Staying In Business As A Massage Therapist

One would think at first glance, that being a massage therapist is a great way to do wonderful things for people and make a good living. Massages are priced at anywhere from $70 and hour to $100 for an hour. And besides a massage table for a few hundred dollars, sheets and oils there is not much more that needs to be purchased. Does that not translate into a substantial amount of money in your pocket?

Well, the reality is often very different than what massage therapists imagine when they consider this profession, and if you are thinking of making massage therapy a career, there are some things you need to know.

I have been a massage therapist and for many years. I know many therapists and as an instructor, I am in touch with many of my students. Being connected with the reality of massage therapy has not only helped me understand the dynamics, but also aided me in developing my own practice when needed. Some of those insights I would like to share here.

One of the most disturbing issues is that many therapists only last a few years on the job, and that is if they can even get their feet on the ground to generate an adequate income.

So what seems to be the problem?

As a therapist you are either employed (even if your employer calls you an independent contractor) or self-employed (or maybe you are like many colleagues a combination of both). Even if you are employed at a spa facility, gym, chiropractor or other health and wellness operation, chances are you will have private clients outside of your job and juggle a few different venues which puts you in a position of managing your own supplies, transportation, taxes and so on.

The first mistake that many therapists make, is that they neglect to see themselves as a business.

Many small (and larger) businesses make the exact same mistake when they launch their venture: They fail to plan their business and fail at their business. When therapists leave the field it is primarily for one reason: They do not make enough money to pay the bills.

Step One View yourself as a business.

What this means is that you need to balance your income with your expenses and write a business plan for yourself. In order to stay afloat your income must match your expenditures that include every single expense from supplies, to the amount of money you need to have at your disposal to pay the rent, your car, your clothes and your pet food as well as resources for the future.

Step Two: Write a business plan.

When you start writing your business plan and ask yourself the question: How many sessions can I do every day, you might discover some interesting facts about your business. You may find one of the reasons why therapists have a hard time making ends meet and ultimately leave the field: You can physically only do a certain number of sessions in any given time period due to the sheer physical and emotional challenges that of this work. Right now you might not think so but and still experience a rush doing 4 or 5 sessions a day. But imagine doing this day in, day out for years. Not really an option, is it?

What this means is your income from massage work is restricted by the number of sessions you can offer. Finding this out in the planning phase is a huge advantage because it means you can prepare for the reality of only doing a few sessions a day.

If you wait until you are active in your practice, one of two things might happen: You will either perform too many sessions because you need the money and sooner or later burn out and leave the profession or you will leave the profession to find another job.

Part of your realization might also be that you will have to charge more than you anticipated for a massage. And you should. As a business you cannot afford not to.

The second issue that many therapists face is that they perceive a contradiction between the type of work they do and selling their services. I discuss this at length in my book The Successful Therapist, but one of realizations I had is that I cannot be of service at all, if I cannot sustain myself through the work. And looking at it from that point of view was very helpful.

Step Three: Develop a massage marketing plan Clients do not just walk through the door. You have to attract them and then retain them. There are many ways to advertise your services and as many ways to spend a lot of money with no results. Before you spend any money, spend some time thinking what kind of client you want to work with and what solution you offer to a problem that they specifically have.

Then spend some time formulating and developing that solution as a headline and a service. I spent some time in Australia and worked out of a small bookstore in a crowded pedestrian area. My sign on the street said: Relieve your headache in 15 minutes and it worked. There were enough people with headaches mulling around and not enjoying their shopping experience. The reality is that no one cares about you. They care about what you can do for them.

Once you know what solutions you offer, it will be much easier to target those people directly and efficiently. Visit your local hotel and talk with the concierge about referring clients to you. Visit senior citizens homes and assisted living for seniors massage and offer the people who work there a referral fee. Talk to the HR department of a large company to offer an introduction to in-house chair massage. Go to prenatal yoga classes with flyers to offer pregnancy massage, etc.

Step four: Plan for additional revenue streams. Even though you might be doing all the massages you can and want to do, you will definitely want to have additional income resources in place to utilize the client contact you have through your massage traffic and marketing activities. There are many ways to do this for example retail related products. But there is also one idea that I want to suggest here: Offering spa treatments. spa treatments not only capture a clientele that might not want a massage but they also add to your reputation, are much less taxing on the body and offer a very nice way to promote products you can sell after the treatment.

Nicolay Kreidler is a licensed massage therapist and massage instructor at Touching from the Heart and a facilitator at Spa College He is an active consultant to the spa industry and author of the book "The Successful Massage Therapist" now available as ebook through Spa Pros

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Golf Swing Help - A Guaranteed Way To Improve Your Swing

Getting golf swing help is as simple as booking into your local club for lessons from a private instructor.

Yes, it will cost you money for private tuition but then how serious are you about improving your golf swing?

Too many golfers try to take shortcuts with many relying on books and DVDs to master the art of the golf swing. This is okay however, the one ingredient missing is you cannot ask questions. You could use as many books and DVDs as you want and you could pick up some handy tips but there's nothing like having the watchful eye of an instructor looking over you.

How many Lessons Do You Need?

This depends at what level you are at. A private instructor is handy for golf swing swing help for those players who have hacked around the course for awhile and haven't shown too much improvement.

The danger with this is golfers can get into bad habits which can be difficult to overcome. Private tuition is the first step in getting your game on track and onto the next level.

How many lessons you need depends on how much golf swing help you require. If it's just to iron out one deficiency then one or two lessons could be sufficient and this is then followed up with plenty of practice.

For outright beginners, a minimum of six lessons at least should be the target. one lesson a week should be enough because in between, you'll have several days to put into practice what you've learnt.

Using an instructor for golf swing help will enable you to maximise your skill development. This is your private time so ask as many questions as you can.

Group Or individual coaching

one on one tuition is preferred particularly if you don't respond well in a group situation. The main benefit of course is you'll get individual attention.

It's your call... are you serious about improving your game? Getting golf swing help from a qualified instructor is the most likely way you'll shortcut your learning curve.

want more great advice, tips and golf swing help? Take your game to the next level with the latest news and reviews in golf swing techniques

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A Guide To Life In Bulgaria

More and more expatriates are attracted to bulgaria each year.

These expatriates are drawn by the climate, the safe sandy beaches, the incredibly low cost of living and low prices generally, the historical heritage that bulgaria offers and the welcome they get from the friendly Bulgarians.

While Bulgaria does not yet have the same destination appeal of spain or portugal say, all that is about to change as bulgaria gets closer to entry into the EU in 2007.

Those choosing a new life in bulgaria now are getting in ahead of the pack as this country is about to become very fashionable.

If you are thinking that bulgaria might be the place for you what can you expect from life in Bulgaria? And which areas are attracting the main influx of expatriates?

The biggest growth rates in terms of expat population increase are expected in the more desirable areas in and around the major resort centres of Varna and Burgas. With further population development expected in other selected premium quality locations on the Black Sea coast.

british expats already living in bulgaria are attracted to the fact that you are far less likely to become a victim of crime in bulgaria than on any UK street nowadays. Street crime in bulgaria is rare, and general crimes against the person are statistically lower compared to western european countries.

On the whole bulgaria is a peaceful, law abiding and trouble free country and Bulgarians are friendly, warm and welcoming people.

Expatriates attracted to bulgaria are rewarded with great beaches a sunny climate and attractions as diverse as wine tasting, aqua parks, ancient monuments, nature parks, music and flower festivals.

And the cost of living is incredibly low.

The economic forecast for bulgaria.

Since 1989 bulgaria has been going through a successful transformation from a state controlled economy to an open market economy - so successful has the transformation proved to be that bulgaria has been invited to join the european Union with membership time-tabled for 2007.

In general financial analysts agree that bulgaria is currently undervalued, and therefore base costs are lower than the market realisation set against forecasts of growth and increased investment flows.

In terms of what this means to those living in bulgaria - the costs of living are exceptional low. But this is not going to last forever.

bulgaria is currently benefiting from the european Unions heavy investment into the country. Millions of Euro dollars being spent on upgrading the countrys roads and airports and schemes such as the Beautiful bulgaria Project are being set up to refurbish the historical and architectural gems of bulgaria.

All this work is meant to encourage new private investment to help bring bulgaria more in line with its european neighbours in time for the 2007 EU entry.

This means that bulgaria is increasing as a tourist and expat destination of choice year on year and those living in bulgaria will only benefit as the country moves strongly towards EU entry.

Rhiannon Williamson is an experienced publisher who has produced articles for leading travel and tourism guides and financial magazines. Her specialist knowledge about both travel and finance gives her site Shelter Offshore, the unique ability to literally cover every single aspect of moving & living abroad - including the often less discussed offshore tax advantages that can be available when leaving our homeland.

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