A massage therapist enhances a
person’s health and well-being by manually manipulating their soft body
tissues. People go to massage therapists to reduce stress and anxiety, to relax
their muscles and to rehabilitate any injured muscles or areas of their body.
You may be a practicing massage therapist who
is ready to branch out on your own or you may be new to the profession and
looking to start your own business. Though starting your own business as a
massage therapist can be a big step, many massage therapists work for
themselves, as it allows you to have a flexible work schedule and to maximize
your profits.
Getting the Necessary Certifications
and Licenses
Complete your massage therapy
certification. Before you can start a massage therapy business, you will need
to complete massage therapy training and receive a certification as proof you
have completed the necessary courses.
A certification in massage therapy
practice is considered an entry level qualification in the massage industry.
You can receive certification through the
National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB).
There are many different types of
massage therapy you can focus on and specialize in, such as remedial massage
therapy or sports massage therapy. Though you may decide to specialize, you
should be certified in extensive training on the essential techniques of
massage, and have practicum hours at a clinic to get hands on experience.
Most states in the U.S. Wyoming
Apply for a business license. You
should check with your local state laws on business registration to determine
if you need a business license. Some states require you to obtain a business
license if you sell massage therapy products in addition to massage therapy
services.
As a certified practitioner, you may also be
required to obtain an “Art of Healing” license. You can find more information
on business licenses by talking to the State Department of Revenue and Consumer
Affairs, the county clerk, city hall, or the regulatory agency for massage
therapy in your state or province.
Reach out to your local small
business association for more detailed information on the licensing laws
required in your state or area, as they can often tell you exactly what is
required for your type of business.
The Associated Bodywork Massage
Professionals (ABMP) gives its members access to information about the
licensing requirements by state.
Join a massage therapy association.
Massage therapy associations are a good way to network with other therapist and
business owners. They also often offer benefits for their members like business
advice, information on certification and licensing, and other opportunities.
Some associations require members to pay to join, like the Associated Bodywork
Massage Professionals (AMBP), and others have no membership fees.
A list of massage therapy
associations in the U.S.
Get liability insurance. As the
owner of a massage therapy business, you will be responsible for covering any
liabilities from your clients. You will be working intensely and intimately
with your clients so it is important that you protect yourself in the event you
are sued by a client or have to claim damages or issues on your insurance.
Getting liability insurance ensures you are protected and can afford to fight
off a suit in court.]
As well, as a self-employed
individual, you will need to provide your own health insurance coverage. You
may also want to invest in disability insurance, which will protect you in the
event you are injured and cannot work.
Creating a Business Plan
Choose your business name. Once you
have sorted out the necessary certification and licensing, you will need to
determine your business name. Your business name will act as branding, as it
will be printed on your business cards and it will be clearly stated on your
website and your social media accounts. Come up with at least two to three
options for business names in the event one name is already taken by an
existing business.
]
You may want to use your given name
as your business name, given it is an uncommon or unique name. It’s likely the
name “Massage by Carol Lumbort” will not be taken if you live in a small town
or area, but a name like “Massage by Carol” could already be taken.
Try to choose a business name that
is unique to you but also easy to remember and read. You may decide to focus on
a theme or idea that relates to massage therapy, such as “relaxation” “calming”
“rehabilitation” or “releasing”. To avoid overlapping with an existing business
name, you may want to then personalize this theme so it is singular to you. For
example, “Relaxation with Carol Lumbort” or “Lumbort’s Calming Massage”.
You can confirm if your business
name idea has already been trademarked by searching the United States
Decide if you are going to work from
home or from an office. Many massage therapists work from their home and do
home visits when servicing their clients. However, you may decide that you want
to establish a separate office space where you can serve clients on site.
Working from home means you will
have less start up costs and very little overhead costs, as the majority of the
profit will be going to you, not your rent or building maintenance. However,
you will need to do many jobs at once, from booking clients to stocking
supplies to bringing your massage therapy supplies to and from your clients’
homes. You will likely need to also establish a home office in a spare room to
keep your business documents organized.
Renting or leasing a space will
require more overhead costs and start-up costs. However, it would also allow
you to service more clients at once and possibly turn a larger profit than just
working on your own. You may decide to take on a business partner so you can
combine your client list or hire other therapists to work in the location.
Outline your start-up expenses. Your
business plan should have enough capital or start-up funds to cover several
major expenses.
]
Occupancy expenses: If you are
renting or leasing a space, you will need to budget for your monthly rent and
building maintenance costs. You will also need to consider other bills like a
phone line, an internet connection, electricity, and heating. If you are using
a home office, you may still need to budget for a separate phone line for your
business.
Operating expenses: These are
expenses that are required during the day to day operation of your business.
You may have operating expenses in the form of a web designer or graphic
designer you hire for marketing, an accountant to file your taxes, or a massage
therapist professional on contract to help you with your new practice. You may
also have operating expenses in the form of materials, such as a ledger for
your finances and massage therapy materials like lotions, creams, towels,
blankets, and other massage supplies. You should list every possible operations
item you can think of, even if it does not come into play later, to ensure you
can cover everything in your budget.
One-time expenses: These are
considered “capital” expenses, which you only buy once as an investment in your
business. If you have an office space, this may be furniture for the reception
area and the massage room, or a computer for booking clients. If you work from
home, you may decide to invest in electronic equipment that you will use
primarily for your business. You will also need to invest in massage chairs for
your office space or a portable massage chair you carry with you to your
clients’ homes.
Marketing expenses: This could be
the web designer fee for your business website, the graphic designer fee for
designing your brochures and business cards, or other advertising that you
invest in to generate business. Marketing is an essential tool for building
your clientele and staying profitable as a small business.
Apply for a business loan, if
necessary. Once you have drawn up your business plan and considered all of your
expenses, you should have a good sense of the start-up capital you require to
get your business off the ground. You may then use this as a baseline against
your own funds, the funds of an investor, or to apply for a small business loan
from your bank.
Many banks will require a business
plan and other financial documents to consider you for a business loan. If you
do not qualify for a business loan from your bank, you may want to apply at
other banks.
You may also want to consider
talking to investors who may be interested in investing in your business. Use
your business plan to convince them that your business is viable and a
worthwhile investment for them.
Create a website for your business.
Many massage therapists use their website as a way to communicate with clients,
book clients, and retain new clientele. The website does not have to be fancy
or state of the art. Instead, go for a basic website that showcases your
business name, your certifications, the services you offer, and your unique
approach to massage therapy.
You can hire a web designer to
create your website for you, or create your own website using a basic website
design program like Wordpress.com or Squarespace.com.
You can then link your website to
other social media accounts like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Your
business should also have a Google Plus page with accurate information that
appears when your business is googled by clients.
Hand out flyers in your community.
Though it may seem old-fashioned to hand out flyers, targeting your community
with old-fashioned marketing can be beneficial. Go around to local coffee shops
and community centers and ask if you can post flyers about your new massage
therapist business. This will help you develop business in your area and lead
to word of mouth marketing.
Register your business with health
funds in your country. Some of your clients may want to claim their massage
with their company’s health fund or the government health fund so they can
receive a rebate.
You will need to make this option
available to your clients by contacting each health fund and filling out an application
form. You will then receive a provider number that you can use on your clients’
rebates to allow them to claim their massages.
Offering this option to your clients
will likely make your business seem more appealing to clients and keep them
coming back to you for your services.
Reward referrals from existing
clients. To encourage your clients to continue to use your services, you can
start a rewards program where your clients get discounts or bonus treatments
once they have booked you a certain number of times or spent a certain amount
of money. You can also set up a referrals program where clients are rewarded if
they refer a friend to your business.
Using rewards programs can be a
simple and direct way to retain your clients and to attract new clients.
However, you should not lean too heavily on these programs, as your massage
therapy services should be strong enough to justify return visits from your
clients.
The area where you live will
determine what is available to you, do a Google search on local options. Be
aware that licensed massage therapists have to have so many hours of continuing
education in massage to renew their licensing, so if you are just looking to
learn massage without the goal of doing massage therapy for profit, there will be
shorter programs, such as community education.
