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Share articleIt seems you have to compete for the wallet, with various service providers out there. You have considered group practice like lawyers, dentists and doctors (General practitioners in England). What type of a MT would you fell comfortable working with? Perhaps the two of you may have some common values, some point of similarity on which you can build. I wonder if a business coach can help you.
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Lone Wolf Syndrome
aka: Why every massage therapist thinks she can go it alone AND succeed.
Written Mar 18, 2008, read 278 times since then.
Much of what I am about to say will sound negative. But I assure you my aim is positive. I hope to find a solution to an all too common problem.
Name one massage therapist who does it for a living, with no additional source of income. I have been doing massage since I was a child, professionally for over ten years, and I know only one. No, it is not me.
Name a hairdresser/tattoo artist who does it for a living with no additional source of income. I can easily name a dozen!
I know that to clear $500/wk I need to do about 12 appointments, with zero overhead in a magical situation where I also keep 100% of what I charge clients. If I add in the cost of last year's overhead, I need to be doing about 19/wk to be on par with the amount of money I used to make at a coffee shop ten years ago.
Have you ever tried to get a massage therapist to tell you how many appointments they average each week? I have. I have never received a straight answer. I suspect this is because NO MT does as much business as they'd like.
I'll tell ya. I've been at this consecutively over four and half years, and my average is about 12. If this trend continues, in seven years I will be back to what I was making at the coffee shop.
Does anyone else find it strange that so many massage therapists work at schools as instructors, earning $15-$18/ hour when they have a skill that allows them to earn four times that? Something is wrong here. Do you know any hairdressers that moonlight at the local beauty school?
We all know that the demand for massage services is fairly elastic. People still need to LOOK good for a job interview, and if you've just lost your job, you are likely to KEEP your hair appointment and cancel your massage appointment.
We can't do much about the demand schedule for massage therapy. What we can do is look at models that work. Similar service providers that seem to thrive include:
Stylists Dentists Lawyers Physical therapists
Many of these providers exist in a business framework that SHARES rescources. Do you know a stylist that works alone? Most either rent space in an existing salon or work for the salon itself. Even lawyers join forces to make things run smoothly. It just makes sense to share some of the burden. Things like:
receptionist phone line internet access tools heating,lighting, water
Many MTs go into massage because they think they are going to make a lot of money, have a flexible schedule, and be their own boss. Please, show me all these rich, leisurely, independent massage therapists.
I really love massage. I must do it. I want my business to succeed. I can't do it alone. For my model to work, I need more MTs to join the party. I can't find very many who understand that sharing is good. It does not mean you have given up on your dream. Every tattoo artist I know, even the ones who work on commisssion feel they essentially work for themselves.
A: I am all wrong. Please introduce me to the fabled MT.
B: I am right. Please introduce me to MTs who would like to share resources.
Learn more about the author, Kip Ludwigs.
Comment on this article
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Posted by Aamer Iqbal, Lahore, Punjab Pakistan | Mar 26, 2008 -
Posted by Kip Ludwigs, Kansas City, Missouri | Mar 26, 2008I think what I have discovered in writing this is part of the missing link: MT's interpret working with/for someone else as a loss of the freedom/independence they are so drawn to.
While discussing the subject with a tattoo artist who works at a shop owned by someone else for a percentage, he pointed out that he STILL essentially works for himself. He understands the drawbacks of owning his own shop, and feels his situation still allows him the freedom he enjoys.
I think you are right. I do need to find that similarity. It will probably just take a fair amount of looking. But having a clear vision of WHAT I am looking for helps. And by discussing it, I figure it out. Thanks!
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Posted by Aamer Iqbal, Lahore, Punjab Pakistan | Mar 27, 2008
A couple of books I found useful were: Business Coaching Handbook by Curly Martin, and Business Coach by Bradley J. Sugars. I was alright in my practice, but running it as a business was a different ball game. When the demands of inflation, growing children, taxes, bills i.e. your fixed expenses soar...what do you do? As we don't have coaches in this part of the world, that is why I added coaching, and it does make a difference. Anyway, you are welcome to discuss any challenge you may have with me, in addition to the tattoo artist. One I saw in Australia called his shop the Illustrated Man! And a hairdresser called his place a Cut Above. I digress, but I think these were cute names while giving the nature of their business.
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Posted by Kare Anderson, Sausalito, California | Mar 27, 2008Kip. You capture the problem so well. I spoke at a conference of spa owners where several massage therapists were in attendance. I worked with three to craft a plan of SmartPartering with other "indie professionals" as we say here in BizNik to help them attract more clients while reducing promotional costs.
They each targeted two niche markets. partnered with others who also served those niches and thus created more visibility an value in their "mutual market' - for and with each other. -
Posted by Kip Ludwigs, Kansas City, Missouri | Mar 27, 2008
YES! It has been very interesting to discover that lots of people seeing your shop does not necessarily lead to lots of new clients (I am in a thriving City Market, where thousands walk past my door all season long!)
I am actually in the process of partnering with a successful gym as we speak. I will technically have LESS general visibility, but MORE specialized visibility. That is the "niche" of which you speak, I think.
I expect to have a greater growth rate in the new location. I am glad to have had a full calender year doing things this way though, I will never wonder what I was missing out on!
Thanks for your insight!
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Posted by Toni Natoli,LMP, Seattle, Washington | Jun 16, 2008Greetings. I've certainly had ups and downs in my massage therapy practice of some 22 years but I've seen a steady increase from about 15 hours a week to 19-20 in the last 3 years.
The key for me was to become more assertive in building a referral base from my existing clients. We all know that's key but how to wrap my head around it while my stomach was quaking? 9/11 and the market crash in 2002 brought down my business by 50% for a time. I got a 2nd job working at an Asian antique store as a salesperson!-something I had never done. I specifically looked for a situation that would teach me something valuable-how to sell, and pay me for it! I left there over 2 yrs ago with a boat load of new skills.
Observing honest,successful salespeople with different styles helped me find my own style. I'm a teacher at heart. Once I got that, I could get on board with my mission to empower people around their bodies and that transformed the authority and sincerity of what I had to say. Rather than tentatively suggesting more sessions because I wanted to save them money I put on my clinical hat and just layed out what I felt they needed and what their responsibilities were to achieve it. One of my standard lines when someone wasn't doing good self-care at home/work. "Do you really want to send me to Hawaii?"
I know I've gone off your thread of sharing resources so I'll leave it there for now.
All good things to you, Kip in the new situation. Good luck!
Article tags
- massage therapy
- sharing resources
