Software for MTs

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Bob Sullivan on July 8, 2009 at 9:42am

Hi Sue,
I looked and tried a bunch of programs and it kind of depends on whether you want to pay month to month or one time.
I decided to go with a one time payment and found Massage Manager (www.massagemanager.com) to work the best for me. It was $199 and seems to have most of what you are looking for.

Massage Office Pro (which you see advertised everywhere) does not handle gift certificates and track packages well (buy 5 get the 6th free, e.g.) and is more expensive.

Check out Massage Manager site - you can download a free 1 month trial and see how it works for you.

All the best

Bob S,
NCTMB

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Susan C Dixon on July 8, 2009 at 10:33am

Thank you, Bob.
It's always better to get someones recommendations/experiences on these kinds of products rather than wasting money on things that aren't all that great or don't work. I'll check this one out.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Helen Floyd on July 8, 2009 at 12:53pm

Hi susan.

My suggestion is NOT to invest in proprietary software - at least initially- if ever. The problem with these items is the proprietary database that will have all of your important information- is NOT transferable to another program should you decide that what you have is no longer working for you, or the customer service is not as advertised, or the program does not work as easily as promised, and there is little (free) technical support. Just because a company advertises a specialized piece of software does NOT mean there is a vested interest in it, nor that they will work with you regarding any problems specific to your computer platform.
I use microsoft outlook for my booking system- it has everything I need. I can attach files to the contact, such as reciepts for people who will bill thier own insurance, make notes on each massage session or on any anomalies and referrals I made. It has reminders for appointments; you can make multiple calendars.
I interface it with the free google calendar functions( this also functions as a backup system should anything happen to my main computer) and via this I make use of the free wireless mobile functionality again provided by google, so I can book an appointment, check the schedule and it will automatically synchronize my phone calendar and office calendar.
outlook interfaces directly with programs such as MS word and stamps.com to create mailings and print labels. It is exportable in basic (CSV) formats to upload into pretty much ANY other program you want to use to make automatic mailings such as to click2send or premium postcards.
I've been in business 5 years, have moved to a larger office and added two other therapists and I don't have a need for anything else.
If you want to be really interesting- simply invest in the MS outlook program ONLY, and then download the FREE opensource office program suite. it is fantastic, and in most ways is better than word, excel and publisher.
get it here:
http://openoffice.org-suite.com/index.asp?aff=101&camp=gg_oo_us...

hope this helps.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Kathy Bradley on July 8, 2009 at 2:25pm

Sue,
Go to www.massage-suite.com, see if you like this program. I use it and it has been great. Jeff will send you upgrades for the program for free. It's not too expensive either. Jeff has been very helpful with any questions I have had.

Kathy

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Cliff Korn on July 8, 2009 at 11:22pm

Helen, you are getting a lot more functionality out of Outlook than I am! Are you making your notes in Outlook or Word? I'd love to be able to keep client documentation chronologically arranged, and linked to the client in Outlook. I haven't had a lot of luck merging my calendar functions with Outlook and Google either - syncing is certainly necessary and keeping Outlook and my blackberry synced together is easy, but I'd love to have Google calendar as a backup. Can you provide a little more specificity on which version of Outlook you use and how you set it up? (Maybe you could even develop a manual for massage practices! ;-))

Helen Floyd said:

Hi susan.

My suggestion is NOT to invest in proprietary software - at least initially- if ever. The problem with these items is the proprietary database that will have all of your important information- is NOT transferable to another program should you decide that what you have is no longer working for you, or the customer service is not as advertised, or the program does not work as easily as promised, and there is little (free) technical support. Just because a company advertises a specialized piece of software does NOT mean there is a vested interest in it, nor that they will work with you regarding any problems specific to your computer platform.
I use microsoft outlook for my booking system- it has everything I need. I can attach files to the contact, such as reciepts for people who will bill thier own insurance, make notes on each massage session or on any anomalies and referrals I made. It has reminders for appointments; you can make multiple calendars.
I interface it with the free google calendar functions( this also functions as a backup system should anything happen to my main computer) and via this I make use of the free wireless mobile functionality again provided by google, so I can book an appointment, check the schedule and it will automatically synchronize my phone calendar and office calendar.
outlook interfaces directly with programs such as MS word and stamps.com to create mailings and print labels. It is exportable in basic (CSV) formats to upload into pretty much ANY other program you want to use to make automatic mailings such as to click2send or premium postcards.
I've been in business 5 years, have moved to a larger office and added two other therapists and I don't have a need for anything else.
If you want to be really interesting- simply invest in the MS outlook program ONLY, and then download the FREE opensource office program suite. it is fantastic, and in most ways is better than word, excel and publisher.
get it here:
http://openoffice.org-suite.com/index.asp?aff=101&camp=gg_oo_us...

hope this helps.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Felicia Brown on July 9, 2009 at 11:11am

I really like MindBodyOnline and use it in my own practice as do my ICs. It does most of what you are asking about and so much more like online scheduling (if desired), online store, online gift certificates and has lots of marketing and report options. Records can also be exported to excel very easily for tax issues, etc. I actually just published a post about various POS systems for massage theapists and spas (and other technology I like) on my blog. If you are interested just follow the link to read more.

http://blog.spalutions.com/2009/06/30/what-software-or-marketingsal...

Felicia

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bob Sullivan on October 28, 2009 at 12:55pm

Bob Sullivan said:

Hi Sue,
I looked and tried a bunch of programs and it kind of depends on whether you want to pay month to month or one time.
I decided to go with a one time payment and found Massage Manager (www.massagemanager.com) to work the best for me. It was $199 and seems to have most of what you are looking for.

Massage Office Pro (which you see advertised everywhere) does not handle gift certificates and track packages well (buy 5 get the 6th free, e.g.) and is more expensive.

Check out Massage Manager site - you can download a free 1 month trial and see how it works for you.

All the best

Bob S,
NCTMB

UPDATE - THIS PRODUCT WENT OUT OF BUSINESS - A VERY GOOD LESSON! Bob

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Lisa on October 29, 2009 at 6:54am

Hey Susan,

I posed this same question in the Marketing group and someone posted this

http://www.landsw.com/massage.htm

to me it looks perfect and i plan on purchasing it soon. check out the screenshot tab so you can see all the areas templated for you. everything from client intake information, to keeping track of referrals and gift certificates, as well as financial records.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Cindy Iwlew on April 28, 2010 at 1:25pm

Hi Sue,

My husband and I just released our massage software called Bodywork Buddy. It is customized for the small private practice, not big spas. It doesn't currently have a schedule reminder, but we are planning to add online scheduling in the future and that would be part of that feature.

Our massage software is designed to help therapists keep records of clients, appointments, track gift certificates and tally business expenses.

Included Features:
Client Management
Record Sessions
Track Gift Certificates
Input Business Expenses
Generate Reports (Sales, Income, Expenses)

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by David Beard on April 28, 2010 at 2:04pm

have you tried, sbFirstDay, or Schedulicity?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Mystro | Massage Software on April 7, 2015 at 10:52pm

Hello Susan, 

I have been using Mystro  for my business and it has really allowed me to transform the way i run my business. 

There are some great standout features like automated invoicing, CRM (with SOAP notes and booking history), service provider management, add multiple businesses and locations to your account, unlimited users (receptionists, managers, accountants etc), scheduling calendar, SMS and Email notifications, payment gateway integration and customisable access levels for each service provider and user.

Mystro comes with a free and paid plans depending on how many service providers you have in your business.

You can find out more at www.mystro.co/massage-software if you are still in need of the right software for your business. 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Chantel Martin on April 17, 2015 at 8:57pm

I personally use MassageBook. There's no download necessary, and you can run it from a computer, tablet, or phone. The basic free membership has online scheduling that can sync with Google calendars, email appointment reminders, soap notes, client management, and payments. There's an online cash register, and it does give you a report of your sales (not sure about expenses.) They'll also help with your online presence by putting you in their directory, and helping your search engine optimization, and letting people leave reviews about you. If you're an ABMP member, you can get several of their premium features for free as well, like Facebook integration, client intake forms, and optional text message reminders for your clients. Hope this helps.

• ▶ Reply

▶ Reply to Discussion