Category Archives: The Business Side of Massage

Massage and the Great Flood

I was enjoying the evening air, checking the massage therapy schedule book to review next week’s bookings when my 90-year-old mother-in-law asked for help.

Help?

I dashed in from the patio and stared. A little tsunami of water was spreading down the hallway into the living room, and all the bedrooms. Oh, and it was pooh water.

Well, that was a week and a day ago. In the past week I somehow managed to get to work and massage my clients, but darn it was tough.

I had six giant hair dryers in my house and had to find a hotel suite that would also take us (and the dog) on a Saturday night. In the midst of the chaos, my spouse slipped and needed a ride to the emergency room with what looked like a broken thumb.

Swea’pea is going to be OK, but the injury meant I am the dishwasher, shower assistant, jar opener and lifter of all boxes and items heavier than 10 pounds.

Well, somehow we managed to find shelter and get the house dried out. And somehow I managed to get to work this past week and be all nurturing. Walking the talk. No migraines. It was pretty interesting.

Massage therapists really don’t have a lot of stress. Once your practice is going and you have some moderate competency there is not a whole lot hand wringing to do. Persistence and consistency pay off. Usually if I feel the need to fret, I have to watch the Lakers.

But my meter was running hot all week with all this multitasking. I used my own massage advice. I did navel breathing as much as I could – car, just before a client, just after. I called a good friend to share and ask favors. I asked a neighbor to feed the cat and keep an eye on my house while we were gone. Child pose and kitty-cat. MSM liniment.

We have managed to survive what appears to be the first week of about a month out of the house. And I need a massage.

The best part of the week: One morning I was running late for work, so my mother-in-law offered to give my spouse a sponge bath. That look of horror was better than any Jamie Lee Curtis scream ever.

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Yearly Goals, Triumphs, and Mulligans

Right about the end of the year, or sometimes the beginning of the year, I do an audit of my massage therapy practice.

Years ago I started doing because I found it was easy to slip into a groove – also called a rut – and because I usually take at least a few days off during Christmas and New Year’s.

My list includes things I think went well, things that sucked and things I need to take more seriously, as well as look toward some goals for the next calendar year.

By setting these things down on paper, I was able to take some mega-steps in my massage therapy career. My status as a spa employee helped me buy a home, but once that was done – and I had two years of spa experience learning about massage, people, management, etc. – it was time to move on.

Picking up the skills I needed to move on took some practice. All the while I had minor and major goals to help me along – how to book a private client was a mini-goal. Once I could book one private client, I learned enough to give myself a goal of three private clients a week, and so on.

I like big goals for the end of the year, but little chunks at a time to avoid discouragement. Making the goals is not so important as learning how to get there. If I am off by five massages, who cares? At least I figured out how to get a few clients.

As you may notice, lots of these goals are not the purview of massage schools. They have a hard enough time teaching people the basics of techniques and body mechanics without turning themselves into business schools as well. We had a class or two on basic business skills and that was it.

The odds are probably good, too, that most massage students would not need business skills because few go into business for themselves. What they needed were skills at getting jobs working for others, and learning how to survive in the environments of places such as spas, clinics and chiropractic offices. Some of those skills could not be taught they had to be earned. One of my classmates was great at interviewing, but couldn’t show up for work. Another gave a terrible interview, but was rock solid and loved by the clients.

A spa manager I liked a lot confessed to me once that she often hired people solely based on whether they were on time for the interview. She had long ago given up on the idea of figuring massage therapists out.

Now, in my 20^th year of massage, I’m looking at the nuts and bolts of what I am doing and asking myself: Is this where I want to be? Am I working enough, too much? Going in the right direction? Are my clients benefiting from my work? Where do I want to go from here?

These are great questions to ask – in past years my questions would be how can I get more clients or make more money. Or how I could better use my energy – doing massage or managing or training those who do? Not easy questions or answers but this helps in my sense of satisfaction from work.

Wherever a massage therapist is on his/her career I urge this time of year for some self-reflection and goal setting. It really makes a difference in the long run.

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Practice Makes Perfect – Learn Your Craft

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Practice Makes Perfect – Learn Your Craft

Sometimes we massage therapists have to step up, as in try to pick up some massage skill fast because we have a looming assignment ahead of us. Hopefully we are at least leaning on our basic skills and quick-mindedness in developing a demanded specialty quickly.

One hopes.

A friends got stuck in “I do that” hell recently. The interviewer asked if she did myofascial release, and before she knew it, yes had popped out of her mouth. Yes, she really needed the job.

She went home and looked on You-Tube for some examples. An hour later she called me in a panic. She had lots of competing ideas off of the tube, and wanted a practice dummy. The web is a wonderful tool, yes, for massage therapists looking for ideas and starting points. But if you watch someone play the piano, do you think that your attempts to copy those moves on your own will result in the same music? kitties

I tried to stay off the table: “Well, all massage is myofascial release when you look at it. If someone has taken a formal class and been deemed certified by the teacher because of their attendance, they have probably learned something about special techniques, but we massage folks are all about moving muscle and connective tissue from stuck to unstuck.”

My friend was desperate. “I at least have to look like I know what I’m doing by tomorrow. I have a practical. And I know you will tell me straight.”

The ability to say “that sucked” has never been in short supply in my family, but some myth out there says that some family, even friends, might be afraid of hurting your feelings and discouraging you, so they get off the massage table with great deliberation and croak: “That was great.”

That leaves you to find out the awful truth on your own, from some less-inclined-to-kindness stranger, or your first boss, or your interviewer, or the dust gathering on your sheets….

I’ve seen that effect enough to know it is not so kind. “I’ll come over,” I said, “But can we practice on your cat?”

The Bottom Line

Well, it wasn’t the most pleasant story I saw on TV news last night: A report about multiple incidents of women receiving massages from male therapists and complaining of sexual touch.

It’s tough to talk about what’s an ugly truth in the massage therapy field. Some people in our field may not be doing massages because they want to relieve pain and stress. They may be getting sexual satisfaction from massaging clients.

I don’t believe in bashing male therapists – Some of the best therapists I have met are men. But in 20 years all of the therapists I know whom have expressed sexual aggression in massage have been men.

Well, there it is.

What should we as a profession do? What should employers do? Not hire men? Not get massages from men? Prohibit cross-gender massage? (Some states do.) I’m not comfortable with any of those ideas. I don’t know.

But I do know if we are to have a public perception as the only healing profession that involves vulnerability and touch we have to be careful about who does massage.

The TV news story was a bit grim. The clinics where the men worked did fire them, but their statewide practice credentials were not affected. Technically, these men could find jobs at other massage clinics fairly easily. At least one did.

No criminal charges resulted from the incidents, which, of course, means that these workers had no opportunity to defend themselves or be found not guilty or guilty. No convictions, no revoked credentials, no closure.

Is unwanted sexual touch a gender issue? I hope not. But many male therapists tell me how hard it is to get hired on at a spa or clinic. Many places seem to want one, only one, male therapist on staff.

And those men had better be thick-skinned. They have all had clients suddenly back out of a massage when they find out their therapist is male. When the front desk asks for gender preference when booking massages, the men lose income and feel discriminated against. And if the front desk does not ask, the spa loses money and suffers schedule nightmares as clients back out of appointments at the last minute.

I’m not offering solutions here, just a heads-up. I don’t want people to be afraid to get a massage at any spa or clinic. Ideas anyone?

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Treat Your Own Kinks…

While we massage therapists are busy rubbing away knots, an industry has been developing of how-to guides to assist clients between office visits.

The publications start with “Treat Your Own…” and I have always been a fan of the guru self-treatment book, Robin McKenzie’s “Treat Your Own Neck.”

When I worked in a busy office, I finally put McKenzie’s book on a chain by my desk because it would somehow disappear, especially when we all got busy and crabby.

I am also a fan of Jim Johnson’s “Treat Your Own Spinal Stenosis” a great guide to the basics of home therapy.

Clients recently diagnosed with stenosis understandably have a massive freak-out, especially if they read on-line medical websites about paralysis and loss of continence. Johnson takes the fear out and breaks it down to simple, regular stretching and strengthening.

Before I recommend any of these books to a client, I buy them, read them, and do them. I might just learn something new, and as long as the book advice appears sound, I’ll recommend it to clients. These publications are written by very experienced doctors, physical therapists or massage therapists, but I’ve seen a couple of pubs, and especially videos, I would call off-beat.

A check of the web turned up troves of “Treat Your Own….’’ books for shoulders, knees, carpal, shoulders, backs, etc.

It gives people with these conditions a step-up to consistent therapy. Human nature being what it is, few of us will do “knees to chest” six times, six times a day in Johnson’s stenosis book.

But a massage therapist or client who does draw knees to chest at least once a day will feel better than those who never do it. My personal favorites are those who stretch only during nine supervised physical therapy visits. A go-to book comes in handy!

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Massage and the Past Perfect

The Adventures of Ana Log, Massage Therapist

My alter ego in my massage therapist career has been “Ana Log.” She is a heroine of old school practices that simplify life instead of clouding it.

Contrary to trends out there in e-land, Ana Log has her own schedule book, written in pencil, to give her the flexibility a good therapist needs. She doesn’t want to do 10 hours of massage in one day, then two the next. Her antique paper day planner keeps all of her appointments, client names and phone numbers and daily/weekly/monthly trends in check. To look something up, she turns a page. She even takes lunch a few times a week.

Ana Log also keeps her muse, a clock with a second hand, in her therapy room. Ana can count stretches, trigger point treatments and coordinate breath-work without being too obvious about it. The clock makes just enough noise to be able to tune into the seconds count when turned away from it.

Ana’s brother, whose alter ego is “Mr. IT Excel,” loves to point out that all of these things can be programmed in to a good scheduling software and “make life easier.” All of Ana’s preferences can be handled by her automated device of choice, “making her life easier.”

“P-shaw” says Ana, with the vigor of a 19^th century ink-stained author. That would involve learning how those programs work and then applying it. And what happens if the cloud is clouded? Or the device is dropped? Or the charger is at home? And what about sunspots?

Mr. IT Excel, whose life involves countless hours of making things easier by adding things to programs, and then even more hours of making those changes actually work as promised, then extracting viruses that try to wreck those programs and then changing the “shaky” platforms those devices dislike (etc., etc., etc.) insists that devices do “make life easier.”

Says Ana Log: “Remember when Dad said if he wanted to talk to someone he didn’t need a computer to do it? He would just pick up a phone or go see the guy?”

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Massage Therapists Do the Math

Perhaps you have seen the ads in the massage therapist trade publications: What would happen if you could see four clients in an hour?

Folks in the massage biz are not often associated with great math skills. Four clients in a single hour? As a private practice therapist, heck, I figure could make a lot more money. The bottom line is a tough talk for most massage therapists. We work hard, yet few of us make the mythical “six figures.” It’s the same elusive goal of others in hard-working, hands-on, self-businesses such as hair stylists, estheticians and realtors.

Most of us make our bills OK, but few achieve the income that we feel we deserve based on our combination of effort, hours worked, and costs of training and licensing. The three times the money carrot sure made me look further into the pitch. Aha, this ad is for acupuncture school.

That’s enticing. Learn a very similar technique that requires a lot less sweat. More clients, more income, and yes, in most states you get to call yourself a doctor. Hmmmm. Then there is the tuition, the time spent and the apprentice time and licensing tests and costs. Could it work? How many acupuncturists have to take three months off for carpal?

That’s way too much math for me. I cut to the chase. I asked the acupuncturist I share space with. He has been in practice for more than 30 years.

My officemate looked at me in horror. After graduation, he had no idea how to book a client, let alone manage a practice. For years he worked as a contractor for other acupuncturists – at about half of the $50 session fee. It didn’t seem very fair then, of course now that he knows about office rent, insurance, ads, etc. he has a different perspective.

So he saw about 30 patients a week for others, and tried to see at least 20 people a week in his own practice. That’s 50 plus treatments a week, about double what I can do. “I hit the wall,” he said. “I burned myself out. It took a long time to be able to come back and feel good about doing treatments again.”

Well, fudgesticks.

We talked a bit about burnout and why. I have to admit I really didn’t see it at first. He explained that it takes a lot out of an acupuncturist to perform treatments that address specific complaints. “It’s the energy,” he said. “It’s all about the energy.”

You know, I totally get that math.

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Massaging Without a Net

One of my favorite massage therapists to trade with recently let me in on a secret.

She has been doing massage for more than 20 years without health or disability coverage.

That pressed some buttons with me. Since getting into massage, I have always had coverage, health through my own individual plan, then my spouse’s work policy, and disability through my professional massage association. I wouldn’t think of going “bare.”

My friend explained to me that she wasn’t aware that she could get coverage through her association, and had she been, she might sign up. She carries practice insurance because she is a contractor for a spa that requires it.

Why not look into her options?

Well, she said, she didn’t look into it because no one told her it was available. And even then, it is probably too expensive to pay out of pocket for insurance every month and still pay rent.

So what happens if she breaks her wrist while mountain biking?

Well, she can always move back with her parents for a while.

I know my friend very well, so I held back a bit and counted to 10.

She has a very nice mountain bike, I noted. And a nice, though used, car. Every other year, sometimes every year, she takes continuing education classes Hawaii or Costa Rica. How can she fit those in but not insurance?

My friend and colleague thought about that one for a while. Her time to count to 10.

She told me she works really hard and has to have some reward for her efforts. The physical and mental health benefits of those activities outweigh paying for insurance, something she may never use. Thinking about it stresses her out.

I asked my friend not to resent the questions I was asking. It was just my way of identifying priorities. I do that sometimes with clients who need massage but are too busy for massage. Or with clients who need to stretch but are too busy to stretch.

I ask if they manage to get their hair done, get the car washed, or take a shower every day. Do those “get in the way” of doing other things or are they necessary?

We all have priorities, even I, who would rather go get a massage than organize the taxes box and put it in storage that day. Or fold sheets. Or make out a will. Or a few thousand other things I designate optional, like a mountain bike trail ride.

We made a deal. She is going to look into her insurance options with her association or Obamacare. I’m going with her (wrists and elbows wrapped, or course) on a trail ride.

by Sue Peterson

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What We Massage Therapists Know…

Recently in looking for an associate to assist in my practice, I interviewed a bunch of massage therapists with ample experience. I thought I would offer a good step-up to private practice to people who wanted to move in that direction. I looked for experience because I wanted people who understood the economics and challenges of massage practice. The resumes were pretty interesting.

One resume listed athletes the person had massaged. That’s it.

I did ask for credentials. People told me they were licensed in my state. We don’t have a state license.

Or they could get it if required, along with insurance. Tell me, how had they worked in the field thus far without the basics?

As I weeded through the applicants, I tried interviewing a few by phone. One hung up when I explained that I would pay minimum wage//click//plus piece-work for massages performed.

I was getting a little bummed out. Then I found someone who I thought was great in person, on the phone and in resume. There was only one problem. She did not want to work on any of the days/shifts I could make available. Turns out she was burned out on her spa job and did not want to take on any more massage time.

Why was she answering my ad, I thought.

Sigh.

Back to the drawing board.

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Tidy Time

With each year end, I like to do two things: tidy up the loose ends of my massage therapy practice and set my sights on the coming year.

Tidy time is important in the visceral sense: make sure my tax stuff and books are at least all in one box, if not organized, all set for the tax man. I also like to get some statistics: How many massages have I done, daily and weekly averages, etc.

An important part of this look-back is to check and see when I have been feeling good or overworked. I can often see some times when I should have done a little less or spread my duties out more.

Gone are the days when I could work straight through an 8-hour spa shift and then see two private clients after hours. I don’t miss that a bit. But when I was foolish enough to have done those things, I learned, as I laid prostrate on my bed the next day, not to do so much in one day. Days off are no fun if they are spent flat out zombie-fied.

Days off for a massage therapist are for stretching, tai-chi, family, errands, the beach, all the things that days off are for. I learned not to work so much that I felt drained.

Another lesson is to not drown in paperwork. If, like my therapist friend, you use a bookkeeping program, you still have to plunk the numbers in. Amazing how many other things you can find to do before doing the books. To save myself some angst, I found a good bookkeeper.

Outsourcing is great for the things you do not want to do. For me, it is the bookkeeping. For others, it might be the laundry. The key is figuring out what you do not want to do, or what you are truly bad at doing, and if you are willing to pay for it.

In hindsight, “outsourcing” is what many of us do when we work for employers. We take a pay cut because we don’t want to book clients, make re-appointments, keep track of permits, negotiate leases. There is nothing wrong in that, by the way. Some therapists enjoy being able to leave work at their appointed time and not keep a to-do list. A lot of us have to pick up kids, make dinner and a host of other things for family.

When I’ve looked back at my year, I then look forward. More about that next blog.

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