Staying In Business As A Massage Therapist

One would think at first glance, that being a massage therapist is a great way to do wonderful things for people and make a good living. Massages are priced at anywhere from $70 and hour to $100 for an hour. And besides a massage table for a few hundred dollars, sheets and oils there is not much more that needs to be purchased. Does that not translate into a substantial amount of money in your pocket?

Well, the reality is often very different than what massage therapists imagine when they consider this profession, and if you are thinking of making massage therapy a career, there are some things you need to know.

I have been a massage therapist and for many years. I know many therapists and as an instructor, I am in touch with many of my students. Being connected with the reality of massage therapy has not only helped me understand the dynamics, but also aided me in developing my own practice when needed. Some of those insights I would like to share here.

One of the most disturbing issues is that many therapists only last a few years on the job, and that is if they can even get their feet on the ground to generate an adequate income.

So what seems to be the problem?

As a therapist you are either employed (even if your employer calls you an independent contractor) or self-employed (or maybe you are like many colleagues a combination of both). Even if you are employed at a spa facility, gym, chiropractor or other health and wellness operation, chances are you will have private clients outside of your job and juggle a few different venues which puts you in a position of managing your own supplies, transportation, taxes and so on.

The first mistake that many therapists make, is that they neglect to see themselves as a business.

Many small (and larger) businesses make the exact same mistake when they launch their venture: They fail to plan their business and fail at their business. When therapists leave the field it is primarily for one reason: They do not make enough money to pay the bills.

Step One View yourself as a business.

What this means is that you need to balance your income with your expenses and write a business plan for yourself. In order to stay afloat your income must match your expenditures that include every single expense from supplies, to the amount of money you need to have at your disposal to pay the rent, your car, your clothes and your pet food as well as resources for the future.

Step Two: Write a business plan.

When you start writing your business plan and ask yourself the question: How many sessions can I do every day, you might discover some interesting facts about your business. You may find one of the reasons why therapists have a hard time making ends meet and ultimately leave the field: You can physically only do a certain number of sessions in any given time period due to the sheer physical and emotional challenges that of this work. Right now you might not think so but and still experience a rush doing 4 or 5 sessions a day. But imagine doing this day in, day out for years. Not really an option, is it?

What this means is your income from massage work is restricted by the number of sessions you can offer. finding this out in the planning phase is a huge advantage because it means you can prepare for the reality of only doing a few sessions a day.

If you wait until you are active in your practice, one of two things might happen: You will either perform too many sessions because you need the money and sooner or later burn out and leave the profession or you will leave the profession to find another job.

Part of your realization might also be that you will have to charge more than you anticipated for a massage. And you should. As a business you cannot afford not to.

The second issue that many therapists face is that they perceive a contradiction between the type of work they do and selling their services. I discuss this at length in my book The successful Therapist, but one of realizations I had is that I cannot be of service at all, if I cannot sustain myself through the work. And looking at it from that point of view was very helpful.

Step Three: Develop a massage marketing plan Clients do not just walk through the door. You have to attract them and then retain them. There are many ways to advertise your services and as many ways to spend a lot of money with no results. Before you spend any money, spend some time thinking what kind of client you want to work with and what solution you offer to a problem that they specifically have.

Then spend some time formulating and developing that solution as a headline and a service. I spent some time in Australia and worked out of a small bookstore in a crowded pedestrian area. My sign on the street said: Relieve your headache in 15 minutes and it worked. There were enough people with headaches mulling around and not enjoying their shopping experience. The reality is that no one cares about you. They care about what you can do for them.

Once you know what solutions you offer, it will be much easier to target those people directly and efficiently. Visit your local hotel and talk with the concierge about referring clients to you. Visit senior citizens homes and assisted living for seniors massage and offer the people who work there a referral fee. Talk to the HR department of a large company to offer an introduction to in-house chair massage. Go to prenatal yoga classes with flyers to offer pregnancy massage, etc.

Step Four: Plan for additional revenue streams. Even though you might be doing all the massages you can and want to do, you will definitely want to have additional income resources in place to utilize the client contact you have through your massage traffic and marketing activities. There are many ways to do this for example retail related products. But there is also one idea that I want to suggest here: Offering spa treatments. Spa treatments not only capture a clientele that might not want a massage but they also add to your reputation, are much less taxing on the body and offer a very nice way to promote products you can sell after the treatment.

Nicolay Kreidler is a licensed massage therapist and massage instructor at Touching from the Heart and a facilitator at Spa College He is an active consultant to the spa industry and author of the book "The successful Massage Therapist" now available as ebook through Spa Pros

Adjustment Yoga Cl London

Key Accessories Can Increase The Nintendo WII Price

The nintendo Wii is the hottest gaming system on the market. Even now many retailers are sold out and awaiting new shipments of this revolutionary game system with its remote sensing control system. The nintendo Wii is a hot commodity, and like any commodity the laws of supply and demand are in play, and high demand can often equate to high prices. If you are one of the millions of people considering a purchase of the Wii system then you are probably among those for whom the nintendo Wii price is a consideration.

Fortunately, the nintendo Wii price is at a point that is affordable for most people, and for approximately $249.99 USD you can jump right in almost literally and begin playing the game that everyone is talking about. However, the $250 dollar price point only gets you the basic Wii package, which includes one game Wii Sports one controller, the sensor bar, and the assorted power cords needed to plug in and play. While this assortment is more than capable of getting you up and running, the $250 nintendo Wii price does not include many items you are sure to want as soon as you tire of playing Wii Sports against the computer.

One way to avoid endless shopping for additional games and accessories is to purchase a nintendo Wii bundle from a retailer who offers such deals. Various retailers offer bundles all inclusive package deals that include the Wii system as well as additional memory, additional controller, and several additional game titles. While such packages can greatly increase the Nintendo Wii price by $200 to $400 dollars depending on the number of games and their titles it can give you all you need, and more, to get started gaming.

The Nintendo Wii price, without accessories, is roughly $250. But it is the accessories that make the Wii such a powerful and dynamic system, and the Nintendo Wii price does not include those additional items. While new game titles will cost roughly $50 each, it is not the new games that will take your Wii to new heights; it is the add-ons. A second controller and Nunchuk - secondary controller that plugs into the primary, wireless controller; the Wiimote will cost approximately $60. For those who wish to offset the Nintendo Wii price by continuing to play games from their Nintendo gamecube, they may need to purchase a gamecube controller if they do not already have one ($25). Further, if you want to save your ongoing gamecube games like you could do on the original gamecube then a memory card is needed ($25). For roughly the same prices as the memory card, an SD card 1 GB of additional memory can be purchased allowing you to download classic games through an Internet connection.

Like other accessories, Internet connectivity is not included in the Nintendo Wii price, and a wireless Wi-Fi USB connector is required ($100 and up). And if you want to see the fruit of your investments in the quality of High Definition, then a component video adapter is needed to deliver that crystal clear picture ($20).

After reading a list such as this one it is easy to wonder what you really get for that $250 Nintendo Wii price. The truth is that you get a lot, but if you want more and you want to maximize the capabilities of the system then investing in accessories that cost above and beyond the Nintendo Wii price will deliver exactly that. Fortunately, you dont have to buy them all at once.

Michelle Bery

Yoga Certification Nc

Golf In India

travel to any part of the world, but you will not find a country which has more diverse and good looking golf clubs than India. After Great Britain, India was the first country to take up the game of golf. The first golf club was set up in India was in the year 1829. It was the Royal Calcutta Golf club in West Bengal. Since then, Golf has been an integral part of Indian sports. Many professional golf courses have come up in almost all parts of India. Be it the heights of Himalayas, shores of Arabian sea, congestions of cities, or sands of deserts, there are golf courses suited to different moods and tastes of golfers. Even the number of professional tournaments throughout India are on the rise.

India always likes to keep a distinction for itself, no matter whether the aspect is good or bad. Similar is the case with Golf as well. India has the oldest golf course in the world outside the Great Britain, the Royal Calcutta golf Course in West Bengal and also the highest in the world, Gulmarg golf Course in Jammu and Kashmir. The one in Gulmarg is an absolute treat for any golfer. Teeing off amidst the backdrop of lofty Himalayas and the pine covered surroundings is definitely a special experience. Such is the charm of the place that you spend half the time admiring the beauty, sometimes making golf secondary. Such magnificent Courses have made golfing in Jammu and Kashmir extremely pleasurable. Then there are golf courses that are not placed in such beautiful locations. But the way are planned, compensate more than enough for the missing natural beauty. These are called Designers Golf Courses. The surroundings might turn out to be an eyesore, but once you step inside the premises, rest assured, you will have to hold onto your jaw to stop it from falling down. Dotted with well placed lakes, pools and bunkers, these golf courses are challenging as well as fun. Jaypee greens Golf resort in Noida, Uttar Pradesh is a perfect example of a designer course. It is the longest course in India and at 7343 yards from championship tee, it is probably amongst the longest in Asia as well.

There are many tournaments that are held in India. The most recently concluded Noida open amateur series that was held in Noida Golf Course was a major success. Many other main tournaments like western India amateur and RCGC Cup are lying ahead in the calendar year of 2007. Few things have changed exceptionally during last few years. One definitely is the quality of the players. Many Indian players like Jeev Milkha Singh and Arjun Atwal have made their mark on the international circuit as well. Other things that have changed the face of the Indian golf is the prize money that is offered now to the winners as compared to earlier times and the participation of women. There are many tournaments for women as well that are gaining much needed recognition.

India is a magnificent country that offers something unique and something that interests one and all. Get more information on Golf sports in India on http://www.indialine.com/travel/jammukashmir/golf.html
Visit Indialine.com

Affordable Yoga Teacher Certification