Starting Your Career as a Massage Therapist

If you are thinking of owning your own business, whether out of your home or in a rented commercial space, and you love working with people, consider getting your massage therapy license. Working as a massage therapist is an incredibly rewarding career both personally and financially.

The first step on your journey is to take the necessary courses and licensing exam. Check out your local community college for course offerings and find out what kind of licensing you need for your particular state.

Once you’re licensed it’s time to purchase the necessary equipment. Whether you dedicate a room in your home or you rent space downtown, you’ll need a selection of massage tables and chairs for your clientele. Check the Earthlite site for more info on the type of equipment you’ll need to start out. You may choose to provide mobile service, going to clients’ homes or offices.

Next, you’ll need to find some clientele. This is where you have to think about your specific marketing strategy and your niche. As a massage therapist, it’s unwise to think that your whole community could use your services. Narrow down your target market. Perhaps you could offer your services to those who play sports; or, you could target moms of youngsters who need to relieve their stresses and have some time to themselves. Knowing your target audience allows you to create a specific marketing message to a certain group of people.

Along with taking massage therapy courses, it’s also a good idea to take marketing and business courses, to familiarize yourself with being an entrepreneur. If you’re going to be successful, you’ll have to put in plenty of hours. Know that you’ll have good and bad days, but perseverance and dedication will help you get through the bad days.

As most entrepreneurs will tell you, the best way to sell your product or service is to educate potential customers about the benefits of said product or service. As a massage therapist, you need to educate your target audience on the benefits they’ll receive as a result of your service. These benefits range from stress-relief to easing alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

Your overall marketing strategy should encompass both online and offline methods. Of course, word of mouth and referrals are the best way to grow your business. Before you get your first client, write your business plan, complete with goals of income, and expected clientele for the first year. Having a business plan will help you keep on track with your goals.

Social media should play a large part of your online marketing strategy. Like it or not, it’s here to stay, and providing valuable content for your target market is a great way to spread the word about your business, as well as place you as an industry expert. It’s also a great way to engage with your audience and build trust among your clientele.

Your marketing strategy is not static; that is, you will evolve and change the way you market according to how technology changes, how your business changes and what you feel is working and what isn’t.

If the thought of marketing your business sounds overwhelming, consider outsourcing the task to a professional company or freelance marketer. But don’t ignore this very important part of your business, or you will lose customers and potential clientele in the process.

Your massage therapy business can be an incredibly rewarding career path. Owning your own business gives you control over your financial future.