step back from social media, and our smartphones in general, is a great way to see exactly what power they have over us. A digital detox of a week, or more, is a great way to reduce anxiety levels and to rediscover a little calm.

Laugh more

Laughter really is the best medicine.

Having a chuckle is an unbelievably potent and tragically overlooked tool when it comes to stress reduction. Whether it is sharing a great big belly laugh with your friends or putting on your favourite funny film and sniggering away for ninety minutes. The more we laugh the less anxious we are.

Researchers have even found that you can cheat the system. Simply remembering a funny memory, say that time your Aunt Mary’s hat caught on fire for instance, is enough to flood your body with a cocktail of stress reducing hormones.

Get a massage

When we are anxious it’s reflected in the health of our body. A hard week in the office will more often than not manifest itself in a sore back and tight shoulders. stretching exercises are a great way to help minimise this pent up anxiety. A relaxed hatha yoga class is the perfect combination of deep breathing and gentle stretching.

Another means to relieve this anxiety from your poor body in a natural manner is to get a massage. Have a well trained professional go to work on your problem areas and ease the stress away with their magic fingers. When it comes to stress relief a good masseuse is worth their body weight in gold. If you find a good one, treasure them.

Sleep more

We’ve always known that sleep is good for us but it’s only in the last decade that we’ve come to truly understand exactly how good for us sleep really is.

Sleep is now being referred to by many experts as not only the best natural performance enhancer available but also the best natural stress relief available. This is because when we sleep, our system is able to flush the body of cortisol, the so-called ‘stress hormone’.

Individuals who sleep badly, that’s less than seven hours a night, have been shown to have much higher levels of anxiety, stress and depression. Insomniacs have a far higher rate of suicide than their well-rested counterparts.

Knowing you should sleep more and actually being able to do so are two very different things entirely. For some tried and tested expert advice on how to improve your odds of a good night’s rest head on over to the Sleep Advisor blog. Thank me in the morning!

Exercise more

Alongside sleep, getting regular exercise is probably the best thing you can do to reduce anxiety levels naturally.

When we worry the body releases cortisol, this triggers a fight or flight response that was very useful in our caveman days. In today’s desk-based world fighting or fleeing are no longer usually an option, as a consequence raised cortisol levels remain in our system and cause a myriad of health problems, such as stress and anxiety – amongst many others.

When you go for a jog, shoot some hoops, dance the tango or simply run around the park with the kids, you are mimicking the fight or flight response and your body is able to burn off cortisol. That’s why you feel so relaxed after getting outside and getting a bit sweaty.

There you have it, five ways to reduce anxiety without a prescription in sight. Give them and whirl and here’s to many calmer and stress free days on the horizon.

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