Even though no one might not have told you just how much of a juggling act it would be to launch and run your own practice, market your services to the community, build a loyal client base, continue to hone your professional skills, and maintain some semblance of a personal life, it doesn’t mean that you can’t start implementing brand new action plans and procedures to help run your business. Here are some specific points to consider to help you succeed:

Help Yourself First

As selfish and trite as it sounds, you must first take care of yourself before you can truly be of any meaningful service to others. That’s in every profession with every job ~ and that includes massage therapy! No client wants to be greeted and treated by a frustrated, stressed-out, disorganized, and rushed therapist. Instead, convey to your clients that they are your sole purpose during their sessions and that your mind is clearly focused. Make it a priority to embrace each new day and each new client feeling well-rested, attentive, calm, and focused. That’s impossible to accomplish if you’re consistently stressed out about something in your personal life, wondering how you are going to meet your monthly financial obligations, or how to attract your next client. Whether it’s your own personal massage, an extra long yoga class, a morning jog around the neighborhood, or an open appointment with your hair stylist each week, you must purposefully take the time to make the time to designate time for yourself!

Stay On Top of Industry News

Whether it’s trends, debates, equipment, benefits, popular figures, or anything else in between, you should do your best to know the industry inside and out. Knowledge brings confidence, and confidence is attractive. Naturally, more clients will be drawn to you if you exude these qualities. You don’t need to teach a weekly history lesson or prepare a PowerPoint presentation on the benefits of regular massage therapy, but it is important to educate your clients while providing awesome service. Although you’re licensed and have completed all the rigorous and comprehensive training, stay on top of what’s new and happening within the profession. Read the latest magazines, join professional organizations, and communicate with other local and national therapists. Establish yourself as not only a great bodyworker but an overall industry expert. Before you know it, you’ll be the go-to guy in your community!

Market Your Business

There are countless creative ways to promote your practice, but in today’s business world, there are definitely a few staples.Think of every interaction as a potential opportunity to grow. Always carry business cards with you to share with prospective clients. And on those cards, be sure to include your professional web address. You need a great go-to space on the Internet so that potential, new, and established clients can learn more about your services. Think of it as an online office that people can access at any time, even when you aren’t working. From your site, allow clients to leave an email address so that you can contact them via an e-newsletter. It’s a great resource to advertise exclusive discounts and promotions to keep them coming back to your physical office. But if they aren’t willing to join your list, you best be able to be found on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. If not, you could be missing out on a whole new generation of massage seeking individuals!

Acknowledge and Embrace Your Limits

When you first get your practice up and running, you might have the tendency to set your schedule around whatever happens to be convenient for all your customers. However, you’ll soon find that you are working longer hours and more days in an attempt to accommodate everyone. Since that’s not always feasible, find a way to tailor your availability to suit the overall needs of your client base. If that means opening up every other weekend, so be it! You want to work smarter, not harder. Plus, if a person really appreciates your services, that client will find another convenient appointment besides dinner time on Friday night!