Help, New Business!

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Celest McGonagill on May 8, 2014 at 8:09am

Hi! Where are you?

1. Look into getting the book Business Mastery by Cherie M. Sohnen-Moe. Don't be put off by how old the book is. A lot of the information in the book doesn't change.

2. Get liability insurance! I'd recommend ABMP. They have a free web site that is pretty nice and a free email address where you choose the name and the domain (the stuff after the @) is massagetherapy.com. Like mine is celest@massagetherapy.com and my web site address is celest.massagetherapy.com. You can change the stuff before the @ symbol in case you want to put your business name instead.

3. Find a CPA that you can trust.

4. Choose a location making sure it is safe, well lit, no stairs, has a bathroom close by.

5. Make a Facebook and LinkedIn page for your business not you.

6. Figure out who your customers are going to be and start marketing to them. If your practice is more medical start talking to doctors, for example.

7. Start participating in volunteer activities in which you can do massages for marketing. I've done this with chair massage and it is has been ok. Marketing takes A LOT of work!!!

8. Make your business name, logo, web site etc easy for people to remember.

I might think of more stuff as time goes on. My email address is celestmcg@gmail.com if you want to email me. You can find me on Facebook too, Celest McGonagill. I don't have a business FB page because I'm currently working with a therapist in her business. Good luck.

Permalink Reply by ken hatcher on May 8, 2014 at 9:46am

Caitin

  Celeste has some great suggestions. Here are few more.

A) Try AMTA for your Liability Insurance. They have local chapters in each state, and here in Louisiana, during the annual convention,  the also offer the yearly CEU's. So check them out also. Do some compare shopping

B) As with the CPA, mine is my client, so we swap services. Hint Hint.

C) The Volunteer work is an excellent way to get your name out there, but a word to the wise, "There is no value in Free". So what I mean to say is, you will have to learn to say NO, as you will become overwhelmed with volunteer request. Don't forget you have bills to pay and eat. So pick and choose, but have fun and meet new folks, and by all means do offer gift certificates at functions(just don't go overboard).

D) Gift certificates. Make sure you put a expiration date on them, but by all means, honor ALL of your certificates, regardless how far expired they are.

E) Offer people a % off the massage for feedback on your massage. 5 or 10% Find out what they think. get an honest opinion.

F) CEU'S. I suggest getting their info, dvds, etc, before hand, to be really up on whats going on(that is if its a subject you are hot for, ie deep tissue, stretching, etc,)

Good luck 

Permalink Reply by Caitlin Lemoine on May 10, 2014 at 12:44pm

Thank you Ken and Celeste, I am in Lafayette. I already do a good bit of your suggestions or have at least considered it. I have volunteered on occasion. I'm with abmp but had amta insurance in the past. I have liability, a facebook, and website, I keep up with ceu's (prefer a hands on class to an online one) and am licensed. Getting my name out and keeping up with ceu's hasn't been too hard its the paperwork. It's how do I find a CPA? I don't have any clients that are as of yet. Should I just go to the nearest office and offer a trade? When I do find one what questions do I ask? Will they know everything I'll need? Do they deal with taxes and any business licensing beyond what I have? And why do I need a CPA? Is there no way to do all the tax stuff on my own? 

ken hatcher said:

Caitin

  Celeste has some great suggestions. Here are few more.

A) Try AMTA for your Liability Insurance. They have local chapters in each state, and here in Louisiana, during the annual convention,  the also offer the yearly CEU's. So check them out also. Do some compare shopping

B) As with the CPA, mine is my client, so we swap services. Hint Hint.

C) The Volunteer work is an excellent way to get your name out there, but a word to the wise, "There is no value in Free". So what I mean to say is, you will have to learn to say NO, as you will become overwhelmed with volunteer request. Don't forget you have bills to pay and eat. So pick and choose, but have fun and meet new folks, and by all means do offer gift certificates at functions(just don't go overboard).

D) Gift certificates. Make sure you put a expiration date on them, but by all means, honor ALL of your certificates, regardless how far expired they are.

E) Offer people a % off the massage for feedback on your massage. 5 or 10% Find out what they think. get an honest opinion.

F) CEU'S. I suggest getting their info, dvds, etc, before hand, to be really up on whats going on(that is if its a subject you are hot for, ie deep tissue, stretching, etc,)

Good luck 

Permalink Reply by ken hatcher on May 11, 2014 at 2:29pm

Caitin

   I prefer the hands on CEU's myself.

As for the CPA, We have a business, and thats what they deal with. Can you do your own taxes, of course you can, however its like my CPA tells me. She gos to updates seminars on tax changes every couple of months. She is up on the tax codes.

  I just prefer to leave the stress to her, then put her though the weekly sometime 2x a week(during tax season) "Waring Blender" massage. 

  What do you save? Everything. Label all recites. Also ask them anything specific. Gas mileage, room rent, equipment  cost, rental, repairs, or yearly taxes. Supplies( don't forget the bottles of water and chocolate you leave for the client at the end of the rub.), yearly ABMP dues, liability insurance, telephone, CEU's travel, hotel, food. Advertisement,

  These are just some of the things, I'm sure you will think of more.

   Ken