Money, Marketing and Soul for Massagepreneurs
Archive for December, 2011
Massage Helps With Stress Reduction
Dec 30th
There are many benefits of massage such as: increases blood flow, flexibility, range of motion, and body awareness. It also aids in injury prevention and stress reduction.
The stress-relieving effects of getting a massage can result in decreased anxiety, enhanced sleep quality, greater energy, improved concentration, improved circulation and reduced fatigue.
We are all under stress these days, don’t we owe it to ourselves to get a massage?
Want to use this video on your own website or Facebook Page?
Just click on the YouTube link in the lower right-hand corner. It will take you directly to this video on YouTube. Click on “Share”. “Click on “Embed”. Click on the size video that you want on your website and grab the embed code. Need more help? Check out my video tutorial How to Upload Video to Facebook and Your Website.
Have a comment you want to add, leave it below.
Massage Aids in Muscle Injury and Prevention
Dec 29th
Many muscle injuries occur only after the muscle has been suffering from tension for weeks or maybe months. Massage can help…
Want to use this video on your own website or Facebook Page?
Just click on the YouTube link in the lower right-hand corner. It will take you directly to this video on YouTube. Click on “Share”. “Click on “Embed”. Click on the size video that you want on your website and grab the embed code. Need more help? Check out my video tutorial How to Upload Video to Facebook and Your Website.
Have a comment you want to add, leave it below.
Get rid of the junk
Dec 28th
As a Feng Shui practitioner (not practicing anymore), I hate clutter. Clutter creates confusion. We have clutter in all areas of our life from people, stuff we donʼt use any more, emails that are piled up in our inbox, to newsletters that donʼt serve us anymore.
1. Emails. Cyber clutter is just as bad as physical clutter. I cleared out all of the emails that I no longer need or that I have already read and answered.
Do you keep all of your emails? If you havenʼt read them by now, chances are youʼre not going to. My recommendation: file them only if you think they are important (hopefully past emails of this newsletter make the list ;0) and let go of the rest. Hit the delete button. If you delete something from someone who needed a response, chances are they will be back in touch.
2. Newsletter Lists. I unsubscribed to several email newsletters that no longer serve me. Either I just wanted to have their free report or they are sending me too many emails. I think once a week is usually plenty and perhaps the odd extra email with time sensitive material or a holiday message or something that is of a time-sentitive nature.
3. Belongings. Although Iʼm in Costa Rica for almost 3 months, I have still managed to collect a little bit of clutter (i.e. papers). However, when I get home, I will go through my closets and get rid of clothing that I not longer wear or doesnʼt fit, as well as anything else that I no longer use or love.
4. Social Media. I had to unfriend/unfollow a few people on Facebook and Twitter because I donʼt want to be subject to the kind of posts and negativity. You are as successful as the people you hang around.
Clearing this confusion will brings clarity as well as good things into you life. Now take some time to create space, but first get rid of the junk.
“If I Could Start Over” by Jess Weagle
Dec 27th
Guest Post by Jess Weagle of Deep Relief Massage Therapy.
If I started my massage therapy business over, what I would do differently…Sometimes I think back to the days as a new therapist and I shutter at the thought at the things I have done and said to clients and employers.
When I first got out of school in 2001 I was all gun ho about working for a chiropractor, working in a spa was beneath the skills I had learned in massage school. I was a very ego driven 21 year old when I got out of school.
I was never able to even get an interview at a chiropractors office so I was forced to apply to all my area spas. And I will never forget this interview.
So my potential employer and I are sitting chatting about the job and she asks what’s your ideal work environment? And without even thinking about the words that where about to come out of my mouth I said
“Working in a chiropractors office is my ideal place a spa is not my first choice”
Need less to say I didn’t get that job. And lesson learned never tell a potential employer that there are not your first choice.
This is a funny story about how I did not know how to make up a table when I got out of school. While I was in school my only real experience with making up the table was during hands on class. So for those of you who don’t know in massage school hands on is done in one big class room and you put the bottom sheet on the table and you get undress and wrap the top sheet around you like a toga. Than you get on the table with the sheet wrapped around you.
Well this was the way I have been taught for 12 months. I had no clue that you where so post to put the top sheet on the table.
Fast forward to getting out in the working world. I laugh at the thought that I would have my clients get undressed in the bathroom walk out in public with the sheet wrapped around them and them get on the table in the massage room. Know wonder clients looked at me funny & no wonder a lot never came back. And no one ever question why I was having clients undress in the bathroom.
Than one day I had a client name Ruth come in, God bless her soul, she question me ! Ruth says in a nice way, “Why the heck are you having me undress in the bathroom?”
And I said “Because that is what I had always done in school”
And Ruth fires back ” This is the real world Honey that is not how you get a client on the table”
Then Ruth shows me how to make up a table the proper way.
My first of many lessons learned by one of my clients.
And my last big mistake was not opening my own place sooner. I work for other people from 2001 – 2009 and those where very unhappy working years for me. One of the biggest reason I wanted to be a massage therapist was so I could be my own boss and somehow I got stuck in this rut that I needed to work for other people. When I was working for other people I didn’t feel like I couldn’t be the type of therapist I knew I wanted to be. I always felt like I was being held back. And it wasn’t until I had a huge falling out with a former employer that I finally had the courage to open my own place. That falling out was the best thing that could have happened to me.
Jess Weagle has been a massage therapist since 2001 and she owns her own private practice Deep Relief Massage Therapy located in West Boylston, MA. She also helps teach solo massage therapists grow their practice on limited funds over at Solo Massage Therapist Business Guide
Related Posts
“If I Could Start Over” by Linda Roisum
“If I Could Start Over” by Susan Epperly
“If I Could Start Over” by Bobbi Payne
Facial Massage Demo
Dec 26th
I know from experience that sometimes we get in a rut doing massage after massage. Sometimes it is nice to see what others are doing to give us ideas. I created this facial massage demo with just that in mind. Take a look and let me know what you think.
Here’s what people are saying about this video
Nice job!! –Jim Finch
Want to use this video on your own website or Facebook Page?
Just click on the YouTube link in the lower right-hand corner. It will take you directly to this video on YouTube. Click on “Share”. “Click on “Embed”. Click on the size video that you want on your website and grab the embed code. Need more help? Check out my video tutorial How to Upload Video to Facebook and Your Website.
Have a comment you want to add, leave it below.
Herbology Wrap Demonstration
Dec 23rd
How often do you add something new to your massage practice’s menu of services? Whether it’s a new service (i.e. spa treatment) or new modality, it’s always a great idea to keep your services fresh. I recommend adding a new service every quarter. Check out this demo of the Herbology Wrap to see if it is something you want to add to your massage practice.
Want to use this video on your own website or Facebook Page?
Just click on the YouTube link in the lower right-hand corner. It will take you directly to this video on YouTube. Click on “Share”. “Click on “Embed”. Click on the size video that you want on your website and grab the embed code. Need more help? Check out my video tutorial How to Upload Video to Facebook and Your Website.
Have a comment you want to add, leave it below.
Draping for Abdominal Massage
Dec 22nd
Do you have clients who are too timid to have their abdominals massage because they aren’t sure what to expect? Check out this video and then post it to your website or Facebook page.
Want to use this video on your own website or Facebook Page?
Just click on the YouTube link in the lower right-hand corner. It will take you directly to this video on YouTube. Click on “Share”. “Click on “Embed”. Click on the size video that you want on your website and grab the embed code. Need more help? Check out my video tutorial How to Upload Video to Facebook and Your Website.
Have a comment you want to add, leave it below.
All About Affiliate Programs
Dec 21st
Do you have a website or newsletter? If you do, you probably talk about books you like or services you love. Did you know that you can often make money by making these recommendations? Many companies have affiliate programs. Affiliate programs give you an opportunity to make a percentage of sales you generate from those organizations.
Some internet marketers make millions off affiliate programs. That’s not what I’m talking about here. I believe that affiliate programs should only be utilized when you really love a product or service. Not just to generate cash. I NEVER recommend a product unless I love it. My reputation is at stake! But I do think that if you are going to recommend something anyway, and you can make a few bucks, then it’s an honest way to bring in some extra money. Here are a few simple steps to help you develop an affiliate plan.
1. Look at what you are recommending. Do you recommend a lot of books on your blogs, Facebook pages or website? If so, you may want to check-out an online bookstore’s affiliate program. Or maybe you like a company’s website design team. Look at your website-are there links up? Maybe some of those companies offer affiliate programs. Review your blog, what do you find yourself recommending regularly? Make a list of companies that you want to focus on.
2. Once you have your list, go to your chosen companies’ websites and see if they offer an affiliate program. You can often find the link at the bottom of the webpage where there are links such as About Us, etc. If they company does offer an affiliate program, sign-up. It should be free. If it’s not, you might want to skip that organization. Be sure to make a list of companies that you become affiliated with.
3. Once you are accepted as an affiliate, explore the affiliate area of the website. Most good affiliate programs have lots of marketing tools, including easy HTML codes you can copy and put on your website, blog, Facebook page, etc.
4. Market your affiliation. When you recommend a book (or a product), be sure to use the affiliate link. You may want to have a link in your sidebar of your website to some of your favorites stores. Just remember, you aren’t an Internet marketer, so don’t overload your website (or blog) with ads. You will lose clients (or readers). Your ultimate focus is to market your massage. Use your affiliations to supplement that income, not replace it.
5. Develop a way to track your affiliations. I use a spreadsheet. I list all the affiliate programs I’m signed-up with and I track my income from them. The companies you work with generally have some sort of tracking tools on their website that allow you to easily see what you are earning. Make sure you are getting paid for your referrals. If a company isn’t paying you when they make a sale from a referral, it tells you that they have questionable business practices and you may need to rethink recommending their services.
Action step: This week, after exploring the various affiliate programs, Iʼd like to you apply for one affiliate program and grab some code of the product you like to recommend and add it to you website or blog.
Here are some ideas to get you started: (1) amazon associates (2) Click Bank
These are just a few tips for adding a new revenue source into your marketing plan through affiliate programs. Did I miss anything? Please share in the comments.
Note: At the end of 2009, FTC adopted endorsed guidelines for bloggers, you can read them here. You may want to add a blanket statement to your website/blog, like this one.
“If I Could Start Over” by Gary Blackden
Dec 20th
Guest Post by Gary Blackden of GTS Therapeutics
I began my massage adventure early in ‘massage as a career’ timeline. Alternative medicine wasn’t as common as it is today, and early on I often found myself explaining benefits of massage to someone who was looking at me like I had three heads. If I had it to do over again, much of what I would do differently has to do with planning and long term career growth.
1. I would develop a strong network of peers right out of the gate. Part of finding satisfaction on a career path is having others around you, who are on a similar path. I was in the field for several years before I met my massage therapist wife and we started our first private practice in Northern Virginia. We surrounded ourselves with other bodywork professionals, and have kept in touch with them over the years as well. We were all able to share experiences with clients, new developments in the area and industry, insights about classes we took, as well as ideas for professional development. Social media helps to make this type of interaction and exchange available to even the new kids on the block. Through social media, in addition to camaraderie, we are able to see how others are really moving our profession into growth and development. Interacting about marketing, business skills and creative approaches to old issues in our field is truly one of the most amazing aspects to social media.
2. Approaching my plan for professional development would be another key I would like to have started earlier. After leaving massage school, there are so many options for continuing education. If I could start over, I would make a plan for the specific classes I wanted to incorporate into my developing skill set. I took some classes that were not as applicable to the market I best serve, and have worked with for years now. Had I laid out my plan for the market or issues that I wanted to address thoroughly, I could have applied my time and money to additional classes that would give me tools to help that population sooner.
3. Last, but not least, I would have found a business mentor sooner. Filling my business toolbox, with assistance from a successful business owner, not necessarily in massage therapy, would have saved me time and money in the beginning. It is important to understand how to run a massage business. There are many important industry specific pitfalls, particularly in marketing, but many skills necessary to run a successful and profitable business cross industry lines. When you understand how to start and run a profitable and sustainable business, that skill set can be applied across many different industries.
Gary Blackden and his wife have started and sold three businesses, including two multi-therapist massage practices. He has been in the massage field since 1995, serving individuals in chronic pain and those who wish to enhance their athletic performance. Gary can be found on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, chatting it up.
Related Posts
“If I Could Start Over” by Linda Roisum
“If I Could Start Over” by Allissa Haines
“If I Could Start Over” by Meagan Holub
How to Give a Neck Massage
Dec 19th
Here’s what people are saying about this video
Do you mind if we share this is such a good video ??!!! –Cindy Bridges, LMT
Want to use this video on your own website or Facebook Page?
Just click on the YouTube link in the lower right-hand corner. It will take you directly to this video on YouTube. Click on “Share”. “Click on “Embed”. Click on the size video that you want on your website and grab the embed code. Need more help? Check out my video tutorial How to Upload Video to Facebook and Your Website.
Have a comment you want to add, leave it below.
