Bodywork Buddy Member Spotlight: Brian Jones

Today's Bodywork Buddy member spotlight is Brian Jones of Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Brian owns Zenergy Therapeutics LLC.

Q: What inspired you to be a massage therapist? 

A: I grew up in a family of helpers. I always knew that I wanted to help others in life, but wasn't sure where I fit. My Mom and Grandma were incredible nurses. They were these powerhouse women that really made a difference in the world. My Grandpa, one of my Aunts, and one of my Uncles, are/were teachers. I marveled at how they inspired people, and passed important knowledge to others. Still, neither of those seemed a fit for me. Growing up I had always given my grandma foot rubs. I loved helping her feel her best. When I sat down and thought what brought me the most joy in life, those memories of helping her came flooding back, and it clicked. It's the perfect blend of the attributes I admired of everyone I care about, and I get to be a helper. It's my calling!

Q: How long have you been doing massage?

A: Not counting all those foot rubs, I've been a trained therapist since 2012.

Q: What is your favorite thing about being an MT?

A: The people. Being able to help my clients and create positive change in their lives, usually in an hour. Knowing that I make a difference. I get to help so many people from all walks of life, feel their best. Being a part of that, seeing every revitalized face after a treatment, there's nothing better than that. I can't think of a more rewarding career for me.

Q: What do you think is the most challenging issue for massage therapists? 

A: I can't speak for all of us because we're all so different, but for me personally, it's what to learn! There are so many different modalities, theories, and ways to be a therapist, it's almost impossible for me to decide what to learn first!

Q: What advice would you give to other MT's to help build their business?

A: Get out there! Don't be afraid to do events, to network, use what you know about your community to connect with the people. Do chair massage at a farmer's market or nearby salon. Go to sporting events or cross market with someone. Don't pass up opportunities to get your name to the many people waiting for you to fix them. 

How Do You Know Clients Have Opted in for SMS Reminders?

We've recently added a symbol within the client file under the phone number to show if your client has opted in for SMS reminders.

The little mobile phone icon will show when the number has been verified as a mobile number within our system, and then the spiral icon will show when the client has successfully opted in to receive text reminders.

Did you know?

1. Texting is the most widely-used and frequently used app on a smartphone, with 97% of Americans using it at least once a day. (Pew Internet)
2. Text messages have a 98% open rate, while email has only a 20% open rate. (Mobile Marketing Watch)
3. 90% of all text messages are read in under 3 minutes. (Connect Mogul)
4. 96% of smartphone users text. (Acision)

5 Ways to Optimize Your Calendar

Within Bodywork Buddy, there's a few things you can do to make your life easier with your online calendar.

• Icons *NEW FEATURE*
  The most recent addition is the feature of assigning an icon to specific services, so you can see at-a-glance what services you have scheduled.
  
  From dashboard > services > main > click on the service/service code > select icon > save.
  
  These icons will then show in the calendar in the confirmed appointments. (The day view always shows the service type in text, as well.)

• Optimized Timeslots Feature
  Within BWB, you can choose to optimize your open timeslots. This means that clients scheduling online will only see openings you have immediately before or after existing appointments in your calendar. This feature cuts down on big gaps in your day, and helps you have more control over your schedule.
  
  
• Set Buffer Times
  
  In your settings, you can adjust a default buffer time to be added between appointments automatically. Need only 15 minutes between appointments, or prefer 45 minutes? Adjust your settings accordingly and the online scheduler will automatically reflect that in your openings online. (You can always override these settings when scheduling clients yourself, if you choose to.)
  
• Add Extra Buffer Time into Certain Services
  
  Want 30 minutes between appointments, but an hour in between when it's a hot stone massage? You can add that extra time into the service of hot stones itself, so that time is automatically built into the calendar when that service is scheduled.
  
  
  
• Check/Uncheck Different Calendars
  
  In the upper right of the calendar, there is a gear icon. When you click on the gear, you can check or uncheck what calendars you want to show or be hidden. (Please note if you have an event or appointment that is "busy", that time will not show as available for an appointment even if you have it "hidden" on your calendar.)
  This feature can be a nice way to focus on just your work calendar at one time, or to hide the cancelled or missed appointments, or maybe show JUST your missed appointments to get a better feel for how much this is happening! (You can also run a report for that if you're really looking for the numbers.)
  

How Do You Know If Your Client Got Their Email Reminder?

Bodywork Buddy has always had an email log so you can see when your clients received/opened their reminder emails. (Accessible from dashboard > account > email services > scroll down to email log.) Last I knew, no other online scheduling service offered this.

While it's a handy feature, we've had some members request a quicker, more "at-a-glance" way to see if clients haven't received or opened their email reminders. So we've implemented a new envelope icon in the calendar next to the client's name. An envelope outlined in white shows that the reminder has been sent, and the envelope will turn to solid white once it's been opened by your client. Pretty cool, right? Our members have been enjoying this feature for a few weeks now and the feedback has been pretty great.

Other ways to cut down on no-shows in your massage practice:

• Send text reminders.
  Easy to do within BWB. Enable SMS services, have clients opt-in by texting the word "START" to 269-509-4288, make sure client's mobile number is on file.
  
  
• Have a cancellation / no-show policy and make sure clients know about it.
  You can have your policies show within your email reminders, and you can also choose to have clients agree to your policies when they schedule online from your microsite.
  
  
• Train clients from the beginning that you might not be able to get them back on the schedule immediately if they miss or cancel their appointment. You might be surprised how clients will be able to make it work once they realize they won't be able to get back in for several weeks. I discovered this by accident when I was so busy that I really was booked out for a month in advance. Clients started saying that they didn't dare cancel, because they knew they wouldn't be able to get in until next month.
  
  Even if you're not booked out for weeks in advance, you can show less openings in your schedule using Bodywork Buddy's "optimized time slots" feature. It only shows openings immediately before or after existing appointments, not only cutting down on large gaps in your day - but also creating a scarcity of available appointment times.

Do you have some useful tips to help cut down on cancellations and no-shows? Share here in the comments, I'd love to hear what has worked for you! 

2016 Massage Therapy Resource Bundle *ONLY 2 DAYS LEFT*

I'm excited to tell you about this great resource bundle that I've had the pleasure of being a part of! There's only two days left to get the 2016 Massage Resource Bundle.

It’s a small investment that will deliver tremendous value and new ideas to help you advance in your massage career. I don't want you to miss out.

Right now you can get over $800 worth of CEU classes, business classes, Ebooks and bonus offers for only $39.95. I think you’ll agree that is one amazing bundle!

I love that this kind of support is available now. When I started doing massage, there was little to no online support. New and seasoned therapists alike were left just floundering on our own.

Included in this bundle is my own ebook on growing your massage business with referrals, as well as a discount when joining Bodywork Buddy for your online scheduling and business management needs. (Plus LOTS of other great courses, ebooks, and bonuses from leaders in the massage profession!)

Check out just a few highlights included in the bundle:

Ok so... the countdown is on - jump on this now!

4 Ways to Make Your Policies More Effective

Sure, we all know that boundaries are important in a massage practice and that having policies will help cut down on no-shows and make your business run smoother. 

But how do you make sure that your clients are aware of your policies? Many intake forms have some fine print at the bottom that they are agreeing to when they sign, but does anyone actually read that?

Here's a few things you can do to ensure that clients are aware of your policies - thus making it easier to enforce them:

• Have them printed, framed, and displayed in the client changing area in your massage room and check out area.
• Have them posted on your website.
• Occasionally include them in your email newsletter as a reminder.

And Bodywork Buddy just added a new feature that can help. You can have the option to require clients agree to your policies when they schedule online!

From within your BWB account, you can add a general service policy, a reservation policy, a cancellation policy, and a payment policy. You can choose to have any or all required for clients to agree to when scheduling.

Here's what it looks like in action:

Pretty cool, right? Clients can't claim ignorance to your policies.

I've posted this helpful video from Marie Forleo before, but it fits so well with today's topic that I thought it was worthy of a repost.

Cindy Iwlew, LMT is co-founder of Bodywork Buddy Massage Software, a complete online management solution for independent massage therapists that includes online scheduling. 

She continues to operate her own private massage practice since 1999.  www.BodyworkBuddy.com

Bodywork Buddy Member Spotlight: Melanie Hampton

Being an animal lover, I'm thrilled to announce today's Bodywork Buddy member spotlight is Melanie Hampton in Raleigh, North Carolina. Melanie owns Serenity Pet Massage.

Q: What inspired you to be a massage therapist?

A: I am a Certified Canine and Equine Massage Therapist. I’ve known since I was 12 years old that I wanted to work with animals. I went to college upon graduation from high school and got my degree in Veterinary Medical Technology and spent 30+ years as a Registered Veterinary Technician. It was my battle with cancer and the benefits I received from massage therapy sessions throughout my treatment that got me looking into certification as an animal massage therapist so I could bring those same benefits to our 4 legged companions.

Q: How long have you been doing massage?

A: I’ve been a Canine Massage Therapist for 3 years and an Equine Massage Therapist for 1 year.

Q: What is your favorite thing about being an MT?

A: Giving pet parent’s options for managing pain. I’ve also had great success using massage for unwanted behavior issues.

Q: What do you feel is the most challenging issue for massage therapists?

A: My biggest challenge has been convincing people that massage therapy is not just a luxury and it can help make a difference for their animals. It has so many emotional and physical benefits.

Q: What advice would you give to other MT’s to help build their business?

A: If you’re considering becoming an animal therapist, look into the laws established by your Veterinary Medical Board specific for your state. Some states require you to be a Veterinarian to perform massage on an animal! I attend as many “pet-friendly” events that I can so I can actually meet people and speak with them personally. It’s been the most successful thing I’ve done to build my business.