Hi! Welcome to the massage therapist forum at The Bodywork Project! I have created this page so that massage therapists can come together to chat, share ideas, and discuss topics. Comments are open for discussion. All I ask is that we remain civil and be kind to one another. With that being said, the sky is the limit! So let’s get rolling!

Venturing Out On Your Own

In a nutshell, I tried to start my own business right out of massage school. Without proper marketing, advertising, a location, and equipment, that really didn’t work out too well for me. Eventually, I moved and started all over again. This time I tried using my home as my location. I was not very comfortable with that. Especially when you get the occasional weirdo who now knows where you live. Third times a charm, I now have a location, and a plethora of clients. Please note, it took me years to get where I am today. No business will be successful overnight. You need to put in the time and money to get yourself out there and attract the right clients. It might take a bit, but it’s all worth it in the end. I am here to offer coaching or advice to anyone who would need it.

Getting Your Name Out There

It’s easy, yet time-consuming, to print up a bunch of fliers and go hang them all over town. I know. I have been there. I have also left business cards all over as well. I can not say I did’t get any clients from this tactic. I probably had a handful of calls, but none of them were the right clients for me. If you’re looking for anyone, that’s who you will get. I did run an ad in the newspaper once and that got me whopping one phone call, which I am glad about, because those 2 clients are still with me today and send me many referrals. I’m not saying that these are bad ways to advertise. You might not get the right clientele doing so that way though. My best advertising outcomes were from social media (which I was totally against at one time) and word of mouth from my existing clients. I started running paid ads on social media. That way you can target the audience that you want to see your ad. For example, you can set it up to only show your ad to women who are ages 18-80 or something of that nature. Just to be clear, I did not take any type of marketing classes throughout my career. All of my experiences are through trial and error. If you have any questions or would like to tell us about your experiences, please leave a comment below.

Do Not Let Clients Walk All Over You

You need to have and follow a cancellation policy, unless you like being taken advantage of. I have had clients call me minutes before their appointment to cancel. That’s just wrong. What you can do is have your policy in place when you have new clients come in. They need to sign it and if you feel the need, go over it with them for clarification. That way, if someone does cancel or no show they already know that they’ve signed the policy and they will be charged for the appointment. Or however you decide to set up your policy. Most of my clients offer to pay for canceled appointments and I always respectfully decline the payment. I believe that you also have to have some sort of understanding. Things happen and there’s not much you can do about it. That choice would be up to you in the end. If it’s a regular thing and they cancel or no show all the time. Then heck yes charge them! Anyway, if you have any questions or comments about this topic please feel free to leave a comment.

Services and Rates

I personally don’t think it’s necessary to offer every modality under the sun. Again, just my opinion. Unless of course you have a big place with a lot of therapists working for you that all know different techniques. Having an overbearing menu is exactly that. People will look at your menu and think, what is all of this? Keeping it simple and to the point is what people like to see. I have offered services that would get one sale a year. Those come off the menu. If it’s not fresh in my mind year-round, it’s not worth sitting or standing there with a cheat sheet trying to pretend I know what I’m doing. As for Rates, charge what you’re worth. Not what every other massage therapist in town is charging. If your existing clients don’t like your prices, then they can go find a mediocre therapist who charges what they want. As for you, you’ll get those clients who know and feel your worth and will have no problem paying your rates. Once again, this is just my opinion. If you have any questions or concerns, please leave a comment below.

Newbies

If you are new to the industry and just starting out, feel free to reach out with any questions you have. It would be my pleasure to lend a helping hand and get you going in the right direction. One thing I did do when starting out, was worked for other people. That way you still have money coming in while building up your own clientele. I worked in a couple different spas and each one was a learning experience. That is always something to keep in mind. Good luck on your massage journey!

Closing Thoughts

Thank you all so much for stopping by today. I hope you enjoyed your visit and I’ll see you next time.

If you’d like to leave a comment on any of the content covered or if there is anything you would like to see discussed in the future please let me know.

Have a wonderful day!