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Massage business in home
Why? Is there a stipulation about massaging in your own that you have to have a seperate room set up! Which I have 3 rooms in my home that are not being used because I was informed by several instructors that it is a regulation to have a seperate entrance into the room and seperate door open to the outside? Georgia?
But is alright to go to someones house and massage then in the living room, bedroom, bathroom, closet, kitchen or garge?
I have searched every where for the documentation on this subject can someone point me in the right direction? I have also Googled it!
Views: 2150
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Angela Lind on
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I see it this more as a safety procedure. I can give massage to the client's house because if he has an accident there (for example), then its the clients problem because is her/his house, not mine. If s/he falls because of a slippery floor in MY house then s/he can sue me. That's why its better to have an establishment license for working at home, to make sure that the home meets all the standard rules for the public access and protection without discrimination (for example: the handicap). If a therapist decides to do it without this establishment license, and a client falls and sue the therapist, just imagine the charges!! even if the therapist is paying for liability insurance, without the proper establishment license, the therapist will have to pay a lot of money if something happens to a client! and actually, you never know, maybe a client will report you because you don't have a license to work at home, maybe its an "undercover" inspector, you never know!
So, definitely, its better to go to the client's home!
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Permalink Reply by Julie Onofrio on
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I don't think it is a law except but not totally sure - the issue is more that it just isn't professional- it is YOUR house and people won't feel comfortable getting massaged in your living room - what if the kids come home or the fed ex comes to the door. It just isn't enough privacy. People don't have massage rooms set up in their house. Have you ever gone into people's house? It can be a nightmare. I once had to carry my table and stuff up a long flight of really narrow stairs into a very small room which I could hardly set the table up in..
last summer I found a MT who I thought was going to be good and it turned out she worked out of her home. It was a separate room and there was a bathroom right next to the room but it was upstairs at her house next to like a family room and then closed doors which I think were bedrooms. I kept wondering if her roommate was going to come home (which she did have). It just is really uncomfortable to me anyways. I also didn't know where to park, the directions weren't clear. Then I came down into her kitchen to pay her. It was all clean and professional but still made me uncomfortable going into a strangers house.
I much prefer an office setting. It shows you are serious about what you are doing and is more professional in my opinion.
Julie
www.massagepracticebuilder.com
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Permalink Reply by Toni Roberts on
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Julie, people don't normally set up their massage table to take clients in their living room. Usually they have a dedicated room, a studio not dissimilar to the massage room in any of our offices. In an ideal situation, they even have a private entrance to the business area.
Zoning ordinances usually dictate whether or not one can have clients come to their homes. Cites usually restrict this, while less urban areas are more lenient. One notable exception is Vermont, which protects home practices for massage and a few other occupations statewide. Since many city councils consist of real estate developers, one can imagine they would prefer someone rent space from them rather than work from their homes.
I have worked both in an office and in my home. Some clients prefer an away-from-home office and some prefer to come to my home, which is no longer available. You are one who prefers a storefront, I see. I would prefer to visit a quieter location if the setup is comfortable. My veteran clients still mention how much they preferred the warmth and comfort of my home office. A quiet home can be a perfect setting for massage. Even nicer if there's a fireplace in the room, or even in the reception/(usually) living room.
Julie Onofrio said:I don't think it is a law except but not totally sure - the issue is more that it just isn't professional- it is YOUR house and people won't feel comfortable getting massaged in your living room - what if the kids come home or the fed ex comes to the door. It just isn't enough privacy. People don't have massage rooms set up in their house. Have you ever gone into people's house? It can be a nightmare. I once had to carry my table and stuff up a long flight of really narrow stairs into a very small room which I could hardly set the table up in..
last summer I found a MT who I thought was going to be good and it turned out she worked out of her home. It was a separate room and there was a bathroom right next to the room but it was upstairs at her house next to like a family room and then closed doors which I think were bedrooms. I kept wondering if her roommate was going to come home (which she did have). It just is really uncomfortable to me anyways. I also didn't know where to park, the directions weren't clear. Then I came down into her kitchen to pay her. It was all clean and professional but still made me uncomfortable going into a strangers house.
I much prefer an office setting. It shows you are serious about what you are doing and is more professional in my opinion.
Julie
www.massagepracticebuilder.com
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I think we can't generalize. Some therapists have set up a great private studio at their homes, and some not. The same as day spas: many are not that good, too much noise of people talking on the hallways, phones ringing, opening/closing doors, etc. So it depends on each situation.
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Permalink Reply by Sharon Seller on
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I have to disagree. I practice from my home and all my clients tell me they will never go anywhere else because of the ambiance I have created in my home. I have an occupation license, get inspected annually, and comply with all city, state, health department, and fire department regulations. My home is spotless, quiet, warm, professional, and very comfortable. Granted I live alone so there is never a chance of anyone coming home and making noise or being disruptive.
One bedroom serves exclusively as my office and a second bedroom is my massage room. Both rooms are very well appointed. My ranch style house means no steps for my clients to climb. I have a door hanger that I put on the outside of my front door when I'm with a client so no one will knock or ring the bell. Clients park in my driveway and I never schedule so tightly that 2 clients would be there at the same time thus preventing any parking problems.
I don't believe an office setting shows you are "more serious about what you do or is more professional". I think it's all about the MT; how serious they take themselves and our profession, and how they conduct themselves professionally. I've been in office settings where I never felt comfortable (too loud, very impersonal, too clinical, etc.) and I've been in MT's homes that I would never go back to because of children, pets, and overall uncleanliness. As far as my home business, my clients never want to leave!
Julie Onofrio said:I don't think it is a law except but not totally sure - the issue is more that it just isn't professional- it is YOUR house and people won't feel comfortable getting massaged in your living room - what if the kids come home or the fed ex comes to the door. It just isn't enough privacy. People don't have massage rooms set up in their house. Have you ever gone into people's house? It can be a nightmare. I once had to carry my table and stuff up a long flight of really narrow stairs into a very small room which I could hardly set the table up in..
last summer I found a MT who I thought was going to be good and it turned out she worked out of her home. It was a separate room and there was a bathroom right next to the room but it was upstairs at her house next to like a family room and then closed doors which I think were bedrooms. I kept wondering if her roommate was going to come home (which she did have). It just is really uncomfortable to me anyways. I also didn't know where to park, the directions weren't clear. Then I came down into her kitchen to pay her. It was all clean and professional but still made me uncomfortable going into a strangers house.
I much prefer an office setting. It shows you are serious about what you are doing and is more professional in my opinion.
Julie
www.massagepracticebuilder.com
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Permalink Reply by Daniel Cohen on
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This is why you must check the local home business laws. They can differ greatly from one city to another. In my city you can only have your office in the home and can not have clients coming over. For massage this means out call only.
Sharon Seller said:I have to disagree. I practice from my home and all my clients tell me they will never go anywhere else because of the ambiance I have created in my home. I have an occupation license, get inspected annually, and comply with all city, state, health department, and fire department regulations. My home is spotless, quiet, warm, professional, and very comfortable. Granted I live alone so there is never a chance of anyone coming home and making noise or being disruptive.
One bedroom serves exclusively as my office and a second bedroom is my massage room. Both rooms are very well appointed. My ranch style house means no steps for my clients to climb. I have a door hanger that I put on the outside of my front door when I'm with a client so no one will knock or ring the bell. Clients park in my driveway and I never schedule so tightly that 2 clients would be there at the same time thus preventing any parking problems.
I don't believe an office setting shows you are "more serious about what you do or is more professional". I think it's all about the MT; how serious they take themselves and our profession, and how they conduct themselves professionally. I've been in office settings where I never felt comfortable (too loud, very impersonal, too clinical, etc.) and I've been in MT's homes that I would never go back to because of children, pets, and overall uncleanliness. As far as my home business, my clients never want to leave!
Julie Onofrio said:I don't think it is a law except but not totally sure - the issue is more that it just isn't professional- it is YOUR house and people won't feel comfortable getting massaged in your living room - what if the kids come home or the fed ex comes to the door. It just isn't enough privacy. People don't have massage rooms set up in their house. Have you ever gone into people's house? It can be a nightmare. I once had to carry my table and stuff up a long flight of really narrow stairs into a very small room which I could hardly set the table up in..
last summer I found a MT who I thought was going to be good and it turned out she worked out of her home. It was a separate room and there was a bathroom right next to the room but it was upstairs at her house next to like a family room and then closed doors which I think were bedrooms. I kept wondering if her roommate was going to come home (which she did have). It just is really uncomfortable to me anyways. I also didn't know where to park, the directions weren't clear. Then I came down into her kitchen to pay her. It was all clean and professional but still made me uncomfortable going into a strangers house.
I much prefer an office setting. It shows you are serious about what you are doing and is more professional in my opinion.
Julie
www.massagepracticebuilder.com
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Permalink Reply by Lara Rininger on
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I agree. One of my instructors and his wife are both successful LMTs and he's also an acupuncturist. They have a homebased practice. They do not have children. They have a nice set up with a sitting (waiting area) and then they have two treatment rooms that are just lovely in their home. Their client restroom is very clean and sanitary. It is nothing but professional. They have a beautiful tree lined property and even have marked parking spaces on their large driveway for their clients. I actually prefer this type of setting to a more clinical type setting but that is just me and well, all of their many clients.
Lara
Toni Roberts said:Julie, people don't normally set up their massage table to take clients in their living room. Usually they have a dedicated room, a studio not dissimilar to the massage room in any of our offices. In an ideal situation, they even have a private entrance to the business area.
Zoning ordinances usually dictate whether or not one can have clients come to their homes. Cites usually restrict this, while less urban areas are more lenient. One notable exception is Vermont, which protects home practices for massage and a few other occupations statewide. Since many city councils consist of real estate developers, one can imagine they would prefer someone rent space from them rather than work from their homes.
I have worked both in an office and in my home. Some clients prefer an away-from-home office and some prefer to come to my home, which is no longer available. You are one who prefers a storefront, I see. I would prefer to visit a quieter location if the setup is comfortable. My veteran clients still mention how much they preferred the warmth and comfort of my home office. A quiet home can be a perfect setting for massage. Even nicer if there's a fireplace in the room, or even in the reception/(usually) living room.
Julie Onofrio said:I don't think it is a law except but not totally sure - the issue is more that it just isn't professional- it is YOUR house and people won't feel comfortable getting massaged in your living room - what if the kids come home or the fed ex comes to the door. It just isn't enough privacy. People don't have massage rooms set up in their house. Have you ever gone into people's house? It can be a nightmare. I once had to carry my table and stuff up a long flight of really narrow stairs into a very small room which I could hardly set the table up in..
last summer I found a MT who I thought was going to be good and it turned out she worked out of her home. It was a separate room and there was a bathroom right next to the room but it was upstairs at her house next to like a family room and then closed doors which I think were bedrooms. I kept wondering if her roommate was going to come home (which she did have). It just is really uncomfortable to me anyways. I also didn't know where to park, the directions weren't clear. Then I came down into her kitchen to pay her. It was all clean and professional but still made me uncomfortable going into a strangers house.
I much prefer an office setting. It shows you are serious about what you are doing and is more professional in my opinion.
Julie
www.massagepracticebuilder.com
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Permalink Reply by Rachel Sheard, LMT, NCTMB, CIPI on
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I'm glad to have found this thread and hope others add their experiences, both as LMTs working in their own homes, or their experiences going to someone's home for massage.
My husband and I bought our house in March and are considering converting our family room into a massage studio--which would mean adding in a 1/2 bath in that room, plus an exterior door, so clients get a private entrance into the massage room, not having to walk through the house.
It is permissible with our current zoning, and within the next year or two, I'd like to have my schedule adjusted so that I work while husband does and kids in school all at the same time--currently, hubby and I work opposite of each other and flip flop with the little kids (3 & 5yrs old now). Whether I move my business into our home or not, it's a huge goal and PLAN to change my schedule in that way. Once that happens, there would be 0 chance of any interruptions while clients are here. Not sure how it would work while I'm currently scheduled opposite of my husband....more thought required....
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Permalink Reply by Lee Edelberg on
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I don't work much out of my home because of its location and layout. But for a sole practitioner it can make financial sense to do it if possible. If you're already paying a mortgage for your home you can put some of that to business use rather than adding a monthly rental payment for a studio.
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