Massage Marketing Mentor

Well, the Summer has certainly come and gone.  Happy Fall to you and yours! I hope you were able to enjoy some wonderful time with your friends & family over the Summer, and that your massage business continued to grow as well. I know it’s hard work and can be overwhelming at times, but keep pushing forward and success will be yours!

This Summer flew by for me like never before.  We’ve been working so hard here at my massage studio in Seattle and all is very, VERY good! Emails have been continuously pouring in from so many of you wondering how the health challenge I’ve been promoting has been going. All I can say is my cup runneth over!

My Life is Forever Changed

If you’re new to my blog and training, you may not know, but earlier this year I incorporated the #1 health challenge based around healthy nutrition into my massage practice and it has been a complete blessing for my clients to improve on their health from the inside, out. As well as for my own health!  In addition, it has completely changed the direction of where my practice is going. We have gained so much credibility and notoriety in the Seattle area that we actually have airtime lined up on the radio for the next few weeks and we’re currently working on getting television news coverage as well.

This has completely changed my life! Over the last few months I’ve been able to help dozens of people with their health and in turn I am now generating a very generous additional income into my life as well. This is going to allow me to take vacations next year and start saving for my future, something I haven’t been able to do up until now.

I am working very closely with many different healthcare providers and small business owners.  Chiropractors, massage therapists, nutritionists, naturopaths, personal trainers and average people who are passionate about helping people are sharing this program with their clients, friends & family from the bottom of their hearts to help change the health of our nation, from the inside out.

What does this mean for you? Well many of you know I closed my doors on being able to offer personal coaching sessions last Spring as I just got too busy with running my practice and promoting the health challenge. Well, the last 90 days of the year are upon us and I want nothing more than to help you hit that homerun with your health, finances or both.

So here’s the deal, I am offering FREE PRIVATE COACHING sessions for a few select individuals who want to take control of their health.  There are 2 separate packages I am offering to you and my coaching services come included FOR FREE!  All I ask of you in return is to get started on the challenge!

Package #1:  Start the challenge to get fit, healthy or lose weight

• Personally get started on the 90 day health challenge to improve your health and own personal wellness.
• FREE 30 minute private coaching session with me via Skype or Phone to help you grow your massage practice
  
• Get your products for free by inviting 3 friends or family members to join you on the challenge

Package #2: Start the challenge to get fit, healthy or lose weight AND become a promoter in your community to help more people and earn income

• Personally get started on the 90 day health challenge to improve your health and own personal wellness
• FREE 60 minute private coaching session with me via Skype or Phone to help you grow your massage practice
• Get your products for free by inviting 3 friends or family members to join you on the challenge
• Also, become a promoter (like me and so many other healthcare providers) by sharing our message of life, health and prosperity. This will earn you an additional income and help your practice grow in your community
• Ongoing team training, support and mentorship to help you grow your business indefinitely
• Free ticket to National Success Training in Atlanta, GA 10/21-10/23 PLUS $100 travel voucher

Because I am offering up so much of my time I only have 5 spots available for each option (10 total). The deadline to take advantage of either option 1 or 2 is, Wednesday 9/28 at midnight PST.

My Reason Why

Many of you might ask, why am I so passionate about this program when I am a massage therapist? Well, I’ve been a massage therapist long enough to see what poor nutrition and lifestyle does to people. Not only that, but as an American, I can see with my own eyes what is happening to the citizens of our country because of our poor eating habits. My own grandfather passed away at the young age of 66 from a massive heart attack when I was just 11 years old. Our country is facing a serious health crisis and if we don’t get this under control,  we are going to begin seeing our children die before we do.  These are the facts! You probably have a few people in your own life that you love more than anything in this world and you want them to be around for a long time. Obesity is the fastest growing disease in the country. In fact, it just surpassed cancer to be the #1 killer. The worst part about this is the we are doing this to ourselves! We are choosing to eat foods that damage our bodies and in turn take years off of our life. This has to stop!

This is a Movement!

Since I began promoting this health challenge I have seen millions of pounds lost, people getting off diabetes medication, cholesterol medication, high blood pressure medication and so on. There is a reason leading healthcare providers and fitness professionals are standing behind these products, this program and choosing the be a part of a massive movement.  These products work, they are safe, they are the highest quality on the market at the least amount of money and they are saving people’s lives. I am grateful and honored to be a part of this and I want nothing more than to spread this amazing message!

So what do you say? Are you up for the challenge?

First things first, fill out the form below and I will get in contact with you within 48 hours. We will discuss your questions and figure out which option is best for you. There is no obligation to do anything, this is simply an application to learn more about the health challenge and what it can do for you and your life!

Click Here to Complete Questionnaire Form

This amazing company, ViSalus is backed by a $1.6 BILLION publically traded company, has seen 3000% growth in the last 18 months and has lost nearly 10 million pounds. It truly is a movement in the health industry!

I can bet money that right now, you have someone in your family that you are worried about. Someone that you know needs to lose weight, someone that you love dearly. It’s up to us to take a stand against obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and help lead others to a better life full of great health.  Now is the time to make that commitment to yourself, and help others do the same.  If not now, when?

In love and health,

Ann Ross

P.S. Take a few minutes and watch Dr. Cheryl Townsley ND as she goes into detail what her healthcare practice experienced after starting the 90 day health challenge

Have you ever taken the time to notice all of the opportunities that are all around you?  I believe it’s human nature to sometimes feel stuck or like a victim of our life circumstances.  Life can be really hard sometimes and we end up only seeing the bad, not the good.  But what if you focused on seeing the opportunities that are all around you?  What do you think you would see?  Ironically, even when those opportunities present themselves, and we know they are destined to be life changing or a positive influence, we tend to let fear stand in the way.  What if you pushed past that fear and JUMPED at opportunity, instead of running from it?

I wanted to share with you my experience with opportunity and to help inspire you to see all of the opportunities that are currently in your life.  Whatever they may be, I encourage you to push through the fear so that you can allow yourself and your life to evolve into something beyond what you ever dreamed it could be. 

For those of you that have asked for more information on the health challenge I am promoting and changing lives with, we are having a very special webinar tomorrow evening, July 27th @ 10pm est/7pm pst.  Register ASAP so that you can get more information on what our culture is all about and learn what we are doing to change the health of our nation!  

Register here:  Free Webinar 7/27 10pm est/7pm pst You do NOT want to miss this!

All my love and support!

Ann Ross

Well what an amazing month it’s been!  The last 4-6 weeks of my life have taken a 180 degree turn for the better!  I”m sleeping 1-2 hours less each night, I have more energy, I am down one clothing size, I have lost 10 pounds and I have lost nearly every ounce of body fat on my torso from the sugar addiction I was feeding into all winter (or should I say my entire life).  The best part is that I am helping others do exactly the same thing!  

May 8th was my 32nd birthday and I knew this year had to be different!  A few months ago an opportunity landed into my life that I know without a shadow of a doubt was not just an opportunity, but a gift!  The 90 day health and wellness challenge that I joined with has already changed my life and thousands of other health care providers all across the nation.  My health is better, my clients health is improving and I am securing myself financially with an additional income stream.  I would be doing you a diservice by not educating you on what myself and thousands of other healthcare providers are taking part in and transforming our health, wellness and finances with.  I invite you to partner with myself and offer you the greatest give of life, health & prosperity!

Make sure you get started ASAP because I will be offering 1 hour of  free massage business coaching as a bonus when you partner with me. ($120 value).  This is something I have NEVER given away before and don’t know if I will again.  Furthermore, I can’t offer this free coaching indefinitely and will need to limit this to only the first 10 people that join the challenge with me.  Call or email me with ANY questions so you can get started right away.

For more information about the challenge specifically visit http://www.YourLifeBeginsNow.com  Click on “90 day challenge” to watch the presentation of the challenge itself.
Call me at (425)501-8712
Email me at : AnnRossViSalus@gmail.com
Or, Fill out the form below to ask your questions and I will get in contact with you

Much love, health & success,

Ann Ross

Join the Challenge: Click the Banner!

Watch The 20 Minute Training Webinar Below For an Important, Life Transformation Announcement!

Get Started Now Website:

http://seattlewellness.bodybyvi.com

Need More Information?

Step 1: 
Step 2: Watch the Overview(click watch the overview video)

• http://www.Overview.ViSalus.Com

Additional Resources

• Company Stats, Facts & Figures 
• Visalus Compensation Plan

Real Life Stories…Life Transformations!

I’m so excited to share this opportunity with you.  Make sure you fill out the contact form above RIGHT AWAY so that I can answer all of your questions and get you started on your own path of health, wellness and prosperity!

Blessings, love and health,

Ann Ross
(425)501-8712

I know many people may think I’m crazy, but giving my services away for free has actually been one of my most successful marketing campaigns since I originally started by massage practice.  Many would say I’m cheapening my brand and that the people looking for a free massage are only looking for just that…a free massage.  Of course there are always going to be those people looking for something free or the next best deal.  But what about everyone else? What about all of the potential clients out there that are looking for a massage therapist they can create a relationship with and trust to solve their specific problems?  Trust me when I say those people are EVERYWHERE and I know just how to get them through my door and onto my massage table.

My very first taste at giving my massage services away for free was in the fall of 2006. I was fresh out of leaving my full time corporate desk job and was ready to take my massage practice to full time.  I was determined to never go back to the corporate world.  The scariest part was that my safety net of a steady paycheck was gone when I left that job.  But steady paychecks are never worth it if the job supplying them makes you miserable.  And so I did what any other terrified, new business owner would do…I hustled my ass off! 

The concept of “sampling” and “trials” has been around as long as business has been around.  Think Costco and their sampling of dozens of food items at any given time.  There is a reason why they have always offered samples and probably always will.  Who wouldn’t want to try something before purchasing to be sure you are going to like it? And this is exactly why I began offering my massage services for “free”.

If you know anything about me you should know that I value my time and my creative talent as much as the next therapist.  I am here to earn a good living  and create a good life for myself.  l would never just blindly offer my services away for free without creating some type of “event” or reason behind giving the free massage.  In offering my services for free it provides an opportunity for those seeking a massage therapist to schedule with me without risk, and no money out of their pocket.  Offering a sample of what my massage service can provide is what I consider a win/win for both parties.  The “hesitant to spend money on something” client gets to experience a sample of my massage completely risk free.  And I, the amazing massage therapist with holes in my schedule and gaps in my day gets to fill my schedule with potential clients looking for a massage therapist.   

The first free massage event I did in 2006 was a huge success for me and taught me the value in exposing my business to so many in need.  An idea came to me one day to send a letter to each of the schools in the Seattle School District and offer a complimentary 30 minute massage session as a way of thanking those members of the community for their hard work and dedication.  School had just started and I was sure the teachers and staff members were stressed out and overwhelmed with the start of the school year.  My sister and her husband are both elementary school teachers so I have a special place in my heart for those that work with our youth.  In addition to each complimentary 30 minute massage, each faculty member had the option to upgrade to a 60 or 90 minute session at a discounted price.  The complimentary massage session also had an expiration date (very important).  I mailed out each letter one by one and waited a week or so before I saw the results of my special invitation   It was incredibly thrilling for me when my phone started ringing about a week later and dozens of people started scheduling with me. 

Success?  Well not quite yet! I had to turn these prospects into actual clients.  Step 2 of your free service promotion is to give your new client the best massage they’ve EVER had.  Schedule in enough time to have a very thorough consultation with them.  Aways be warm, friendly, inviting and positive.  Listen to what their issues and needs are and deliver a massage that addresses those issues.  If time allows maybe throw in an extra 5-10 minutes on top of the free 30 minutes to wow them even more.  Schedule in enough time to discuss your findings with them and the importance of incorporating regular massage therapy into their life.  If my clients try to tell me that massage is too expensive I suggest ways and ideas to budget massage into their monthly or quarterly budget.  We talk about regular massage being just as important as going to the dentist or getting the oil changed on your car.  Remember, you aren’t here to just give a free massage.  You are here to give a sample of what you can do to help your potential client live a better life.  Offer them some sort of discount for scheduling their next massage before they leave and follow up with a handwritten thank you card.  The idea is not to constantly be reducing your rates and giving coupons or discounts.  It’s about offering some sort of special or deal to encourage your first time clients to reschedule with you.  After 2-3 massages with you they will be hooked and beging incorporating massage into their regular routine.  Trust me on this!

So, after 8 weeks of running my “event” I looked over my books and tallied up my success.  About 50% of my new clients had upgraded, which meant I made money on my ”free event”.  About 75% of my new clients rebooked with me.  And many others referred  friends/family member and coworkers along the way.  After all was said and done I felt like my event was a huge success.  When I look back over the years since I did that first free massage event many of those initial clients have referred multiple clients to me.  Those referred clients have referred multiple clients to me and so on and so forth. 

The point I want to make is that EXPOSURE is key when you are building your massage practice. Sure you may have your pretty little website online and you may have your Facebook business page, but are you truly exposing yourself in a way that is beneficial for your potential clients? When running a “free” massage event make sure you are approaching your potential clients in a way that will help them realize the importance of incorporating massage into their lives.  Don’t just offer up free massage! Make it about offering those seeking massage the opportunity to receive a sample of what you offer risk free with no money out of their pocket.  If you approach your massage practice with posture, confidence and as a sought after healthcare provider, people are going to be attracted to you.  Schedule out at least an hour so you can take the time to get to know each client, give them a great massage and discuss long term care with them after the massage.  If you approach your business first and foremost from the aspect of healthcare vs. pampering it will be much easier to get clients to rebook with you. 

No matter what, always send a handwritten thank you card with a coupon for a discount off their next massage (always put an expiration date on coupon) and follow up if you haven’t heard from them within a few months.  In addition, make sure they know you have a referral rewards program (you do have one, right?).  Since I began practicing massage my greatest source of new clients has always been referrals from my existing clients.  If you are giving amazing service and taking care of your clients it shouldn’t be hard to attract referrals.  But make sure your clients know you are always looking for referrals and new clients.  Remember to approach this from a place of wanting to help as many people as you can.  Never come off as desperate or needy…that is such a turn off!

I recently ran another “free massag event” through the event page on Yelp and attracted 8 new clients in just 1 week.  Free advertising and 8 new clients to WOW with my amazing massage!   If you believe in what you do and KNOW without a doubt that you can WOW your free massage customers then you have nothing to lose.  Don’t think that the economy is causing people to close their wallets completely.  On the contrary, people are still spending money on the important things.  Massage is important if you approach it as important and offer your potential clients a ”risk free” incentive.  People want to spend money on massage, they just want to make sure it’s going to be WORTH their money.  Overwhelm them with your incredible massage and watch your practice grow by leaps and bounds.  Mine has!

To your success,

Ann Ross

P.S. Don’t be devastated if everyone doesn’t rebook with you or you never hear from them again.  Yes, you will give some free massages away.  Don’t focus your energy on those clients, get over it, move on and focus on the clients that do appreciate you most.  Those clients are sure to become your ideal client and will make your life so much more meaningful!

I was inspired to write this morning after waking up sick.  No fun!  The dreaded sore throat, congested head and low energy bug finally caught up to me.  I’m not one to get sick very often.  I’ve made it a point to keep myself very healthy so that I can devote myself to taking care of my clients.  I think the last time I had to cancel clients due to illness was about 18 months ago.  A big difference from my days of working my desk job where I would call in sick 1-2 times per month just because I could. 

Owning a massage therapy business is different though.  I remember early in my career the first and last time I stayed out too late on a Friday night and about died the next day after giving just one massage.  From that moment on I vowed to always go to bed at a decent hour and to be responsible when it came to alcoholic beverages on work nights.  I’ve had friends give me grief through the years when I didn’t stay out late enough for them or enjoy that extra drink that they wanted me to so badly have with them.  I could never get them to understand what it’s like to be a massage therapist.  They called me lame, while I saw myself as responsible and mature.  Nonethless, it was never easy!

I’ve sacrified a lot through the years to be the devoted massage therapist that my clients truly deserve.  Shortly after starting my business my number one priority (outside of family) became my business.   I’ve stayed home many friday nights because I had sheets that needed to be washed or billing that needed to be done!  I’ve worked evenings, weekends, holidays, through lunches, stayed late and came in early numerous times through the years.  I have a bedtime and do my best to take care of myself so that I can take care of my clients.  Creating an endless stream of clients was and always has been my number one goal!

Through all of these sacrifices I’ve grown to be a better person for myself.  Massage therapy gave me something to live for.  Something to focus my energy into.  I’ve gone through the occasional burnout like every massage therapist does.  Pushed myself past old ways of thinking to come out a stronger person through numerous challenges.  I’ve gained confidence and found my self worth along the way.  In addition, I’ve had the opportunity to work with charities in donating my services.  I’ve been blessed to share some of the most intimate moments of a woman’s life in providing prenatal massage.  I’ve been invited to baby showers and birthday parties.  I’ve helped dozens of car accident victims go through the slow process of healing over the years… from the physical to the emotional.  I’ve listened and offered a caring hand as my clients have shared their own struggles and pain with me.  And I’ve met some great friends along the way!  After 6 years of owning my business I look at my massage practice as one big family!  Each client I have is connected to another in some way.  

Most importantly, I’ve been a source of health for so many wonderful people in my community.  It’s an honor to be seen in such light! As massage therapists we truly are a unique group of individuals.  We are the special group of healthcare providers that get to know our clients on the deepest of levels.  We are allowed the time to sit, listen and truly focus on what is most important to our clients well being.  We are the group that gets to create meaningful relationships that in some cases can last a lifetime.

So I ask you, how dedicated are you to your massage practice?  How available are you? How focused are you? Do you appreciate your clients or do you resent them? Do you genuinely care about the well being of your clients, or are you just here to make money?  By no means am I saying to give up your life or sacrifice everything for others.  For we all know that in order to care and love others we must always love ourselves first.  But are there areas in your massage business that you can improve on?  Is there something that you could be doing to bring more awareness to yourself and stand out in your community? I bet there is!  There is always room for improvement and in order to be successful we must focus on improvement and growth on a regular basis.

Love yourself enough to focus on areas of growth and improvement each month.  Spend time at the beginning of each month reflecting on the past 4 weeks, love yourself in the present knowing that you’ve done your best, and focus your best intentions to prepare for the future.  If you are constantly doing the best that you can do within reason then you will be that much closer to accomplishing your goals.  Success comes in many different shapes and sizes and can never be defined by comparing yourself to others.  Focus on living the best life you can live and let that flow through to your massage practice.  The blessings and rewards that come from the energy you put forth are amazing! 

Much love,

Ann Ross

P.S. I’d love to hear your stories of commitment and dedication.  What have you done along the way to become successful?

Where does the time go? It’s amazing really.  We set out each year with a list of things to accomplish.  Before we know it, it’s December again and a new year is upon us.  I’ll admit, one of my biggest obstacles is learning how to stop controlling everything and just let life do it’s thing.  On the flip side, I believe it’s important to never lose control of life and consistently work towards growth in all areas.  Life is complicated, there is no doubt about that.

One very important lesson I have learned this year is that, when you are focused on something long enough, want it bad enough and consistently work towards making it happen, the universe always delivers.  2010 proved to be a year of shedding old, useless layers and emerging to finally realize my true potential.  I had the opportunity to share my story with Meagan Holub in her sequel to “The Magic Touch: How to make $100,000 per year as a Massage Therapist” and feel incredibly honored in doing so.  Her sequel “More of The Magic Touch: 8 Successful Massage Therapists Share “Out of the Box” Business and Marketing Secrets is available now from Amazon.com.

I thank you for allowing me into your lives in 2010 and am so incredibly excited for 2011 to be a life changing year for each of you.  I can’t wait to continue teaching you all of the things that have propelled me to success, so that you can do the same for your business.  Make sure you purchase “More of the Magic Touch” soon so that you can begin implementing all of the things each of us teaches in this book.  This information is priceless and will no doubt change your life!

Blessings,

Ann Ross

“More of The Magic Touch: 8 Successful Massage Therapists Share “Out of the Box” Business and Marketing Secrets

If you aren’t taking the time to create relationships in your massage business, you are most likely hindering the growth of your business.  More than just being a massage therapist, we are in the business of creating relationships with people in our community.  It’s important that you grasp this concept if you are going to succeed in business.  The most important aspect to creating a relationship is your first initial consultation with a new client.  When done correctly, this will create the trust your client needs to hire you and continue to see you for years to come.

Here are a few ideas to get you started in offering a consultation that will help you achieve success must faster!

• Book out anywhere from 10-30 minutes on your first initial consultation
• Ask open ended questions so that your client can open up and talk about their needs and their life
• Discuss their goals and your goals
• Ask if they have ever worked with a massage therapist on a regular basis. (hint:  This is a great time to explain the importance of regular massage)
• Spend 5 minute at the end of the consultation talking about yourself as a massage therapist. Cover things like what to expect during the massage, the importance of communication and the type of massage therapy you provide (hint: let them know that you are unique for a reason).

This is a great starting point for your consultation.  Incorporate whatever you want to incorporate into “YOUR” consultation.  Remember, you are uniquely you and branding yourself is what is going to make you successful.  Creating relationships is one of the most important aspects of owning a successful massage therapy business.  Remember this, practice this and continue to grow your business with this concept in mind.  Your success depends on this!

All my love & support!

Ann Ross

I know the concept of massage marketing can seem overwhelming and daunting.  You aren’t sure exactly how to do it or who to market to.  I was there too when I first began.  What can often happen is that you get so overwhelmed and confused that you end up doing nothing to market your business and you end up just giving up altogether.

In my opinion, massage marketing is a combination of many different components when, presented professionally and consistently will no doubt create success for you.  Marketing is so much more than just putting an ad in a newspaper or the yellow pages.  It’s your brand, your unique skills and abilities all wrapped up and presented in a unique package with your company name on it.  It’s the feeling or experience that you create for your clients that sets you apart from every other massage therapist.  It’s about being magnetic and attractive and pulling your potential clients towards you.  It’s about creating an experience that creates a need in your clients to keep coming back for years to come.  It’s about always being that resource in your community when your clients need you.

Below are 5 marketing tips that I created and use on a regular basis to attract a constant stream of clients into my business…

1. Your Online Presence

The most important aspect of your marketing is hands down the web presence you create and portray.  The first time any potential client has an interaction with you will most likely be through your website.  Sadly, I see so many massage websites that don’t offer a professional, unique image.  Many are used with free hosting that only enable up to 5 pages and don’t offer the ability to build pages that are keyword rich.  I, myself made this mistake when starting out.  I had no idea that the different web hosting options available could make or break my career.  The first website I built was pretty and branded me well.  But it was nowhere to be found in the search engines.  Make sure you choose a web host that offers the ability to build as many pages as you need to create a content rich website.   The monthly fee you pay for hosting your site will make a huge difference in the success of your business in the long run.  If someone told you all you needed to do was spend $15-30 per month to host your site to make $5,000 would you do it?  Don’t let the fear of a monthly hosting fee deter you from creating a website that will help build your career faster and with more success.  You have to spend money to make money.  If you have questions on hosting and/or what service to use check out the post I wrote on recommended hosting.

2. Follow up ASAP when new clients contact you

This aspect of being a business owner is incredibly important if you are going to build a long term business.  If you do not return phone calls or emails in a timely manner you are treating your business like a hobby and that’s not cool.  Time and time again I hear studies of people calling massage therapists and only 10-20% of them actually call their clients back within a 24 hour period.  Some never even bother to call back at all!  I can’t understand why, as business owners one wouldn’t at least call their prospect back.  You are in the business of massage to make a living for yourself.  If someone has taken the time to call or email you respect that person enough to call him/her back and be the true leader that you want people to see you as.  Understandably, you might not be able to answer your phone each and every time, but you should be able to call people back within a 24 hour period (at most).  Try utilizing answering services such as Freedom Voice or My Receptionist to portray a more professional image for yourself.  The bottom line here is that you are running a business, make sure you treat it as such and respect your future clients.

3. Make each massage appointment an experience

Put yourself in your clients shoes.  Most likely there is a large number of massage therapists located in the same city as you.  Respect the fact that your client has chosen you above all others and go out of your way to offer an experience that far exceeds their expectations.  Create a seamless experience from the moment your clients land on your website, to the moment they call you and come to see you for a massage.  Always bring good energy to each and every session and be there to offer a place of healing for each person.  Every aspect of interaction with you should leave your clients at ease and with comfort.  We are in a unique position as massage therapists.  Respect your clients by providing them with an incredible experience and NEVER take their patronage for granted!

4. Be a leader in the massage community

This may seem scary if you’re a new graduate becase you may not see yourself as a leader quite yet.  But, there is a reason why we call our business a “practice”.  Each and every massage that you provide inches you closer to an expert in the field of massage therapy.  Each class that you take puts you in a position where you become knowledgable and a leader.  I recommend taking 2-3 classes your first year in business that are all focused within a specific niche that you are passionate about.  For instance, when I was first starting I was extremely insecure about pregnancy massage but I have a huge passion for learning about pregnancy and childbirth.  I took it upon myself to become certified in prenatal and postpartum massage so that I could brand myself as a leader in this modality.  It has helped my confidence and put me in a position where I am highly respected in my community.  Get out there, start learning and brand yourself as an expert.  We are responsibile for positioning ourselves as experts, nobody else.  Make sure you are taking the steps to become the expert you are destined to become.

5. Write articles, newsletters and ezines and circulate them online

As a business owner, you should be sending out newsletters and writing articles on a regular basis.  This again is another great example of being a leader, but it’s important enough to stand alone as it’s own topic.  When you write articles on specific topics and send out newsletters to your client list, you are providing important, valuable information to your community.  Not only does this brand you as a leader, but if a potential client comes across something you’ve written they are more likely to hire you as their massage therapist.  Try writing articles on EzineArticles and link them to your website.  This is a great way to get more traffic to your website and provide information that your clients need and want.

What I want you to take from this article today is the concept of creating a marketing system that starts with you, the unique leader in the massage therapy community that is ready, able and willing to solve the problems of your potential clients, and to create an incredible experience by offering top of the line value.  Everything about your business is marketing.  Stop looking at your marketing as putting an add up or creating a brochure that you hand out.  Your marketing begins and ends with you.  Create a process that incorporates all elements I’ve discussed today and more.  These are the top 5 “starters”…this is only the beginning.  Keep evolving and growing and success will be here before you know it!

Keep Going!

Ann Ross

A question that comes up often in my business is “exactly how do I go about target marketing for my massage therapy business?”  I understand where the confusion comes from and why many of you aren’t completely sure how to do this.  When I was just starting my business, target marketing was foreign to me too.  It seems we aren’t exactly sure who we are as massage therapist in the marketplace, and because of this we aren’t sure exactly how to get started target marketing to attract clients.

I tend to look at my massage therapy business and the way I market myself as a 2 part equation.  A: Your Brand + B: Target Marketing = C: Successful Business.

The 2 Components Of Marketing

1. The first component of target marketing is to develop your brand or, unique qualities as a massage therapy business.  Your brand is what makes you unique.  It is the sum of your qualities, your visions, mission, beliefs, values and unique attributes as a massage therapist and individual.  Everything that you bring to the “table” It may take some time to completely figure out your brand, but once you do you will be able to target your marketing to specific groups of people much easier
2. The second component of target marketing is finding and targeting specific groups of people in your marketplace that you are able to solve problems for.  Being successful in business is all about solving problems and/or offering a unique experience that a person is desiring for one reason or another.  A person doesn’t buy a hammer because they want a hammer.  A person buys a hammer to build or hang something.  The hammer is the problem solver.  The same is typically true for massage therapy services.  People will come to you for help with solving their unique problem or concern.  In this instance the massage therapist would be the hammer.  That doesn’t sound great, but you get the idea

Knowing how to attract clients so that you are desired and needed is what makes a massage therapist successful (among other things).  The greatest way to build a business is to position yourself so that people are searching for you, instead of you feeling like a salesman and seeming desperate to attract clients.  Being a desperate business owner is unattractive and ends up pushing people away.  When you position yourself as a leader, an expert and an authority in your marketplace who is capable of solving unique problems, your life as a massage therapist will become so much easier.  Your phone will start ringing off the hook and your appointment book will be booked solid!

Take the time necessary to develop your unique brand, target market to the groups of people you desire to work with and I can guarantee you that you will watch your business grow by leaps and bounds.

To your continued success,

Ann Ross

Being your own boss…this is one of the most crucial things you must grasp if you are going to be successful in owning your own business.  I decided to write a post about this important, often overlooked factor in owning your own business after a few similar discussions with fellow massage therapists over the past few weeks.  It’s clear to me that one of the hardest things in owning your own business is often times finding the motivation or dedication to “be your own boss”.  I am realizing that in speaking to many therapists lately, this is a huge missing piece in the success of their businesses.

One of my discussions recently involved a massage therapist who was frustrated that after more than a year, his business still hadn’t brought in more than a few clients a week.  After our discussion it was clear to me that he hadn’t done much in terms of actually creating his business or even marketing.  Of course he had a business name, place of practice and website.  But he had yet to develop his niche, brand, and do more than 1-2 pieces of marketing to his community.  His website didn’t convey who he is as a massage therapist and what problems he can solve.  He also had yet to put up a photo of himself on his website.  The 2 pieces of marketing he had sent out over the last year, he just blindly sent out without target marketing a specific group or advertising that he solved a specific problem.  He just mailed out a few fliers to local businesses advertising himself as a massage therapist, without following up.

It was clear to me that he was lacking motivation to actually put in the hard work it takes in the beginning.  Something I can certainly relate to.  Because he wasn’t taking action and was just fumbling around waiting for people to magically show up I asked him “Would you be interested in being an employee of another business?” Perhaps a spa, chiropractic clinic or medical office would better suit him.  A place where he could go and not worry about marketing, websites, niches or brands.  A place where he could just go and be booked consistently with clients without the hassles of business ownership.  His answer to me was “No, I don’t want to work for anyone else…I don’t want a boss”.

This was my “ah-ha” moment!  You see, no matter what we ALWAYS have to have a boss or manager in our lives when it comes to our jobs or careers.  To be successful in your job or career, whether you are self employed or not, there are tasks that are required to keep your job or business flowing and sustainable.  If he was an employee of a company, and the requirements of his job were to go through the process of creating his own massage therapy practice, he would probably be terminated by now.  What boss or manager is going to be OK with an employee coming to work daily and not taking action towards his job requirements? I realized during that moment that either he hadn’t grasped the concept of this, or he was never actually pointed in the right direction on how to get started.

By no means do I tell this story to put him down or criticize him in any way.  On the contrary, I without a doubt realize this his problem is a very common problem and I wanted to use his story to convey something many massage therapists face when deciding to go into business for themselves, myself included.

Make no mistake, one of the hardest things in being self employed is the getting started and creating a system for yourself part.  It can be hard when you don’t have a boss telling you what to do day in and day out.  But if you are getting into business for yourself because you don’t want a boss, YOU need to become your own boss.  There is no way around it!  You need to create your own website, brand your business, choose a niche to market to, network with other business owners, provide world class customer service,  generate referrals from your existing clients, create and email or mail out newsletters, reactivate clients that you haven’t seen in awhile by contacting them, manage payments, etc.

My intention in writing this post today is to help you find some direction.  While this next sentence may come across as harsh, it just might save you some frustration and wasted time in the long run.  If you aren’t willing to take accountability for your own self, you have no business in owning your own business! I mean that in the most caring of ways.  Not everyone is cut out to be self employed…and that’s OK!  Really it is!  But if you have a dream to own your own business, you MUST take action on a regular basis and stop doing nothing.  You must follow the advice of the leaders in the field of massage therapy who are here to help you.  You must find a mentor in your community and study their actions.  You must begin to educate yourself on the fundamentals of business ownership.  It’s OK that you don’t know anything when you start out.  I certainly didn’t!  But I studied and took action! Really that is all that it takes.  Study and implement the things you are learning.

Make sure you take it one task at a time.  It’s natural to not do anything when you look at the huge, daunting task in front of you.  You must take action each day, even if it’s only for 30 minutes.  Think of how much you will be able to accomplish over the next 6-8 weeks if you take action every day.

If you haven’t yet signed up for the free training I have on my website, make sure you do so.  Many of the questions I get asked on a regular basis, I cover in the training.  It’s over an hour of basic fundamentals to tackle when starting your massage business.  It will help give you a clear start on where to begin if you are unsure.  And if there is anything left out of the training that you need clarification on, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

One last bit of encouragement…Don’t give up on yourself if you feel stuck, lost, confused or overwhelmed.  Each successful person has gone through the exact same emotions.  Reach out to your leaders and mentors.  And remember, you are your own boss.  Enjoy it…it’s a beautiful thing!

To your success,

Ann Ross

P.S. If you are a successful massage therapist and you have any suggestions for people that are struggling with taking action, we’d love to hear your feedback.

One of the common questions I get asked on a regular basis is “how do I get started in Massage Insurance Billing?” or “how do I bill insurance companies and get them to reimburse me?”.  While I do not consider myself an expert in the field of massage insurance billing, I do bill insurance companies in my own practice for reimbursement and make a wonderful living doing so.

I was blessed to have gone to a great school that focused on SOAP notes and how to interact with attorneys, insurance companies and workers compensation.  What my education did lack was exactly how to go about billing the insurance companies.  When I opened up my business and began to work in the chiropractic clinic I was lost, confused and extremely intimidated.  The only thing I knew was how to do a client intake and chart my session on my SOAP notes.  Thankfully however, I was again blessed and worked with an amazing chiropractor and massage therapist who were willing to walk me through a few things on how to get started.

However, you may not have the same experience I did and be left wondering “how do I even get started?”.  If you don’t have a mentor walking you through everything, chances are you aren’t going to know what you are doing.  Massage insurance billing is like playing with the big dogs and you better know what you are doing or prepare to face overwhelming feelings of frustration and tons of valuable time wasted.

But there is light at the end of the tunnel.  Thankfully, there are resources to turn to when learning the ropes of massage insurance billing.  We are blessed to have some great educators and mentors in our field that have paved the way for our success.

Here are my 2 recommendations for learning massage insurance billing

The first resource I want to highlight is something that was a required purchase while I was in school.  I am so thankful it was! Hands Heal: Communication, Documentation, and Insurance Billing for Manual Therapists by Diana L. Thompson is a must have for any massage therapist needing to learn the ropes of massage insurance billing.  Diana does a great job highlighting SOAP charting, communication with insurance companies, intake forms, ethics and more.  Diana has saved me many times when a physician requests a progress report for a patient.  I just go over my SOAP notes from  the specific client sessions and turn to her page on how to prepare a professional progress report.  I feel confident knowing I can supply a physician with a professional, thorough progress report that makes me stand out as a competent, educated, professional massage therapist.  This book is a must read for any massage therapist needing a mentor in learning massage insurance billing.

The second resource I highly recommend is Vivian Madison-Mahoney’s Massage Insurance Billing course.  This is an in depth, thorough, training program that educates and teaches exactly what you need to be doing to become an insurance provider, how to fill out the necessary forms, how to bill correctly, what you can bill for, codes, forms, you name it…Vivian teaches it.  Since 1984 Vivian has been involved in our industry as a massage insurance billing expert.  She knows massage insurance billing on every level and has made it possible for you to learn at a fraction of the time and expense it has cost her over the years.  There isn’t anything to think about when deciding on whether or not you are going to purchase this course.  After just 1 client you will have made your money back.  This course is a must have!

While some may argue that massage insurance billing isn’t worth the time and effort it takes, I disagree.  I am blessed to live in Washington State and have the ability to become an in network provider for private health insurance companies.  My practice grew in only a matter of a few months when I made myself available to bill through insurance companies for my clients.  While not every state does offer the availability to bill through a persons private health insurance, it is my understanding that in nearly every state you are automatically able to bill through PIP (motor vehicle accidents) as well as Labor & Industries (workers compensation/on the job injuries).  Vivian explains all of this in her Massage Insurance Billing course.

If you are deciding on becoming an insurance provider in your massage practice please take a few things into consideration.  While it does open up your doors to more clients and does provide an extra income stream, it is NOT easy work, especially when getting started.  I don’t want to scare you away into thinking it’s impossible, quite the contrary.  Massage insurance billing is very possible and can provide a great additional stream of income to your business.  But, there is work involved in learning the process and actually taking the right steps to do it correctly.  If you are willing to take the time it can be very rewarding.  Consider if you are willing to wait 4-8 weeks to be reimbursed, sometimes longer.  Consider if you are willing to spend the time talking on the phone with insurance companies if your claims get denied.  Consider if you want to take on this extra responsibility.  Because I am a believer in multiple streams of income,  I would do it again in a heartbeat!

On another note, if you are a Washington State Massage Therapist and are interested in how you can become credentialed with the private health insurance companies that are available to us, please visit the follow links:

Premera Blue Cross/Lifewise

First Choice Health

United HealthCare/Pacificare

American Specialty Health (Aetna, Cigna, Uniform, Corvel)

Labor & Industries

I hope this has helped jump start your career towards becoming an insurance provider.  If you know of any other great resources in learning insurance billing I would love to hear them.  Best of luck on your journey!

Wishing You Much Success,

Ann Ross

I just finished listening to this amazing video compiling different video segments from Will Smith’s interviews and motivational talks.  It brought tears to my eyes.  Tears because Will’s words touched me deep.  His connection to spirit, his core self and universal love is clearly why he has become so successful.  I have developed many of Will’s core values myself and know, without a shadow of a doubt that when we can develop the kind of mindset that Will lives by, we too will reach our dreams.

“Where I excel is ridiculous, sickening work ethic”

“Dedicate yourself to being better every single day”

“If you are not making someone else’s life better, then you are wasting your time”

“I believe that I can create whatever I wanna create”

“The first step before anybody else in the world believes it, is that YOU have to believe it”

We all are capable of creating the lives we so deserve.  Each and every one of us!  I believe our thoughts are physical, just like Will says and that we are constantly attracting nearly everything into our lives, without even realizing it.  If you are unhappy with where you are in life, career, relationship and love, begin to shift your mindset.  Develop a strong work ethic and DO NOT give up!  Become obsessive about your dreams in life and they will come true.  Keep working, developing, creating, experiencing… and you will achieve.

I want nothing more than to help and watch you succeed at creating the business and life you are currently searching for.  I have committed myself to helping you get there.  Have you committed yourself yet?

To your success,

Ann Ross

It’s human nature to want things to happen overnight.  Once you get that excitement inside of you and the desire for something, you want it NOW NOW NOW!  We’ve all been there.  Unfortunately, if you expect success overnight you will end up getting discouraged, frustrated and worst case scenario, quitting.

Creating a massage business the right way involves implementing things into your daily and weekly routines.  You must follow a laid out plan for yourself to stay on track.  Here is a short list of a few things I recommend when taking baby steps towards your successful massage therapy business.

• set weekly/monthly goals
• create a business plan for yourself
• set a time line for yourself for where you want to be by a certain date
• find your motivation for why you want success and focus on that every day
• create a vision board with inspiring quotes, goals and photos that keep your mind focused on the “prize”
• congratulate yourself each time you attract a new client
• remember that success can only come one step at a time

The most important thing to always remember when creating a massage business the right way, is that you can do this!  You will get discouraged, you will get frustrated, you will feel at times that your work isn’t paying off.  Please don’t let these “normal feelings” stop you from pushing forward.  All successful people have one thing in common, they each have felt like quitting at one time or another.  Had they quit they would never be where they are, myself included.

Always remember that YOU ARE worthy of making your dreams come true, whatever they may be.  If creating your own successful massage business is a dream of yours, GO FOR IT!  I know you can do it.

Wishing all the success in the world,

Ann Ross

Today I’m going to bring you in behind closed doors and show you exactly what propelled me to success in only 6 months.  After I went through my “dry spell” for about a year, these are the marketing techniques that I implemented that set me apart from my peers and attracted clients into my practice.

While there are many different steps one can take to attract clients, (which I cover in my “Secrets to a Successful Massage Therapy Business” training), the following 5 steps took me to a place where I was finally succeeding in this business.  I was thrilled when I saw that my actions were actually making a difference and I began to do more and more each and every week. 

Read on to discover what started it all for me!

1.) I built an attractive, detailed website that offered information about my practice.

It’s 2010 and if you don’t have a website, you frankly don’t exist.  Your future clients need a place to go and learn about your massage practice before they will ever think about making an appointment with you.  My website included key information that sucked people in and made them want to pick up the phone.  Below are 5 must have’s for any massage website:

*a photo
*the type of massage therapy you specialize in
*the type of people and issues you work with (i.e. car accidents, work injuries)
*an attractive bio page that discusses your passion for the field of massage therapy
*simple and easy to understand prices & services menu

There are many other things that should be included in a website, but these are the top 5 I recommend in getting started to attract people to you.  I highly recommend Site Build It as the service to use when building your website.  They make it simple, easy and search engine optimized so that people will find you when searching for a massage therapist in your city.  Something that is incredibly difficult if you try to do on your own.

2.) I positioned myself as an expert

I can’t emphasize the importance of this enough.  This is a MUST if you are going to be successful.  You can not just advertise yourself as a massage therapist and expect people to come see you.  What can you do for them?  What problems are you capable of solving?  You must figure out what your niche is in the field of massage therapy and build a business around that.  Do doctors open up practices and just advertise that they are doctors? Never!  If you look through a list of doctors in a provider directory they are generally listed by specialty. You must do the same for your practice if you are going to be successful.

A word of advice on how to pick a niche.  Figure out what you are most passionate about and go from there.  When I was picking my niche I noticed a huge demand for people suffering from different types of pain.  I love to work with people that are dealing with pain, and provide them the opportunity to decrease or resolve their pain problems.  It’s very rewarding for me.  Take some time to figure out where your passions lie and build on that.

3.)I got to know other health care professionals and business owners in the community

You can call this networking, joint venturing or marketing, whatever you want to call it, it’s very powerful.  Most massage therapists will end up skipping this step for many different reasons.  I think the fear of putting ourselves out there and the possible fear of rejection stops us in our tracks.  Trust me when I say that I always hated standing up & speaking in front of a group of people.  It’s not something I enjoy doing.  But I knew it was a must if I was going to build a successful business.  If you aren’t willing to do this, I suggest you work for someone and be an employee.  You have to step outside of your boundaries and fears and get to know others within your community if you are going to be a successful business owner.

I worked within a chiropractic clinic which helped to expose my business to many people.  The chiropractor and I would refer our clients to each other.  I also go to know other physicians and acupuncturists in my community.  I introduced myself to personal injury lawyers and attended networking meetings.  I recommend looking into BNI, as they are the worlds largest networking and referral organization. The exposure you have in joining an organization like BNI is priceless for your business.

4.) I billed insurance companies to add an additional stream of income and expose myself to more people

Please, please, please don’t let the fear of not knowing how to bill insurance companies keep you from actually doing it.  I knew absolutely nothing about billing insurance when I decided to become an insurance provider.  While Washington State and Florida are currently the only 2 states that allow massage therapists to bill private insurance, massage therapists in all 50 states are able to bill through PIP (motor vehicle accidents) & Workers Comp. (on the job injuries).

Becoming an insurance provider positions you with an advantage.  You will have access to hundreds of people on a monthly basis and earn thousands of dollars extra per year.  The acceptance of massage therapy in the medical community continues to increase.  Clients are realizing that they have the ability to use insurance, instead of paying out of pocket.  Many will go looking for a massage therapist that accepts insurance.  Please don’t make the mistake of not accepting insurance.  Turning clients away because of this is a no-no in my eyes.

And while many will argue that billing insurance companies is more pain than it’s worth, I disagree.  If you are willing to learn how to bill correctly, there will be less headache.  If billing insurance companies was more pain that it was worth, I wouldn’t be going on my 5th year as an insurance provider.  When you consider that 80% of my business comes from insurance work, you can see the power in becoming a provider.

The one and only insurance billing course I recommend is by Vivian Madison-Mahoney.  Vivian has compiled more than 20 years of research and experience into her “Manipulate Your Future” home study course.  She is a true expert when it comes to knowing how to bill correctly and make a generous income doing so.  Vivian’s courses are well worth the investment and will no doubt help you increase your income once you start billing insurance.

Make sure you mention that you heard about her courses from Ann Ross to receive 20 FREE insurance claim forms.

5.) Lastly, I offered complimentary 30 minute sessions to new clients

I realized early on that if I was going to attract clients into my business, I had to offer something that was going to:

A. Set me apart from the competition
B. Create a risk free way to get my hands on as many people as possible

I came up with the idea to place a form on my website that offers a complimentary 30 minute massage session (with the option to upgrade to an hour for a fee), to each new client.  This was powerful because it allowed clients to get a massage without the risk of any money out of their pocket in case they didn’t like the massage.  Also, it helped me to get my hands on as many people as possible and guide them through my valuable massage therapy service. I would also provide them with 3-5 gift certificates at the end of the massage to pass out to family, friends, coworkers etc. to expose my business even more.

A great resource to create very inexpensive, beautiful gift certificates, note cards, business cards and more is VistaPrint.  I have used them for years and am always satisfied.  Follow this link to Save up to 90% + get FREE Shipping

It’s important to remember when building your business that most people don’t know you.  Getting a massage is a vulnerable decision for anyone.  If you can create some type of risk free way to get people on your table, you will be well on your way to creating a very successful business.  Don’t forget to provide world class customer service and an amazing massage, and it will only be a matter of time before you are booked solid!

What are you waiting for!

I hope you have enjoyed learning a few of my secrets today.  Take the information I have provided for you and start implementing the same principles and ideas into your own massage practice.  The sooner you get started, the sooner success will be knocking on your door.  Unfortunately, being a great massage therapist isn’t enough to create a successful business.  Before you can WOW people with your amazing massages, you have to get them on your table.  Before you get them on your table you have to create a system that markets correctly.  Do you see the chain reaction?  While it is work in the beginning, it’s well worth the time investment.  Creating a successful massage therapy business is one of the most fulfilling and rewarding things you will ever accomplish.

To your success,

Ann Ross

P.S. If you know of any other massage therapist that could benefit from this information, please don’t hesitate to retweet this post, or forward it to a friend.  Thanks!

One of the reasons I love being a massage therapist is that we are required to take continuing education classes to remain licensed.  While some think of this as a nuisance, I actually like the challenge of stepping outside of my boundaries and learning things I might not otherwise learn.  I also love taking classes, learning and sending newsletters to my list of clients about my new skills, or newly learned knowledge about the body.  This is an awesome way to position yourself as a leader and an expert within our industry.  Not to mention showing your commitment to the field of massage therapy.

However, it’s not always convenient or easy to take time away to attend continuing education classes. Throughout my years of practicing massage therapy, I have had to pass up or postpone a few classes for many different reasons.  Finding time to take continuing education classes should not be a stressful thing.  The great news is that thanks to the power of the internet, you can now take classes from the comfort of your own home.

A wonderful resource that I participate in each and every year is The World Massage Conference.  While the conference has already taken place, they have replays of each and every one of their presentations with the ability to receive continuing education credits.  And they are now available at half price!

Here is a list of a few of the presentations you will have access to (as quoted from The World Massage Conference):

Leon Chaitow – Getting to the Root of the Problem.

This noted osteopath is the author of over 60 textbooks,organizer of the International Fascial Congress and is the inspiration behind some of today’s leading massage educators.  Be a fly on wall in this candid interview on getting to the root of your clients problems.

Cherie Sohnen-Moe – The Keys to Target Marketing

Her textbook, Business Mastery, is used in 1,600 massage schools. Find out why Cherie chose target marketing as the topic of her presentation.

David Kent – Headache Triggers and Treatment

David will show how to design customized treatment plans and educate your headache sufferers using posture analysis and trigger point charts. The techniques you learn can be used immediately.

KC Miller – Toe Reading: A Reflexology Assessment Tool

The position and shape of the toes say a lot about you. By observing them, you will know a great deal about a person’s past, and the experiences they have lived through. Toes reveal how a person copes with their feelings and thoughts.

CG Funk – Successful Interview Strategies

In this presentation, CG will outline exactly what qualities employers are looking for in a massage therapist. You’ll discover how to be best prepared for an interview so you stand out from the crowd and land the job you really want.

Debra Persinger – Intro to the FSTMB Licensure Exam

In this presentation Debra Persinger will provide an overview of the FSMTB, and their flagship program for the massage and bodywork licensing examination.

Tad Hargrave – Developing a Niche

many massage therapists find that identifying a particular niche…or two or three is one of the simplest and most powerful things they can do to take their business to the next level.

Terrie Yardley-Nohr – The Dimensions of Boundaries

Issues involving boundaries are among the most frequently discussed topics by professionals in practice and are also often an area of concern for new and potential clients.

Peter Stuart and Stephanie Allen – The Conscious Therapist

In this presentation you will learn about the mind/Body connection, the principles and practices of forming and holding an intention and have an introduction of practices that deepen your self-awareness to engage others more effectively and to empower the healer within.

Steve Capellini – Thai Herbal Ball Therapy

Learn about a new modality on the menus at most new cutting edge spas around the world and how you can integrate this into your practice.

Thomas Myers – Going Deep

Learn about the various approaches to ‘depth’ offered by myofascial work, cranial osteopathy, visceral work, and movement approaches.

Linda Tellington-Jones: A Special Approach to Animal Care

Renowned animal massage expert will discuss canine massage. Common dog issues such as timidity, hyperactivity, aging, resistance to touch and grooming, and fear of loud noises and thunder will be addressed.

Once you register, you will be able to download each and every presentation to your computer, giving you the option to listen to the presentations at anytime or anywhere.  Make sure you take the quizzes and download your continuing education certificates once you listen to each presentation.

I have attended this conference for the last few years and always find it a valuable resource for continuing education. Not only is it extremely valuable towards our continuing education, but the cost is a steal when you consider the CE credits available to you. Make sure you sign up to start earning CE credits today.

Happy Learning,

Ann Ross

P.S. While I believe The World Massage Conference to be a tremendous resource, I still encourage you to take classes in person at least once a year.  It’s important to learn by getting your hands on people and being in a classroom environment with other massage therapists.

One of the questions I get asked most often by massage therapists is “How do I start a massage therapy business?“.   I can empathize with this question as it’s one of the questions I had when deciding to go into self employment.  The school I went to educated us with some basic information such as, creating business cards, creating brochures, creating an outline or vision for what we wanted our business to look like.  But honestly (and I don’t mean to be rude here, just realistic) teaching people how to create business cards and brochures doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface on the steps you need to take when starting a massage therapy business.

I was so confused and lost when I started my business that I spent an entire year frustrated, scared, client-less (is that a word?) and seriously discouraged.  You see, I took the advice of my massage school and did everything I thought I was supposed to do.  I even found a great location in a women’s fitness club.  The woman that owned the club was wonderful and advised me that she would book me with clients regularly.  While she did her best to follow through on her promise, it wasn’t long before I realized that I wasn’t making more than a few hundred dollars a month.  Not exactly the kind of living I expected when going into business for myself.

When I look back on the time I spent at the fitness club, I realize that I hadn’t yet shifted my mindset from employee to employer.  I was expecting her to find me clients, instead of going out and finding my own clients.  I wasn’t taking accountability for my own business and actions.  I was blaming others for my lack of success.  I was sitting back and virtually doing nothing to build my business and I didn’t even realize it.

Thinking it was the owners fault, I professionally ended my relationship at the fitness club and found another location to start my massage therapy business…a chiropractic clinic.  I am sure you can imagine my disappointment when after a few months at the chiropractic clinic I was faced with the same problem.  A few clients here and there.   My massage table was lonely and cold, and I was discouraged and frustrated yet again!

This time though something shifted in me.  A light bulb went off  in my head.  I realized that if I was going to be successful and make this happen, I had to take accountability for my own business.  Like I said earlier, I was thinking like an employee, not like an employer.  But in my defense, I had never learned to think differently.  Nobody had ever taught me the basic fundamentals of business ownership.  In this case, what I didn’t know was really hurting me.  I began studying entrepreneurship and how to market a massage therapy business, and within 6 months I was consistently busy.  Within a year I was consistently booked solid, and 2 years after that I opened my own business location.  I don’t say this to brag about myself, only to encourage and motivate you towards the exact same success.  It is possible!

While there is no overnight magic method to starting a massage therapy business, there are certain steps and actions to take that will allow you to position yourself so that you are attracting clients into your business.  Below are just a few of those steps:

1.) Shifting Your Mindset

This begins with thinking like an employer.  Taking responsibility for your own success will ensure that you will be successful.  You can’t expect anybody else to bring you clients.  You have to be willing to do all of the work.  I promise you that if you master this first step, the rest will fall into place.

2.) Specialize In Solving Problems For People

Ask yourself what type of problems are you here to solve or help people with.  Build your business around your talents and skills as a massage therapist that specializes in this.  When I started I noticed a huge demand for people in pain.  Instead of marketing myself as a massage therapist and expecting people to come running to get a massage from me (because this doesn’t happen), I marketed myself as specializing in pain management.  People want to do business with specialists, not generalists.

3.) Guarantee Your Massage Therapy Sessions

I know many massage therapists are afraid of this.  I was too!  But I promise you that this is one of the most powerful forms of marketing that you can do in your business.  There are so many massage therapists to choose from today.  How are you going to set yourself apart from everyone else?  Massage therapy is an intimate and vulnerable choice for many people.  Providing a risk free offer to those in your community will no doubt attract clients into your business.  While you can’t please everyone, you will end up giving a few free massages here and there.  But the amount of people you end up attracting into your business will more than make up for the free massages.  State something basic in your marketing such as “Satisfaction Guarantee” or “If you are not satisfied, you don’t pay”.  Don’t make it too elaborate or confusing.  Straight and to the point is best.

4.) Networking With Businesses In Your Community

If you are going to be successful you must leverage the relationships that others businesses have with their customers.  Each and every business has built trusted relationships with their customer base.  You will do the same with your clients once the ball gets rolling.  Take time to get to know everyone in your community.  Create joint ventures to attract new clients into your business.  Joint ventures are extremely powerful when building a business.  It’s basically free advertising.  And because the other business has already built trusting relationships with their customers, they will automatically feel more trust with you when booking an appointment.  Don’t overlook this powerful method of marketing your business.  It’s the #1 reason I am so successful in my business.

5.) Location, Location, Location

Location is crucial when starting your massage therapy business. And I’m not just talking about the actual geographical location of where you provide your massage.  Geographical location is very important, but the details that surround the location are far more important and must be taken into consideration.

As massage therapists we many times will rent a room within another business.  This can be a great way to begin building a business at an affordable rate.  But please don’t set up shop just anywhere.  Make sure the business you are working within is first and foremost clean.  One of the first things clients notice is cleanliness.  Clients will not come back if your business is not clean.  This is simple & preventable.

Also, does the location you are considering have good energy?  When you walk in do you feel comforted and healthy?  This is another thing that can make or break whether or not clients will come back to see you.  Not everyone realizes that we are susceptible to energies, good and bad.  Clients will just flat out not come back again if the location doesn’t make them feel good.  Make sure the energy of the space if comforting, healing, calming and loving.

And last but not least, is the location cluttered?  Cluttered spaces can cause people stress without them even realizing.  Do your best to choose a business location that doesn’t have a bunch of random, clutter laying around.  Simple and clutter free goes a long way when starting a massage therapy business.

So what is the secret?

I want you to realize that taking accountability for your own success is the key component in being successful.  I can’t emphasize this enough.  I think we can all agree that there is no magic formula to building any type of successful business.  But studying others, spending time with successful people, educating yourself and pushing outside of your comfort zones are all important steps in working for yourself.

Have you watched my free training yet?  Make sure you sign up for “Secrets To A Successful Massage Therapy Business”.  This training is over an hour of valuable, honest, open content that I have put together for you to help you get started now.  Everything within the training is exactly what I implemented to create my own successful business.  There are also tons of extra’s that I have watched other successful massage therapists implement as well.

You are completely capable of owning your own business and being a successful massage therapist.  You can absolutely make a great living at this.  Make sure you continue to take the steps necessary to get there.  Keep pushing forward and it will happen for you.

To your success,

Ann Ross

The hardest part of starting a massage therapy business is no doubt, getting massage clients.  I struggled with it, many of my peers have struggled with it & I’m sure you have, or are struggling with it.  What I am about to share with you will no doubt bring in dozens, possibly hundreds of new massage clients into your business.

Expose your business starting now

The new online resource responsible for bringing in millions of dollars to businesses across America, including spas and self employed massage therapists is called Groupon.  The video below will no doubt get you VERY excited about the hundreds, even THOUSANDS of clients that Groupon has the potential to bring you.

Below is a video explaining exactly how Groupon works.

If you’re struggling with getting massage clients you must give Groupon a try.  You really have nothing to lose.  Once you get massage clients on your table you can WOW them with your amazing massage, making them a client for life.  Let Groupon do all of the marketing work on autopilot for you.  Sit back, let the phone start ringing, book those appointments and start massaging!

Sign Up For Groupon By Clicking Here!

All my best,

Ann Ross

"How To Make $100,000 Per year as a Massage therapist" Review

Click Image Above To Download Review

“The Magic Touch: How to make $100,000 per year as a Massage Therapist” by Meagan Holub is a must read for everyone in our profession.  I literally could not put this book down.  I loved it so much I wrote a review highlighting what I loved about it and why I believe Meagan to be a true gem for each of us.  Meagan is a true healer and business woman all wrapped into one.  This is something that all massage therapists must strive to be if they want to create success within this industry.

You can grab a copy from Amazon below

The Magic Touch: How to make 100,000 per year as a Massage Therapist

And Make sure to tune into Massage Therapy radio on Thursday February 11th, 2010 @ 9:00pm eastern to listen to Meagan’s interview.  You can sign up by going here:

http://attendthisevent.com/?eventID=10954029

All my best,

Ann Ross

Do you realize how much power you hold in being a massage therapist?  I just love this industry so incredibly much that I wanted to share my heart with you regarding this subject.  We are truly one of the few groups of people on this planet that have the power to change the world!  Think about it, does anybody ever “NOT” want to see you?  Probably not The healing energy that we bring to our treatment rooms each and every day all across this world, is heart energy and it’s incredibly powerful!  As massage therapists we carry such an incredible gift, to be able to heal on every single level in the body, down to the smallest cell.  Not only do we heal physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well.  I can’t think of a better reason to get up in the morning.  In a world where many people hate what they do for a living because their work isn’t fulfilling or meaningful, we posess some of the most amazing power in being massage therapists.  We truly matter!  Take a few minutes to watch my video I created on the power we have as massage therapists.

I promise that once you connect with the importance of providing massage therapy to those in your community, you will begin to attract more and more clients into your practice.  The passion that you carry will shine out into the universe and people will notice.  You have such a gift, make sure that you spread it out as far as you can…one massage at a time!

To your success,

Ann Ross

As a massage therapist, it can be very confusing as to whether or not you should be accepting tips in your massage therapy business.  While we are most definitely always providing a service, we also have gone through extensive training to learn in depth knowledge concerning the human body.  As every massage therapist knows, the amount of information we learn while in school is extremely comprehensive and often times complicated.

Why is it so confusing?

The confusion comes in our profession with the gap between a spa environment, versus a more clinical setting.  What makes the difference in massage so “different”?  Is it the way the establishment looks, the type of massage being offered? The reason the client is getting the massage?  The beauty of our profession is that there are so many vast differences in the level of treatments we each provide.  Massage therapy provides an opportunity for each and every person to experience different types of healing.  What a beautiful gift we are able to offer as massage therapists!

Why do some therapists accepts tips and not others?

Massage therapy is truly an art form.  if you’ve had enough massages from different massage therapists in your life you know this to be true.  So why do some therapists accept tips in their massage therapy business, while others don’t?  Is it wrong to accept tips?  Is it wrong not to?  While everyone seems to have an opinion on this subject, take a moment to watch my video below to see what I have chosen in my business regarding tipping, and why I believe it’s one of the reasons I have had such success.

Feel free to comment with your thoughts and share this with other massage therapists you feel may benefit by retweeting.  I’m here to help in any way that I can.

To your success,

Ann Ross

If you’re serious about creating and managing a successful massage therapy business, then you must purchase massage business software. This truly is a must have for business.  I found this out the hard way.  I’m embarassed to say this, but I went 2 long years before I realized that If I was going to run a successful organized business, massage business software had to be purchased.

I’m not kidding when I say that I used to actually write my insurance claim forms by hand.  I remember I had a client one day that mentioned she used to work in the claims division of an insurance company.  She was telling me about how randomly she would receive handwritten claims from random physicians that lived in small towns and didn’t know how to use software.  I didn’t say anything to her, but it was then that I realized that I had to step up my game with my business.  Inside I was so embarassed!

I let the fear of using software stop me from actually doing it.  I was afraid it would be hard for me to learn and so I spent 2 long years creating more work for myself.  While it’s embarassing to think that I went that long, I say this to make sure that you don’t make the same mistake that I did.  Trust me, once you get over the fear and actually take the time to learn you will be so happy you did.  Life and business magically becomes so much easier.

The massage business software I use is a program called  Massage-Suite.  For a girl like me that is somewhat technically challenged, I find Massage-Suite to be incredibly user friendly.

For a list of the features that Massage-Suite provides visit http://massage-suite.com/features.htm.

Like I said earlier, once I began using massage business software, life magically became easier.  It’s amazing to me that I went 2 years of running my business before I got over the fear of using software.  Please learn from my mistake and begin using software early on in your business so that you can get a head start on creating a successful business.  Trust me when I say that the sooner you begin using software, the sooner you will become successful.  Having everything in one place on your computer makes life so much easier.

If you have any questions about the software please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.  Also, if you have another software program that you already use that you think others will benefit from, please comment below.  We’d love to hear from you.

All my best,

Ann Ross

Are you ready to get started sending your clients newsletters regularly, but aren’t sure exactly how to do it?  I’ve had many therapists tell me they want to get started, but aren’t sure how to create a massage therapy newsletter.  I’ve put together a video training specifically to show you just how easy it is.  During this training I’ll walk you step by step through the process of sending a newsletter to your clients through iContact, the service I use and highly recommend.

When you’re ready to get starting sending newsletters to your clients, sign up for your 15 day trial below.  There is no obligation to keep the service after the 15 days.  However, I believe once you get started using this service you will realize, just like I did how valuable sending your clients newsletters really is.  Each and every time I send a newsletter to my list, I receive a minimum of 5 emails looking to schedule an appointment.

Sending newsletters is an invaluable tool in keeping your schedule full.  I would not be where I am in business without keeping in regular contact with my clients.  What are you waiting for?

P.S.  I’d love to hear your ideas on newsletter topics.  And don’t forget to forward this free training to all of your fellow massage therapists so they can get started creating a massage therapy newsletter for their clients too!

All my best,

Ann Ross

Choosing a massage therapy business name can feel really overwhelming and at times impossible.  When I was starting out, it made sense for me to brand my own name and create a business around that.  I have been told throughout my entire life by many people that my name is catchy.  Because it’s short, simple and easy people always remember it.  I added massage therapy to the end and my business was finally born and became “Ann Ross Massage Therapy”. 

On the other hand, when I opened my own actual business location, I chose the name “Urban Healing Arts Studio”.  I knew that I would have other self employed massage therapists utilizing the same space and I didn’t want my name to overshadow them.  Urban Healing Arts was the perfect name for my business and the professionalism I was looking to portray.

While there is some controversy in our industry regarding whether or not to use your name for your business because it, what some people say “lacks professionalism”, I believe you can be the judge of that yourself.  Every decision you make in business is yours to make.  Follow your intuition and things will always fall into place.

Here are 5 simple steps & ideas to consider when choosing a massage therapy business name.  The sooner you choose a name, the sooner you can get started on marketing yourself!

1. Think about what image you are trying to portray.

2.  What will potential customers think of when seeing your business name?

3.  Is there anything unique about the services you offer or the type of massage you provide

4.  Think about using the name of your city, town, or neighborhood in combination with your business name

5.  Use words like:
Healing
Medical
Therapy/Therapeutic
Wellness
Bodywork
Clinic/Center/Studio
Rejuvenate/Restore
Holistic

Once you come up with some great ideas write them all down and start combining different names, words and phrases to come up with the best massage therapy business name.  if you can at least narrow it down to 3, you can then ask around to friends, family and other massage therapists to get their opinion.

Another quick idea is to look around on the internet for other business names in the field of massage therapy.  Make a list of all of the words out there that people are using.  Again, use a combination method of different words and phrases to come up with some ideas.  Then, incorporate something unique to your talents, beliefs, ideas into your new words and phrases.  Obviously, you don’t want to be copying any other business names, but looking to other successful businesses can often help give you inspiration.

Whatever you decide, know that in choosing a massage therapy business name you are making one of the most important decisions in business ownership.  Accomplish this task first, and everything else will start falling into place for you.

Wishing you much success,

Ann Ross

I know you’ve heard that before…right?  You have to spend money to make money.  Well, in business this is something that you have to get used to.  If you aren’t willing to spend money on a website, marketing, education etc, how do you think you business is going to survive?

Shifting your mindset….

You have to be open minded to spending money.  Don’t think of it as something that is eating at your pocketbook, think of it as an investment in your business.  There is something in business called “Return On Investment” and it’s a term you should get used to thinking about often.  Return on investment is basically the result of spending money on something in business, such as a marketing ad and the result of your efforts in dollars.

Let’s say you spend $100 on an advertisement and received 3 clients from that advertisement at $75 per massage.  Of the 3 massages you’ve provided you made $225.  You spent $100 on the add so deduct that from the $225 and you actually made $125.  And that is just on those 3 massages.  Suppose 2 of those clients come to see you 1x a month on average at $75 per massage.  That right there is $150 per month on top of the $125 you already made in the beginning from your advertisement.  If those 2 clients continue to see you each 1x per month you have made nearly $2000 in one year from the $100 ad.   Had you not spent the money and placed the ad, you would have never seen these clients and would have never made the money you’ve made since that time.  And that’s not even counting the money you made from possible referrals from those new clients.  Do you see the importance of investing?

Investing in your business is something you have to be willing to do if you are going to make it as an entrepeneur.  I know it can be hard at first, but I promise you that the more you are willing to invest in your business, the more successful you are going to be.  When I started I allowed myself a certain amount per month to invest in my business towards my website, advertising and continuing education.  I can assure you it was my mindset in regards to spending money on my business that helped launch me to success in a short period of time.

Let go of the power money has over you…

If you can let go of the power money has over you, investing it into your business will be so much easier.  All successful businesses have a budget allotted towards different expenses within the business.  Do you think they stress out every time they have to spend money on their website fees or advertising fees?  Of course not!  They’ve most likely already sat down and figured out what their budget will be for each expense in their business.

I challenge you to sit down and figure out what areas you will need to spend money on for your business.  Below is a list of money that I spent when starting my business.  Hopefully this will help you to get a better understanding of where your money will be going when putting it back into your business.

• oils/lotions $100 every 2-3 months
• rent for my massage room in the chiropractic clinic $500 month
• education towards learning how to run a successful business $500-$1000 year
• website $150
• advertising $100 month
• Sheets $200
• candles, music, decorations $500

Throughout the years my expenses have changed within their respective categories, but one thing has always remained the same…I have ALWAYS been willing to invest money so that my business will continue to thrive and grow.

Wishing you much success,

Ann Ross

I didn’t realize the importance of sending massage newsletters to my clients until I started actually doing it.  I noticed one day that I was regularly receiving email newsletters from companies that I shopped at and thought to myself “hey, I can do that!”.  I decided to do some research online about sending newsletters, how to do it and the cost involved.  While there are companies out there that will send newsletters for you for a high cost, I highly recommend writing the content and sending the newsletters yourself.  This is another wonderful way to set yourself apart from other massage therapists in your area.  Your clients will appreciate the amount of value you put into your relationship with them.

You may be thinking to yourself “what do I say in the newsletter or, where do I even begin”.  I’ve listed some tips and ideas to help you get started on sending newsletters to your clients.

• send the newsletters via email
• send them regularly i.e. once a month, quarterly etc.
• include information to help your clients make healthy choices such as:  stretching information, healthy recipes, work out tips, breathing exercises, relaxation methods, essential oil healing properties etc.
• include any upcoming changes to your business
• specials and discounts are a great way to keep clients coming in to see you.  Let them know via newsletters
• send a weekly newsletter to your list advising of any openings you have
• remind clients of your referral program and how they can save money on massages
• keep clients informed of any continuing education classes you have recently completed
• discuss the importance of massage therapy such as the benefits one might receive.
• find information to write about by checking out articles at ehow.com, squidoo.com, or ezinearticles.com.  Of course, don’t copy any of these articles but use them to gather information for your newsletter
• include fun random facts or quotes for inspiration.

If you need a recommendation for a newsletter service check out icontact.  I highly recommend their services for massage therapists because they are so easy to use.  You can sign up today and begin using their free trial.  At $9.99 a month after your free trial, this is the best value on the market…by far!  I have been using their service for a few years now and have nothing but wonderful things to say.

Get Your Website Online NOW to start making money!

Creating a massage website is one of the most powerful things you can do to get your business up and running immediately.  As I’ve said before, if you don’t have a website…you don’t have a business.  We all turn to the internet when we are looking for information on something.  If you aren’t online how will people know you are open for business?  Having a website that highlights who you are as a massage therapist and business will automatically sell your prospect if you know exactly how to speak to their needs.

I’ve researched the top  services available for creating a massage website effectively and easily.  While there are web designers out there to help, they can often charge thousands of dollars to build your website.  I don’t recommend spending that much money to create your website when there are other amazing, supportive, professional services ready to offer websites for a fraction of the price.  I do however, recommend spending some money on your hosting.  While there are many options available for free hosting out there which can be tempting, you are severely limited to how many pages you can have and whether or not you can build a website that is keyword rich and easily found in the search engines.  What good is free hosting if you only have 5 pages and your website is nowhere to be found online?

Here are my top recommendations for creating a massage website.  Check out each option carefully and decide what service is best for you.  If you are BRAND new to the web and have no understanding of website building and/or hosting, I highly recommend my #1 choice, Site Build It.

1.  Site Build It

If I had to recommend only 1 service for massage therapy websites this would be it.  I have done a ton of research to find out what some of the most successful massage therapists in our industry are using and Site Build It has proven itself time and time again.  What I love about this service is that you don’t have to know ANYTHING about websites, search engines, hosting or HTML to create a beautiful site that is highly visible on the search engines.  Getting high search engine rankings is a hard thing to do these days and is almost impossible to do on your own.  Site Build It offers a  video tour explaining exactly how the process works and how you can get started right away.  They specialize in creating websites that offer services, just like massage therapy so that people searching on the internet for a massage therapist will find your business easily.  Some of the most successful small business owners have used Site Build It to create their website and have gone on to create extremely profitable businesses for themselves.  Site Built It offers a “turn-key” solution for massage therapists that don’t know where to even begin when creating a website.  The fact they they do everything for you truly is the perfect solution for a massage therapist.

2. SuperGreenHosting

I love Super Green Hosting for all of the options that come with their plan.  In addition to their free site builder and free domain name, they also offer advertising credits.  Credits are given for sites like Facebook, Yahoo and Google advertising.  I also love that they provide web hosting that is eco friendly.  Their servers are energy efficient which provides a service that is 100% carbon neutral friendly.  I am sure we will start to see more of this in the coming year, but for now Super Green Hosting is ahead of it’s time.

3. Fat Cow

Funny, I know…but another great company that offers similar features as Super Green Hosting.  Fat Cow is another eco friendly hosting company and they also offer advertising credits, a site builder and unlimited space.  Check out their testimonials to see all of the great press they’ve gotten!

4. Yahoo! Small Business – 35% Off Web Hosting

Yahoo is certainly worth making the top 4 when creating a massage website.  They are also very user friendly for those of us that need help when working with the internet and websites.  They provide a walk through template system similar to the others that makes building a website easy and fast.  They also offer monthly payments instead of an up front yearly 1 time payment. Yahoo hosting check out

Don’t delay in getting your website up and on the web.  This will no doubt be the most powerful marketing tool for your business.  And like I said, please don’t go with free hosting to save a buck.  $5-30 per month on your hosting will no doubt help you to bring in thousands of dollars per month.  It’s worth the cost if you are going to create an attractive, content rich website that is easily found in the search engines.

To your success,

Ann Ross

While it can seem overwhelming when starting your massage business, there is a way to make things less stressful.  Creating your own massage business plan is the most important thing when starting your business.  Without one, you will feel like you are walking into a board room with a blindfold on and no speech written.  While I know this isn’t always the most exciting thing to do, it truly is one of the most imporant business tasks and must be done.

I’ve outlined below the top 6 steps to creating your massage business plan…

Step 1.)  Business Location

This is a really important decision in the future of your business.  Open shop in the wrong location and you could easily find yourself fighting to attract and keep clients.  I encourage you to do some brainstorming when finding where you want to open your massage business.  The most important thing when considering this is the cleanliness of the location.  I was lucky enough to find a really wonderful chiropractic clinic when I started my business that was very appealing and clean.  I was even able to decorate my room, something that is also very important.  If you walk into a business and you don’t feel right energetically, or the business doesn’t have a clean look to it, I would encourage you to go elsewhere.  Your clients are going to be more inclined to come see if you provide massage in a clean, safe and organized business.   You may have to spend some extra time looking for the right location, but I promise you that your efforts are well worth it.  Please don’t settle for less than ideal.

Step 2.) Equipment & Supplies

So we all know that you will need a massage table, sheets, oils and lotion.  But what about all of the little extra things that you haven’t really thought about.  Below is a list of the things I wouldn’t be able to run a business without.

• Laptop-I take this to and from the office with me.  I honestly could not run my business without my computer
• Software-this allows me to be organized with my client information, payments, billings etc.
• Filing Cabinets
• Files
• Pencils/Pens
• Appointment Book (if you won’t be using a physical appointment book you will need to use an online service 3rd party)
• Massage Table
• Table Warmer
• Oils/Lotions
• Essential Oil
• Insurance Forms
• Printer
• Decorative Art
• Sheets/Blankets

I’m sure you get the idea.  You may not know at first exactly what you need, so I would at least start with some basic things like files, oils, lotions, sheets, blankets etc.  As you go you will figure out very quickly what your needs for running a business smoothly are.

3.) What Will You Be Charging Per Massage?

Another HUGE decision in starting a business.  If you charge too low, you will have to do more massages to make more money, and also people might have a perceived lower value because your prices are too low.  On the other hand, if you charge too high you might turn many people off due to high prices.  I would recommend doing some research in your area to find out what the average hourly massage session is.  Figure in the highs and lows and go with something in the middle.  This can be a hard decision for massage therapists because we aren’t used to making such a large amount of money up front and can often feel guilty about.  But don’t forget, you are a business and you have overhead to run your business.  You also are highly skilled and have spent thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours at becoming a qualified, talented massage therapist.   Do not feel guilty about charging what you are worth.

4.) Creating Your Vision

What type of clients are you looking to attract? What is your philosophy on massage therapy? What do you believe when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle and incorporating massage regularly?  These are just a few questions you should be asking yourself.  People want to do business with people they know, like and trust.  You need to take some time to sit down and figure out your vision.  This will help in attracting the right kind of clients to your business.

5.) Creating Your Marketing Funnel

This is a very important section of your business plan as this is how you are going to get clients in your door.  If you don’t get clients  in your door, you won’t be making money.  Don’t underestimate the power of your marketing funnel, for this is pretty much the bread and butter of your business.

6.) Nurturing Your Business

Another hugely important section of your business plan.  Once you have given someone a massage you need to make sure they come back to see you when they are in need of another massage.  Things like prebooking sessions, referral programs, thank you cards, newsletters, massage specials, punch cards etc. are important things to think about when figuring out how to nurture your business.  Make a list of all of your ideas so that once you start getting busy, you already have the tools ready to nurture the business.  This will make your life so much easier, I promise.

A few other ideas to throw out …

find a CPA (certified public accountant).  This is someone that will help you with your taxes…A must!

Figuring out what you want your yearly income to be.  Don’t forge to factor in overheard, such as rent and supplies as well as taxes.

Creating a schedule for yourself is a must as well.  What days will you be providing massage?  What hours?  Also, make sure you schedule time into your day/week to manage your business.  This is an area many people often overlook.  Running a massage business isn’t just about providing massage, you will be doing a lot of work on the back end too.  Make sure you carve time out for yourself each week to do this.

You can do it!

While making a business plan can seem overwhelming, I promise you it will make your life so much easier in the long run.  This is a great way to get yourself organized from day one.  Something I highly recommend.

Wishing you much success,

Ann Ross

It’s never easy, is it?  Starting something new, deciding to go for it, figuring out what road to take.  I remember those same feelings when starting my own massage therapy business.  My lack of confidence kept me frustrated and held me back from so many goals.  I kept thinking it was never going to happen and continued to get down on myself for the smallest things.  I wanted it now now now!!!  I was failing to understand that success does not and can not happen overnight.

Businesses take time and nurturing before they can become successful.  Thankfully, massage therapy is the type of business that can be built fairly quickly, with the right kind of nurturing.  While it won’t happen overnight, the right kind of massage therapy clients will see massage therapy as a true necessity in their life and most likely will come to see you on a regular basis.

Think about it, if you owned a jewelry store or clothing store you might only see certain customers once every 6-12 months.  Many people are pinching their pennies these days and only spending money on things that add deeper value and meaning to their lives.

You are sitting on a gold mine as a massage therapist in being able to offer something of huge value to your clients.  You can help people recover from injuries, ease chronic pain, relax or reduce discomfort in pregnancy, or just reduce the overload of stress that someone may be dealing with.  As a massage therapist, if you position yourself and your business with the ability to solve a problem someone is having you will be way ahead of the game.

So when you get frustrated because you’re just beginning, or your business isn’t growing as fast as you hoped it would, take a step back and re-evaluate a few things.  Are you positioning yourself appropriately?  Are you offering basic massage therapy?  Or are you going above and beyond and branding yourself as an expert in a specific type of massage?  These details can make all the difference in whether or not your business takes months or years to become successful.

Continue to work hard, educate yourself and remember that you truly have what it takes to be successful inside of you.  It’s normal to feel like giving up when things get tough.  Remember to love and nurture yourself first, so that you will be able to love and nurture others.  Everything else will fall into place.

Keep pushing forward!  I’m right behind you!

Ann Ross