What to expect when first opening a massage practice?

[J S]

how many clients average in your first 3 months? What sort of things to expect at first? Any sort of advice?

I started free lancing out of a chiropractic office my first month I saw about 30 clients, this month only about 10 (granted the months not over, but it's been alot slower)

I'm wondering if it's average for beginning, I don't want to lose hope but it's my only job and I'm not making much. So any help, ideas, advice would be great

 

[inquirygirl]

Your first year in a massage practice is all about getting more clients and getting those clients to come regularly or at least have you as their therapist of choice. Sure numbers are slow now but they will build. During my first year at a clinic my first few months were really slow but as each month went by more and more clients came to see me.
Advertising make a huge difference. Here are some easy ideas to get you going:

Business cards, make sure you always have some on you... you never know when you will run into someone who will be interested. You know how when people find out you are a massage therapist they ask you questions or start talking about their aches or pains? Encourage these people to come and see you.

Ads in the local paper

Pamphlets in doctors offices, other chiropractors, and acupuncturists offices. Also meet with people offering alternative therapies in your area. Referrals make a huge difference in how busy you are. I often get referrals from a chiropractor and I send referrals his way too.

Mail out a one page ad to homes in your area or print them up and hand deliver, introducing yourself... lots of work to go door to door but guaranteed you'll get some clients that way.

Offer a draw for a free massage, then give away a free half hour treatment. That person may see you again and you've peaked the interest of the other people who entered the draw.

The best resource you can use right now is you and your creative ideas for drumming up business. Use this slow time to advertize and keep positive. More clients will come it just takes time. Believe in yourself and think good thoughts, and good things will follow.

 

[Lightning]

Times are hard. You also have to bear in mind that working from a chiropractors office means that patients are already paying for some form of manual treatment so may be reluctant to spend any more for what they perceive is trying to do the same thing.

It is really hard to make a living as a massage therapist. There are just too many of them.
No this isn't unusual.
If anything you've done quite well just starting out.
If you consistently aren't getting much repeat business you need to reflect on what you are doing. Otherwise just keep ploding away at it.

On another note I am really disgusted with one of the answers. No I'm sure most of the who saw a massage therapist in a chiropractors office didn't expect a happy ending. They didn't go there to hear a nursery rhyme or for anything else which may give them a "happy ending".

Quite clearly this is what he expects of his massage therapists and wonders why they won't rebook him.
Perhaps he should try internet dating instead.

 

[Nitram]

Well there are so many of them about. Now without putting you off maybe the first month they were hoping for a happy ending and so didn't come back for the second

Times are hard, the time for opening a new business might not be right, but if you can get through the recession then you should be on for a major upleap when it's all over. Think about what you can have for a USP and work on that.

 

[Apropos]

You got off on the wrong foot already by working out of a chiropractor's office. You may be locked out of reputable establishments now because your tolerance of bogus practitioners operating at the lunatic fringes of medicine.

All massage therapists have a basic decision to make when they graduate: whether to embrace ethical medicine, or go over to the dark side and associate with chiropractors, osteopaths, and pimps. Too many masseuses practitioners go for the latter, or join semi-quacky organizations such as AMTA or ABMP.

In the UK, the popular understanding of osteopaths and chiropractors is forever associated with British osteopath Stephen Ward, whose efforts to procure men and women for his osteopathy patients eventually brought down a government. Even today, osteopaths' obsession with skull massaging and bum kneading suggests they or any masseuses working out of their office will go a step further.