Massage therapists are not known for their left-brain skills. It’s hard to keep track of money, supplies, and clients and still use the powers of intuition and touch to help people.
Or is it? There are some relatively simple and low-tech ways to keep track of things so you can keep up with your bills and keep the IRS happy as well.
Most massage therapists are independent contractors, so they need to do something to keep practice and financial records in a way that they can create with the least pain. Simple systems can help with preservation of sanity.
Here’s some “practical” advice:
Smart phone apps offer easy client minding and bookkeeping systems. But one of the problems with these apps is that when a therapist gets busy, these get neglected.
A week, a month, a year later, these apps only tell you what you have told it.
The calendar is simplest scheduling/bookkeeping system has long been used by salons. Whether paper or on your phone, note the client, phone, duration and amount. Add each day’s amounts and hours up, then total each week. No, it won’t dissolve into an easy spreadsheet. But it will keep you in the know.
Some therapists will keep their client notes and info on a separate file in the phone. More complicated but it keeps the notes separate from the financial records, which is better for client privacy.
Expenses often are another forgotten aspect of the massage therapist’s business. Again, the calendar can help. Make note of where you drive for mileage, how many sheets you wash.
For the completely absent-minded, the most elemental system for expenses is a resealable plastic bag. Receipts go in there right away. If the receipts are electronic, they go into another notes file in your phone.
