Game Change: Business of Massage Therapy: Recent Episodes
Elise Walton
A podcast for the massage therapy and spa industry. This show takes a different spin and is a weekly show that will discuss such topics as setting up a business on a budget, time management and how to grow your business. We will also have interviews from successful entrepreneurs who will share their challenges and successes. The question is - are you ready to game change your business?
On today’s show, Elise highlights how to sleep better and live longer, according to Karen Weeks.
Elise just happened to find a blog in which Karen discussed the importance of getting enough sleep in order to face the day, improve health, and live longer. If you are having trouble sleeping or if you’re interested in the positive benefits of getting enough sleep, tune in to today’s episode.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- See your doctor.
- Fix your diet.
- Stay active.
- Be mindful.
- Develop a sleep routine.
- Invest in a mattress.
- No quick fixes
If you feel that you need further assistance with your business, you may consider hiring a business coach. Game Change Business of Massage Therapy offers these services for optimizing your business. Check out our website for amazing resources.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Karen Weeks
As women entrepreneurs, whether working inside or outside the home, it is important to feel positive and to dress and feel good about ourselves at various functions.
Joining Elise on the show today is International Fashion Stylist, Hilde Fossen. Hilde is the go-to stylist for women entrepreneurs. Hilde Fossen is a fashion designer and design teacher turned online stylist. She now teaches international businesswomen how to nail their style, so they can wow their clients and sell more. Her mission is to get every single woman to fall head over heels in love with her own body, by learning how to dress for her body type. She formally trained at École Superieure de la Mode and has over 20 years of experience as a fashion designer in Europe, designing clothes that retailed to millions. She has styled top entrepreneurs, Fashion Week models, and rock stars on national TV.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Hilde’s program, Get Style and Confidence
- Communicating what your business can do for others by the ways you dress
- Hilde shares why she began a career as a fashion stylist
- Get Style Confidence program name origin
- Properly fitting clothing helps boost confidence
- Growing as a person when starting a business
- Challenges of pursuing a career in the fashion industry
- Hilde shares how she promotes her business
- Advantages of creating an email list
- Using Facebook as a marketing channel
- Creating social media posts to evoke responses from readers
- Hilde shares the best advice she’s been given
- Mixing professional and casual clothing
If you feel that you need further assistance with your business, you may consider hiring a business coach. Game Change Business of Massage Therapy offers these services for optimizing your business. Check out our website for amazing resources.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Get Style Confidence Website
Get Style Confidence - Baby
Get Style Confidence - Tummy
Get Style Confidence on Facebook
The Persuasion Revolution Website mentioned by Hilde
What separates successful people from those who are struggling to become successful? Are you ready to move forward toward a successful career, but don’t know what you could do differently to improve? On today’s episode, I will discuss some of the things successful people commit to do.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Step 1: Be persistent!
- Step 2: Set goals. Once you set your goal, do the work.
- Step 3: Surround yourself with the right people.
- Step 4: Self-awareness
- Step 5: Never quit learning!
If you feel that you need further assistance, you may consider hiring a business coach. Game Change Business of Massage Therapy offers these services for optimizing your business. Check out our website for amazing resources.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Game Change Your Biz Facebook Group
Game Change Your Biz Website
Do you know how to prepare for your career in massage therapy after completing school? In this episode, Elise shares steps and resources to help you prepare for beginning your business in massage therapy.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Step 1: Pass licensing. I advise you to take the exam as soon as possible after completing school.
- Step 2: Do an online profile with a locator service like AMTA or ABMP Association in order to get leads for new clients.
- Step 3: Hone your soft skills.
- Step 4: Continue your education in order to further develop your skills and technique.
- Step 5: Take care of your mind and body.
- Step 6: Start building your Massage Therapy resume.
- Step 7: Build a website for your business.
If you feel that you need further assistance, you may consider hiring a business coach. Game Change Business of Massage Therapy offers these services for optimizing your business. Check out our website for amazing resources.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Game Change Your Biz
AMTA - American Massage Therapy Association
ABMP - Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals
Do you find yourself caught up in your daily grind and feeling like you aren’t taking care of yourself as you should? Learn how you can reduce stress and recharge yourself while maintaining relationships and a successful career.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Learn how to reduce stress and avoid burnout.
- Prioritize self-care amidst the daily grind.
- Block out a little time each day to recharge.
- 5 important steps to reduce stress
- Step 1 - Exercise
- Step 2 - Spend time with family and friends.
- Step 3 - Obtain virtual help with your business.
- Step 4 - Give back to your community.
- Step 5 - Connect with other entrepreneurs.
- Balance areas of your life to find peace and fulfillment.
Do you create a good first impression? Do you appear to others as a strong leader? This is important for any business owner---not to be rude, intimidating, or overbearing, but to make your presence known and lead with authenticity. Let’s discuss this topic further.
Tips for leading with authenticity:
- Build trust through developing, improving, and communicating success
- Give a warm greeting and smile
- Make eye contact
- Give a firm handshake
- Be genuine in what you say
- Show that you care
- Radiate your enthusiasm and passion to your team
- Set the tone for your work culture in your demeanor and attire
- Have a clear dress code
- Convey trustworthiness in your tone and appearance
- Improve morale and communication with your team
- Be patient and wait
- Silence can establish a strong presence
- A smile can express appreciation
- Pauses can accentuate important points
- Network with other entrepreneurs about improving your business
- Go to events or meet with others online
- Set a networking goal for yourself
How are your “money habits”? Are there moves you’ve been meaning to make to ensure your financial future? No matter where you are in your business, whether you are brand new or have been at this for years, there are money habits you need to cultivate.
We all have differing opinions on what to do with our money, but today’s show offers advice that anyone can take and implement right away. Jim Rohn wrote an article for Success magazine titled “3 Money Habits that Separate the Rich from the Poor,” which offers specific advice on saving money. Let’s discuss the highlights from Rohn’s article.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- You need a wealth plan vs. the “broke mentality”
- Follow the 70/30 rule
- Pay your taxes first
- Live on 70% of your remaining income
- Allocate the remaining 30% to charity, investments, and savings (10% to each)
- How you allocate that 30% portion depends on your ultimate goals, so consult a financial planner for more help
- Savings will give you peace of mind for the inevitable “rainy day,” so save more if you can!
- Following Rohn’s “Give, Invest, and Save” advice will help guarantee your financial success for the future
- It takes discipline to follow good money habits, so start slowly and build these habits that will yield long-lasting benefits for the future. Good money habits are a big piece to game-changing your business!
Can you keep moving forward in the face of a challenge? As entrepreneurs, sometimes things can be going well, but we still feel lackluster. What is the remedy? How can we keep moving forward? Join me as we discuss today’s topic.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- We need to take a step back before moving forward
- Keep the momentum moving forward to meet your goal
- Action is important to launch your business and also to move forward
- Some common challenges can be state regulations, technology, or the economy
- A successful entrepreneur knows that moving through challenges is important, even if you can’t keep moving forward
- Guard against paralysis and over-analysis
- Realize when you can’t handle specific challenges and get someone who can, like a mentor or expert
- A successful entrepreneur knows that movement can resemble an obstacle course--to the right, left, forward, etc.
- “Don’t stand still. Just keep moving. Those who can’t take a step back or change direction are destined for failure.”
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Steps to keep moving forward:
- Set goals
- Don’t fear failure
- Take a risk
- Don’t settle
- Don’t be afraid to seek a mentor
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“Failure is just an opportunity to see what you need to do.” Keep moving forward and improve your odds for success. It’s another piece to game-changing your business!
How do you handle life’s obstacles? We all know that encountering difficulties is a normal part of daily life, but why do some people bounce back stronger than ever and some let a difficulty be “the end of the road”? How are those who get ahead so much more resilient than others? Let’s talk about how to become resilient.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- What is resiliency? The ability to return to the original form of your being after you’ve been challenged by life’s obstacles
- The obstacles can be illness, depression, or adversity
- Everyone handles challenges differently, some much better than others
- As an entrepreneur, how do you bounce back with resilience and have the discipline to balance the good and the bad? (Some key factors from The Resilient Self)
- Have the insight to ask tough questions and be honest with answers
- Be accountable and responsible for your actions
- Develop independence
- Figure out the best way out of difficult situations
- Being responsible for others gives you more motivation and creativity
- Resilience helps you develop morals
- “The more you struggle and conquer, the more resilience you develop.”
- Resilience leads to increased confidence in yourself
Having resilience is important in life and business. It’s another piece to game-changing your business.
Resources:
The Resilient Self by Steven J. Wolin, M.D. and Sybil Wolin, Ph.D.
Feedback--it’s a word that can have scary implications--would you agree? Today’s show is about how to use feedback and honesty to build a thriving business. Often we forget that feedback can have a very positive connotation, and not just the sense of dread when we hear the word.
One of the many ways to build and grow a thriving business is to cultivate honest feedback from co-workers, colleagues, and clients. Keeping the lines of communication open is key, even when constructive criticism is necessary, and keep in mind that even constructive criticism can foster a growth environment if done properly.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- On your team, give people time to air grievances with no repercussions if you ask for honest feedback
- Feedback allows honesty without mean-spiritedness
- Feedback can create a safety net and even be productive (A Columbia University study gives some further info)
- Feedback can create opportunities to build confidence and skills, thus empowering “your people”
- One key is to give immediate and frequent feedback--don’t wait!
- Be positive and specific in feedback, giving more positive than negative
- In giving negative feedback, follow up with a suggested solution
- Don’t be mean with feedback, but be firm--and be curious about the WHY?
- How to be objective and specific in order to more forward with feedback:
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- Be clear about expectations
- Be specific about guiding them toward improvement
- Follow up with them in the near future
There you have it--ways to create a growth environment based on feedback . It’s another piece to game-changing your business!
Are you a positive person? You probably know that a positive mindset is important, but why? How can it help me as a business owner? We’re breaking down this subject today as we discuss ways to practice positivity.
As business owners and busy entrepreneurs, we tend to overlook the importance of positivity, because we get caught up in the challenges around us---and the challenges can be many! Without positivity, we can’t think outside the box and can’t accomplish our goals. Let’s talk about why positivity is important for you AND your business.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Much research exists about the power of positivity and the benefits to every area of our lives
- Positive thinking helps us become more productive, healthier, and happier
- Even though it’s hard to practice optimism on a regular basis, it can build and strengthen us in many areas of life
- Tips to practice positivity:
- Learn how to connect with other people
- Practice visualization
- Develop resiliency and become adaptable
- Surround yourself with positive people
- Optimistic and positive people can find encouragement within themselves and inspire others
- The more positivity you GIVE, the more you will RECEIVE
- “When you discover WHO you really are, you can act with a certain amount of confidence.”
- “Changing our thoughts helps us see the world in a different light.”
Try these tips to incorporate more positivity into your life. They will give you a new perspective, a better outlook, and can be another piece to game-changing your business.
How would you define success? We know that we want it, but how do we get it? We answer these questions and more in today’s episode.
We all have goals of success, both personally and professionally. We try to keep these parts of our lives separate, but they are more entwined than we may realize. Personal success can reinforce and support professional success, and vice versa. Let’s chat about the secrets to success!
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Personal and professional success contribute to our ultimate goal of happiness
- How do we achieve personal and professional success, and what does it take to get there?
- Four Secrets to Success:
- Positive thoughts-Some call it mindset. Rhonda Byrne calls it “the law of attraction,” and says “All you have to do is think your life into existence.” We all know that sometimes positive thinking simply isn’t enough.
- Take action-Find out what you’re good at and what people turn to you for. Think about your strengths and capabilities. Be at the right place at the right time and overcome struggles and obstacles.
- Be persistent--Keep going until you reach success. Take control of the situation, stay in the game, find out what IS working, and steer away from harmful actions and behaviors.
- Get your priorities straight--Use your resources wisely, stay focused, network, and don’t become complacent.
- Use these secrets to rethink your goals and stay on the path to success. It’s another piece to game-changing your business!
Resources Mentioned:
How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big by Scott Adams
As professionals in the health and wellness industry, we have a tendency to limit the amount of money we think we can make. For some reason, the idea of being perceived as materialistic caretakers has sapped away our ambition. The reality is that you need money to live and enjoy your life. This is where a savings plan will come in! You need to learn how to “pay yourself,” rather than seeking after instant gratification. Success in your business does not make you a bad caregiver. We can model mindful money habits that will benefit our own wellness, as well as that of our clients!
What You’ll Hear in This Episode:
- The strange paradox around money we encounter as health and wellness caregivers.
- Why it is important to save.
- Why it is difficult to save.
- How I overcame my limiting beliefs about money.
- It is OK to have a successful business.
- You need diligence and ambition to grow your business.
- See a financial planner!
How important is your outcall business? Is it a priority or has it fallen by the wayside? This CAN be a booming business, but there are some guidelines to follow. In fact, I know several therapists who do nothing but mobile massages or straight outcalls, and they do very well with that. I started my business this way after I finished my schooling, but that was primarily because I didn’t have the finances to operate a brick and mortar business or even rent office space. Let’s talk about how to develop your outcall strategies for your business.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Remember that outcalls are easier when you’re young and strong, but not sustainable as you get older
- The pros of an outcall business: no overhead expenses
- The cons of an outcall business: you have to carry your own table and supplies and take the time to set up and break down
- Tips for your outcall business:
- Try to schedule several clients at one location, business, resort, conference, etc.
- Keep your minimum hourly rate in mind so you don’t lose money
- Offer table and/or chair massages
- Make sure you have enough room to work (ask ahead of time about the space available)
- If your outcall business is on the side, then schedule it around your regular office hours and don’t let it interfere
- Ask questions upfront about set up and break down time and parking
- Set rules and expectations ahead of time so that no one is surprised
- Ask ahead of time about anyone with allergies
- Travel as light as possible (I take my table, sheepskin, sheets, bolster, towel, oils and lotions, business cards, water, and a way to accept cards for payment
- Set up an invoice ahead of time
- Be professional and have a great attitude
- Ask them about rebooking before you leave
- Follow up with a thank you card, especially if you’re dealing with a business or event
- Outcalls can be a great way to add to your practice or build your practice. Try some of these tips and see how they can work for you to game-change YOUR business!
“Many in the massage industry don’t have long, successful careers.” Have you heard this statement before? While it may be true of some, we know that some massage therapists DO have long careers, practicing for 10-15 years or more. So how do they do it? What makes the difference? Let’s talk about some ways to put yourself on the winning side of this battle.
Strategies for a Long, Successful Career in Massage Therapy:
- It all comes down to self-care!
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- Take care of yourself first, so you can help others
- Self-care isn’t just about eating and resting well, but it’s about surrounding yourself with those who support you
- Be grounded. Don’t be overwhelmed with the emotional energy of others
- Be mindful of your posture, and take time after each client to rebalance yourself mentally and emotionally
- Keep a balanced workload. Do strength training for your core and your back.
Evaluate your practices and see where you need improvement to care for yourself and ensure a long, successful career in massage therapy. It’s another piece to game-changing your business!
How is your current marketing strategy working for your business? Do you need a fresh approach? Today’s show is about bridging the gap between “I don’t have time to do this myself” and “I don’t have the money to hire someone else.” My guest says, “Let me SHOW you how!”
Reid Peterson, MA, CMT, is the founder and owner of Bodywork Business Pro. His company helps massage and bodywork practitioners increase their online presence and grow their clientele. Join us to learn how Reid’s tips and advice may be just the thing to take your marketing strategy to the next level!
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Reid’s inspiration to become a massage therapist: At age 21, he went on a ski trip and got a massage that changed everything!
- His thriving massage therapy practice in Minnesota and why he wanted to do more
- Bodywork Business Pro: Reid’s online marketing company where he can teach other practitioners what he’s learned about business and marketing in the health and wellness field
- The trend in social media marketing and how Reid has tailored his courses to meet the need
- The benefits of video courses and tutorials to employ multiple senses
- The #1 thing that held Reid back: DOUBT
- How Reid fought to overcome the doubt that never really goes away by breaking things down into baby steps
- Reid’s “Aha moment,” when his first customer signed up for his course
- Reid’s advice to others about becoming a massage therapist:
- Have a trade partner to learn from and gain referrals from
- Do your best to be your own boss
- Start small with social media and create a three-month plan with action steps
- Document your marketing steps with detailed notes
- How Reid uses YouTube videos and blog articles to promote his business
- The best advice he ever received: “Breathe and believe”
- A recommended book: Business Mastery by Cherie Sohnen-Moe
Resources:
Reid’s website: www.bodyworkbusinesspro.com
Reid’s email: reid@bodyworkbusinesspro.com
Reid’s YouTube channel: Bodywork Business Pro
Are you committed to your marketing strategy? Do you even have specific marketing strategies? Unfortunately, many massage therapists model their marketing after what they have seen others do, even if it doesn’t work! Statistics show that 90% of massage therapists will leave the industry within the first five years. Doesn’t that indicate that it’s time to take a unique and fresh approach to our marketing practices?
I’m excited to have Tim Cooper joining me today. He’s a remedial massage therapist, coach, author, podcaster, and educator. Prior to studying massage in 2003, he worked as a software design engineer and business analyst for over 20 years. In 2013, he completed his first marketing course and fell in love with the science of marketing and social psychology. Tim brings a unique blend of industry, technical, and business knowledge to his coaching clients and students around the world. His Global Wellness Professionals Marketing Summit is just a few days away, and you can learn all about it right here!
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Why Tim wanted to leave the IT world and started studying herbalism and natural therapies
- How he turned to massage and aromatherapy
- Tim’s Wellness Business Breakthrough
- The big disconnect for healers between helping people and getting paid for it
- A big shock and a big failure: how Tim turned to marketing
- Walking away from one career to establish a thriving business in another
- Pushing forward and changing your mindset
- The biggest challenge in realizing that people may not use his herbal blends and comply
- The driving force behind the Global Wellness Professionals Marketing Summit: to help struggling therapists
- The reward in teaching others about marketing strategies
- Giving the wellness industry a shake-up in “building something strong”
- The Summit: 18 speakers on many different topics, beginning March 16, with a subscription offer for lifetime access to videos, audio, and transcripts
- Tim’s advice to Game Change Nation: “Don’t let anything or anyone stand in the way of where you want to be.”
Resources:
Find out more about the summit on the Facebook page: GWP Marketing Summit
For your business, how much money is enough? How much is too much? Is there ever such a thing as “too much”? These questions are prompting today’s episode and bringing awareness to the area of money. If we’re honest, we must admit that money is on our minds all the time. Our mindset is usually “More is always better,” but is that really true? Not having enough can certainly bring its own set of problems! The key is to find the happy medium that we need to live comfortably.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Consider what you want to have and experience in your life
- Put down on paper your bills and income
- Look at your day-to-day expenses and savings to identify what you need
- Break down your expenses into weekly and hourly needs
- Put some away for a “rainy day,” emergencies, and retirement
- Don’t forget taxes! Use IRS calculators to help you figure amounts
- When you first start your practice, you’re “testing the waters” to see if your hourly rate is enough to meet your needs
- Along the way, you’ll come up with things you want in your life and find ways to have them (For me, having a hot tub was a must!)
- Set aside a little extra as you can until you can afford those wants, needs, and “guilty pleasures”
- The bottom line is that we each must decide what is right for us regarding financial resources. We each want our business to be a profitable success, and managing money is another piece to game-changing your business.
Connecting with your client----are you good at it? If you can use a few tips on this issue, or maybe you need a fresh perspective, then this is the show for you!
As massage therapists, we know it’s important to give an exceptional massage experience to every client, but it’s the connection you make with them that will keep them coming back and secure your stake in their health and well-being. For example, my client base ranges from athletes and weekend warriors to those who need a medical massage, but they each want someone to think outside the box for them and their individual needs. Let’s look at ways to connect with each client successfully.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- How I’ve expanded my client base with additional trainings and certifications
- How my clients typically find me through a directory
- When I have their contact information, I call them back, for these reasons:
- To find out their specific issue(s)
- To help them understand my sincere interest in their needs
- To inform them of the commitment needed to see results—“If it took them 40 years to get these problems, then one session is not going to fix it.”
- When they come into the office, I follow these steps:
- Listen actively to what they say
- Maintain eye contact to show my sincere interest
- Put yourself in their shoes
- Present yourself and your practice to them with confidence
- Ask for feedback during and after the session about their pain level
- Help them know they are more than “just a number” and that you are investing in their health and well-being
- Follow up, ask them to rebook, and help them track their pain results
- Remember, creating a better environment for your client is key. When they understand that you are invested in them, they will rebook. Connecting with your client is another piece to game-changing your business!
“Do I need to raise my rates?” Have you asked yourself this question recently? If you’ve figured out that this is our topic for today’s show, then you are probably already grimacing, but stick with me as we talk out this issue. This could be the show that brings more profitability to your business!
Maybe you know you should raise your rates, but you just don’t know how to do it. Maybe you are afraid of how your clients will respond. I heard a motivational speaker recently who said that most of us who offer services are probably charging up to 30% less than what we should. Let’s explore the topic together.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Why don’t we raise our rates?
- Most often, we’re too busy with appointments and forget to make adjustments based on inflation
- How do I handle raising my rates?
- Let your clients know ahead of time
- Encourage them to lock in lower rates with package deals
- Change rates on brochures, website, and ALL materials
- Things I noticed when I raised my rates:
- Clients didn’t complain and thought the increase was reasonable
- My mindset was blocking my good fortune
- My certifications and training justify charging more than minimal rates
- Clients can see the benefits of my services and are willing to pay
- I could track the specific client who is seeking my skills and willing to pay the price
- I had to learn to acknowledge my value and take credit for my abilities
- How do you know when it’s time to raise your rates?
- Know what your numbers are
- Network with other professionals
- Keep it simple and use email, social media, or your website to announce the changes
No one wants to sabotage their business and kill their profitability. Knowing when it’s time to raise your rates (and doing it successfully) is another piece to game-changing your business.
Let’s start today with a question: How about your action plan? Do you have one? As entrepreneurs, we may THINK we have a successful practice, but sometimes we need a little jump start. A business action plan can be the KEY! Putting an action plan together requires some work and some honest evaluation. So, ask yourself: What can I do to transform my practice or make it even better?
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Most action plans focus on income/expenses or marketing
- Here are some tips for putting an action plan in place:
- Consider your schedule and operating hours; post them and BE consistent
- Track your income with financial spreadsheets
- Track the modalities and services that matter most to your clients
- Set weekly, monthly, and yearly goals
- Know your fixed expenses (and don’t forget taxes!)
- Find out which marketing strategies work for you and which don’t work
- Determine the best networking practices for your practice
- The bottom line is that you want your business to be profitable. Consider these tips and put your action plan to work! It’s another piece to game-changing your business!
Today we’re talking about how to connect with your community. Strong ties to your community can be vital to your business growth. But how do we build and sustain these relationships? We’ll discuss some tips about making these connections happen, and remember, some of these may be harder to do if your business is in a larger city.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- How do we define “community”? A community is composed of families in neighborhoods that are likeminded and have the goal of inspiring each other
- Tips to connect with and nourish your community:
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- Volunteer your time with likeminded organizations
- Introduce your product or service at a discount or for free
- Be a mentor to others
- Attend networking events
- Leverage social media for meaningful connections
- Try some of these ideas to improve your connection to your community. It’s another piece to game-changing your business!
Mentioned in this episode:
Memorable Events by Apryl www.makememorable.com
Today we are talking about your right to refuse a client. Many entrepreneurs in private practice don’t realize they have this right. Keep in mind that you can always refuse to work with a prospective client or discontinue work with an existing client, for several reasons. Let’s take a deeper look.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Important questions to ask yourself:
- Do I know when it’s time to turn a client away?
- Do I know how to do this?
- Examples of situations in which you need to make a “judgment call”:
- With a client who is consistently late or a no-show
- With a non-compliant client who doesn’t do the self-care of homework that is required as part of their treatment
- When your own limitations and skill sets are being tested or pushed to the limit
- Tips to consider:
- Have policies in place and inform clients about them
- Have clear boundaries and remind clients, when needed
- Be professional, yet firm
- Always be courteous
Think about these issues, ask yourself these questions, and consider these tips. This is an important scenario that you need to prepare for ahead of time. Understanding your right to refuse a client is another piece to game-changing your business.
Today’s show is How to Overcome your Fear of Public Speaking. You may say, “Oh, no, I don’t ever plan on doing public speaking!” Believe it or not, we all encounter times when we must speak to a small group or even to our team of therapists. There are many ways that this skill can benefit you, like when presenting your marketing plan. Being an effective public speaker also helps you present yourself with confidence and positions you as an expert in the area of your modality. All of this can translate into more opportunities and greater revenue for your business. Don’t fall into the trap of equating public speaking with being a salesman. Learn to be informative about your business without being sales-y.
Tips for overcoming the fear of public speaking:
- Determine to overcome the fear
- Start small
- Know your material
- Visualize yourself having a conversation with ONE person in the audience
- Engage with the audience
- Present your ideas with confidence
- If you need help, contact Toastmasters in your area
Don’t let your fear hold you back from taking advantage of public speaking opportunities that come your way and can help grow your business and your influence. It’s another piece to game-changing your business!
What is SUCCESS, and what does it mean to you? We all try to pursue success, but each of us probably would give a different definition of what it means. Sometimes we even try to define it by what it DOES NOT mean. Let’s talk about success and what it means for your business.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Plan for success by having goals and a clear vision
- Know what success is NOT
- Look at who you are and what you want to achieve
- “Success is not final; failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.”
—Winston Churchill
- Some of the best success stories come from rock-bottom failures
- What you need to do to have success:
- Set goals and objectives based on what YOU desire
- Bring people on board who share similar goals
- Build on your former success to move forward
- Learn from your small successes AND challenges
- Assess where you are RIGHT NOW
- Figure out your strengths and weaknesses
- Be clear about what YOU want to accomplish
Remember that the road to success is a long journey with many milestones along the way. Determine your own success and don’t let others define it for you. Your success will depend on what you value. Being clear about what success IS and IS NOT is just another piece to game-changing your business.
It’s Never Too Late to Start Over! That’s our topic for today’s show. A new year is always a good time to start off with fresh ideas, to continue what you started last year, or to totally reinvent yourself. Let’s talk about some ideas that you might want to put into action in 2018!
- Have the right mindset (Start each day with gratefulness)
- Be honest to yourself and others
- Honor your career
- Educate your friends and family about your career and the proper terminology around it
- Respect your clients and peers
- Honor others’ privacy
- Set clear boundaries
- Hold to standard operating procedures and policies
- Take time to learn from others
- Pay it forward
- Portray a professional image—Always!
- Take time for yourself
I hope you’ll take these ideas and put them into action for your practice this year. Knowing that it’s never too late to start over is another piece to game-changing your business!
You probably realize that we are just days away from a new year. It’s the time of year when most people think about resolutions of some kind. Most people want to accomplish a goal, kick a bad habit, or improve their life in some way. Today we are discussing your New Year’s resolutions for your small business, because resolutions aren’t just for your personal life! Let’s talk about ways you can bring about positive change in YOUR business for 2018!
Suggestions for resolutions:
- Manage cash flow more effectively
- Improve your digital and social media presence
- Focus on becoming more productive
- Take a look at your expenses, prices, and profit
- Delegate more daily tasks to your team
- Become a better communicator
Consider these resolutions, and you may even want to add more of your own. Create an action plan to implement the needed changes. Consider finding the help you need, maybe through the services of a business coach. Resolutions are another part to game-changing your business for 2018!
Running your own business can be like a rollercoaster ride, complete with many ups and downs. Sometimes you may feel like you’re falling apart and wonder what you are supposed to do next. I have good news! A business coach just may be the answer to your problems! Let’s talk about how a coach can help you set objectives and get your business running more smoothly from A-Z.
Five Signs that You Need a Business Coach:
- You don’t have a clear path for your business
- A coach will help you delegate certain tasks
- You feel overwhelmed
- A coach will help you become productive again
- You aren’t developing new skills
- A coach will help you learn new technologies and skills in leadership and negotiation
- You have no accountability
- A coach will help you accomplish reasonable goals
- You’re always in a rut
- A coach will help you implement a strategic plan, gain confidence, and try a new perspective
The key is knowing when you need help. Remember that you can’t do it all alone. Consider what a business coach can do for your team! It’s another piece to game-changing your business!
Today we’re talking about Your Small Business Year-End Checklist. We all think of taxes when we come to the end of the fiscal year, but it’s also the perfect time to start your business plan for the upcoming year. The end of a year is a time for analysis and critical decisions about your business.
Think about the following on your Year-End Checklist:
- Make sure your financial books are in order
- Determine where you want to be in your business
- Evaluate your goals
- Plan for the upcoming year
- Take action
Businesses that fail to plan are planning to fail. I hope this inspires you to think about your business plan as we say goodbye to 2017 and look forward to 2018. It’s another piece to game-changing your business!
Today’s topic is Self-Care during the Holidays. Don’t think of self-care as something reserved for when you’re sick, but as a vital part of life. It’s never more crucial than around the holidays, when life is busy, stressful, and overwhelming. We are each on a lifelong journey, and we must take a little time each day to preserve our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health. After all, we want to take care of our clients, so we need to take care of ourselves. We all need that “ME” time!
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Learn how to focus on one thing at a time
- Use meditation, yoga, proper breathing, good diet, exercise, relaxation, and positive thinking
- Stay grounded and bring the focus back to YOU
- Let go of other people’s issues and concerns
- Ask yourself these questions:
- How do I want to feel in my life?
- What positive actions can I take?
- What can I do for ME?
- How can I accomplish this goal?
- What is my “go-to haven” to feel whole and positive?
- Don’t overbook your activities. Leave time for reading books, listening to music, cooking, jogging, and spending time with family or friends. Taking care of YOU—it’s another piece to game-changing your business and your life!
Whether you’re ready or not, the holidays are around the corner, and we’re all in “gift mode.” It is immensely satisfying to find the perfect gift for someone special, but have you thought about what you can do for your massage therapist? They may seem like “they have everything,” but let’s talk about creating a wish list of items you would like to have and what gifts would be timely and appropriate for your therapist.
Gift Ideas for Your Therapist or any Health Professional:
- Magazine subscription, either print or digital
- Massage oils/essential oils (find out what products they use and purchase a gift card)
- Music for their offices, through a gift card or subscription to Spotify, iTunes, or Pandora
- Gift baskets that are fun and creative
- Help decorate their workplace, either by arranging paintings or furniture or a gift card for new things
- Have a group of family or friends pitch in for a big ticket item, but always get a gift receipt
As we enter the holiday season, we should realize that the new year is quickly approaching. With that comes wishful thinking about what 2018 may hold for your business. What will you need for success in your business for the new year?
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- A new year is a great opportunity to update your business and try out some new tools
-
1 on your wish list should be a great website!
- Try wix.com and www.thegiftcardcafe.com
- Other tools and resources can save you time and help you stay current with technology:
- Google analytics
- dropbox.com
- mailchimp.com
- robly.com
- constantcontact.com
- skype.com
- zoom.us
- gotowebinar.com
- square.com
- hootsuite.com
- wordpress.com
- evernote.com
There you have it—another piece to game-changing YOUR business!
What is your net profit margin? Is it something you keep an eye on? You won’t know if you’re even making a profit if you don’t know your numbers, so this topic is an important one for every entrepreneur to consider. Let’s talk about it!
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Look for ways to increase your sales and decrease your expenses
- Figure your net profit margin by deducting all expenses from all revenue; the part leftover is your profit
- What is “net profit margin”? The income you have after all expenses and taxes have been accounted for
- Each industry has its own profit margin, depending on its specific products and services
- How to increase sales:
- Offer more hours of availability
- Increase prices
- Eliminate unnecessary expenses
- What to do if your products and services are not generating revenue:
- Find a way to promote them
- Remove that product or service from your offering
- Use the product or service as an add-on bonus item
- What to do if you feel the financial “pinch”:
- Analyze the market
- Evaluate the overall economy
- Look for unexpected expenses
- What to do if your net profit margin is negative:
- Look at your numbers and expenses
- Re-negotiate contracts
- Adjust business hours for maximum sales
- Don’t forget to take a yearly or quarterly look at your net profit margin. These numbers are something you need to be constantly aware of, to maximize your profitability and keep your business in the black! It’s another piece to game-changing your business!
Today’s topic is an important one! We’re discussing how to increase your massage revenue. Isn’t that the name of the game? We all want to stay in the black and not put our businesses in the red. Let’s talk about some tips and simple ideas to increase your revenue:
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Ask clients to rebook while they are still there
- Build a custom website for potential clients to view
- Have online scheduling availability
- Increase your social media presence—Look at it as FREE advertising!
- Start a financial budget and write off the expenses that are allowed
The calendar year is quickly coming to a close. Make sure you’ve kept up with your mileage and travel expenses if you do mobile massage or travel to conferences. Utilizing tax deductions and putting these tips to use will help YOU increase your revenue and keep your business on the profitable side. It’s just another piece to game-changing YOUR business!
They are coming soon---Black Friday and Cyber Monday! Are you ready? Is your practice ready? Have you even thought about these events and their potential impact on your business? We’re discussing these topics and more in today’s show about preparing for success as the holidays' approach.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- In 2016, online holiday online sales topped $3.3 billion!
- 70% of Thanksgiving web traffic is done on mobile devices
- Many people will do internet shopping BEFORE Black Friday
- Things to consider for success for your practice:
- Be mobile friendly
- Nail down your offers and campaigns
- Offer a percentage discount but keep sales goals in mind
- Offer a dollar amount discount off your products and services
- Offer free shipping
- Have a “limited time” stipulation on offers
- Create a sense of urgency for your buyers
- Provide a reminder and thank-you message to existing clients as the holidays' approach
- Know your target client
- Don’t miss the boat! Prepare now! Evaluate your website and see it through your client’s eyes. Have gift cards easily accessible on your site. It’s a way to tap into the potential for great holiday sales, and it’s another piece to game-changing your business.
Today’s topic is How to Develop Discipline. Discipline is something we all need to develop on a daily basis, both as a person and as an entrepreneur. I learned this a long time ago as a competitive equestrian and runner, and this discipline has carried over to my career as a massage therapist.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Discipline is the key to success
- Discipline is gained through commitment
- Discipline gives the happiness and freedom to achieve dreams
- A positive mindset is important along with discipline
- Discipline teaches us how to control our thoughts and have a positive outlook
- Discipline inspires personal growth
- Steps to developing discipline:
-
- Set big goals
- Set clear goals
- Set a time limit
- Trust the plan
- Build a wonderful mindset
- Set up a routine
- Look for the transformation; things change as you become disciplined
- Visualize your success
- Enjoy your work!
- Developing discipline and focus will stretch you further than you thought and give you power and self-control
What is getting in the way to your road to success? Whether you are in the middle of a business venture, or just at the beginning, having a system in place is the secret to success. Systems are all good and well, but with so much competition in our industry, how can you give yourself an edge? Have you thought about utilizing your unique gifts to make a name for yourself? That is exactly what our guest, Pat Roque did, and she is ready to share her secrets with you.
Pat is a motivational speaker and the mastermind behind “Rock Your Success.” She has written two books, launched a successful blog, and helped countless business owners and entrepreneurs take their business to the next level…all after she turned 50. Pat is proof that it is never too late to chase your dream, change your dream, and make it happen. Today, Pat shares her considerable wisdom to encourage us to pursue our gifts and transform our lives. She is a firm believer in your unique gifts, and we think her perspective might just be what you need to get started. Your path is clear, and it is time to take the first step!
What You Will Learn In This Episode:
- Pat’s shares her pivot moment where she realized her life was still full, even after a career meltdown.
- Why Pat decided to become a motivational speaker to share her gifts with the world.
- How Rock On Success can help your business grow and thrive using your unique talents.
- Pat’s method for creating success with stepping stones.
- Hear stories of success from Pat’s coaching, speaking, and mentoring.
Links:
Connect with Pat Online!
pat@rockonsuccess.com
Rockonsuccess.com
Grab your copy of Pat’s books, Rock On Success, Rock Your Golf.
Today we’re discussing Your Comeback Strategy. Have you ever thought about what would happen if you are laid off due to illness or injury? What if you choose to take an extended personal vacation? We all know our businesses are dependent on our clients’ needs and whether they rebook with us, but what is your strategy to get those next appointments scheduled?
Clients must see the value of your work for them. Here are five basic areas for you to consider:
- Let your clients know the benefits of regular massage. “Feeling good” requires regular massage therapy.
- Get personal. Talk about how they feel before and after a treatment. Check in with them a day later to follow up.
- Take control and guide them toward rebooking. Talk about your future treatment plans to help with their specific needs and inform them of online scheduling options.
- Ask for them to book the next appointment—and do it with confidence! Don’t be afraid to ASK!
- Consider the client’s past records. See how they’re progressing, assess your treatment plans, and identify their chronic problems.
Remember, you are explaining to the client what is in their best interests for optimal health and wellness. Help them become aware of their bodies and how massage therapy can speed their progress toward “feeling good.” Going after those successive appointments and building your value with clients is another piece to game-changing your business!
Today’s guest is Sue Callison of the blog, My Lymphedema Life. Her lymphatic system was permanently damaged during treatments for breast cancer, causing her to develop an additional medical condition called lymphedema. As Sue found out, there are many ways besides cancer treatments that cause people to develop lymphedema, but the outcome for all is the same: the chronic backup and buildup of lymphatic fluid in the body, which can be visibly seen by the swelling it causes in the affected areas. A common way to manage this condition is through the use of compression garments, however, for Sue, the traditional garments made her condition worse. After trying almost everything possible and available in the US, she went on a global search for a better solution and discovered Solidea, an Italian compression garment manufacturer. Sue discovered that one of their patented fabric technologies, Active Massage, had incredible properties of keeping the backup of lymphatic fluid down. Sue started her company in January 2010, to bring this wearable solution to others who require compression garments to manage their condition.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- How this all began for Sue with lymphedema in her arm
- The desire to help others not feel isolated and alone in this condition
- How Sue took back her life from this condition
- Becoming an entrepreneur
- How Active Massage works to remove fluid buildup
- Why Sue wanted to help others find success vs. lymphedema
- Getting the word out to other lymphedema sufferers via social media
- Components of lymphedema treatment
- Connecting with others through Facebook
- Sue’s advice to a lymphedema patient:
-
- Find a good lymphedema therapist
- Connect with Sue through Facebook
- Learn all you can about the condition and what can help
- Be your own self-advocate
- The best advice Sue ever received: “Take your time, do your research, write that business plan, and get connected.”
Resources:
www.solidamedical.com
Find Sue and Solidea on Facebook: Solidea and My Lymphedema Life
Today we’re continuing our conversation about Protecting Your Business and Your Future. Are you prepared for weather, illness, or injury that might close your business or limit your income? What about if a car plows through your place of business? What kinds of insurance should you have in place? Let’s talk about these scenarios and what you can do to prepare yourself and protect your business.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- How to handle accidents and unforeseen incidents:
-
- You need insurance in place BEFORE you need it
- Beware of insurance waiting periods
- Note that insurance will NOT fully replace your income
- Have a savings account in place for emergencies
- Have disability insurance in case of extended illness and injury to you
- Why you need life insurance in place
-
- To help your loved ones in the event of your death
- It can help in a time of terminal illness
- What to do if a car plows through your business, especially if they are uninsured:
-
- Get all information from the driver, including insurance info, driver’s license number, address, and phone number
- Take pictures of all damage to your business and the vehicle
- If they are uninsured, contact your insurance company for help
- Think about retirement: Are you planning now for financial independence?
- Why you and your employees need health insurance that includes vision and dental coverage
- It never hurts to have an insurance review with a licensed agent. Find out about the different types of insurance available, the deductible and waiting period options, and what will be covered in the event of an emergency.
Today’s topic is Protecting Your Business and Your Future. This topic will extend over several weeks as we break it apart and address all sides of the issue. You know that the safety of you and your business affects your family and your livelihood. You never know what will come up, so it’s vitally important to prepare and plan ahead. Let’s talk about it!
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Are you prepared for a fire, storm, or theft?
- Do you have the right insurance coverage? Here are some things to think about:
-
- Have a business policy in place
- Make sure you have proper coverage for equipment, supplies, and furniture
- Check your declaration page for deductible information
- Have the right policy depending on whether you own or rent your office space
- Inventory your insurable assets—Document everything with pictures, serial and model numbers, and receipts
- If you don’t have receipts for purchases, use bank statements for proof
- Update your inventory each year
- Store your inventory information at your business and at home. Consider a safety deposit box also
- In an emergency evacuation scenario, take methodical pictures of each wall and area of your business
- If you suffer a loss:
-
- Take photos of the business premises and the damage
- Report your claim to the insurance carrier
- In case of theft, file a police report
Remember to be patient through the processes and have your documents in order beforehand. The goal is to get your business up and running again ASAP!
Today’s topic is How to Delight your Client. This should be the ultimate goal for massage therapists, and we must remember that it is just as important to please our existing clients as it is to acquire new clients. View each massage as an area of opportunity to give the client a wonderful experience. This will make the client much more likely to leave a Google or Yelp review for your business and become a regular client. Yes, some of my tips are “common sense,” but it never hurts to review the basics. Remember, it is usually the small things done on a consistent basis that make the biggest difference for your clients!
Basic Tips for Delighting your Client:
- Look at your practice through your first-time client’s eyes
- Ask the basic questions to engage the client immediately upon meeting them. Ask about their needs for water, restroom, their medical issues, their pressure preferences, their room temperature comfort, and what brought them in for a massage.
- Keep the conversation centered around the client’s needs
- Be responsive to the client’s requests
- Let them know what to expect during the massage and after the massage
- Set up a treatment plan for getting their body back on track
- Explain to them where to place personal belongings and remind them to turn off their cell phone!
- Ask about prior massages
- Get client feedback, follow up with a survey, and direct them toward leaving a review
Remember that you are trying to create a wonderful experience for your client so they will feel comfortable returning to you for future massages. Don’t be afraid to ask for that next appointment! Of course, these small practices can be another BIG step in game-changing your business!
Welcome to today’s show with Theresa Sonneville and The Compression Closet. Theresa is in the Chicago area, but offers her expertise in compression garments to therapists and their patients worldwide via her website. The compression garments are specifically for lymphedema patients and they solve the problem of finding good quality compression garments. Theresa is certified by the garment manufacturers in fitting both over-the-counter and custom garments. Her website is geared toward therapists who want to help their patients find the right garment and the right fit.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Why there needs to be much more education about lymphedema in the medical profession
- How Theresa “fell into” the field, working with the misdiagnosed and misunderstood
- The Compression Closet and what their simplified process offers:
-
- Sizing tips
- 5-digit SKU numbers
- Convenient drop-shipping
- 30-day return policy
- Theresa’s entrepreneurial journey and how fear held her back
- “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
- The “Aha” moment: “When I realized I didn’t have to be an extrovert to be a successful entrepreneur”
- Advice about becoming a garment fitter:
-
- Take advantage of manufacturer classes
- Ask for help from the sales reps
- How Theresa promotes her business by meeting other therapists and fitters at manufacturer classes, shows, and events
- How social media, especially LinkedIn and Facebook, have helped Theresa’s business
- The best advice Theresa ever received? “Learn how to prioritize time and stick to a schedule
- The “Eat My Frog” mantra
- A favorite book? The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins
- How web designer Seth Barthen from Dandy Cat helped Theresa’s business
Resources:
www.thecompressioncloset.com
Call or email Theresa: 815-342-0370 and theresa@thecompressioncloset.com
Eat My Frog by Brian Tracy
The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins
http://dcdesigns.io
Today’s show is a visit with Cynthia Vance at Rejuvenation Body Spa in Virginia Beach, VA. She has been in business since 2015, offering a wide range of spa treatments at budget-friendly rates. Services include therapeutic and relaxing massage, including reflexology, along with beauty services like waxing, body scrubs, and weight loss. Her goal is to make you relaxed and gorgeous! Let’s chat with Cynthia!
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Cynthia’s inspiration to be a massage therapist and aesthetician: to help people
- Why she wanted to open her own spa
- Why Cynthia had to build up her courage to overcome fear and open the spa
- What it takes to run successful spa: patience, time, and dedication
- Cynthia’s “Aha” moment: when the business was set up, fully scheduled, and flourishing
- Her advice to others: “You have to have your whole heart into it.”
- How Cynthia promotes her business with social media, local events, and teaming up with a local chiropractor
- The best advice she ever received? “If you fail, pick yourself up and try again. Don’t stop.”
- Upcoming for Cynthia: Kids Bash on August 26
- Other services offered at Rejuvenation: hot stones, aromatherapy, body wraps, and infrared sauna bed treatments
- Contact Cynthia to learn more: www.rejuvenationbodyspa.com or call 757-560-4999
Today we’re talking about Fueling your Mind and Body through Eating Healthy. Keeping up with the demands of a busy practice will put you “on the run” each day. It’s important to not neglect your personal health and self-care. We often preach self-care to our clients, but aren’t always as diligent for ourselves. Therapists need self-care, too! Let’s chat about how simple strategic planning can help you fuel your mind AND body.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Tips for taking care of YOU:
-
- Stay hydrated with water
- Limit coffee, tea, and other drinks
- Eat a good breakfast—it really is the MOST important meal of the day!
- Take time for healthy morning and afternoon snacks, like veggies and hummus, fresh fruit, nuts, yogurt, etc.
- Work in a lunch break to relax and refuel—Combine a basic protein with carbs, fresh fruits or veggies, nuts, and seeds)
- The bottom line is that you must take good care of yourself in order to take good care of your clients!
Today’s topic is about Learning to Stand Out from the Crowd. How you do this depends somewhat on your location, as to whether you are the only massage therapist in your community or whether you compete with hundreds of others for your clients. Remember that your future is in YOUR hands, and you can build a financially and emotionally rewarding practice, so don’t undervalue your abilities. Take charge!
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Answer these questions:
-
- What is your passion around your practice?
- What roadblocks are hindering your dreams?
- What steps are you taking to empower yourself?
- Key points to make your practice STAND OUT:
-
- Have specific long-term goals
- Keep everything in balance between your practice and your dream
- Have online scheduling available
- Post office hours and services offered on your website
- Take stock of your strengths and weaknesses
- Take the time to expand your skills
- Build open communication skills with your clients
- Have intake forms available online and in the office
- Be excellent at your work and master your craft
- Don’t limit yourself!
Keep an open and positive mindset and seize ALL opportunities. Take these tips into consideration to truly make your practice STAND OUT from the crowd and game change your business!
Today’s show features a conversation with Maureen Moore at Thrive Proactive Health, as we discuss How to have a Thriving Business. Maureen is a passionate holistic health advocate in Virginia Beach, VA, specializing in massage and various manual therapies. She has logged over 15 years’ experience in the health and wellness field. Join me for more with Maureen!
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- The inspiration to start Thrive: wanting to empower people to be proactive about their health instead of reactive
- How Maureen was inspired to become an entrepreneur by a family-owned coffee shop
- Why Maureen wants to leave a mark on the world through her work
- The biggest challenges in entrepreneurship: becoming business-savvy and explaining their unique niche to people
- The biggest support, from her husband, family, friends, and her business partner, Julie
- The “AHA” moment when she knew Thrive would be successful
- For massage therapists and physical therapists who want to own their own businesses, Julie says, “Know your WHY, your mission, and your purpose.”
- Julie’s time management tips and a typical business day at Thrive—which begins before 5 am!
- How Maureen uses social media to promote her business
- The best advice she ever received? “To be disciplined and consistent.”
- Books that Maureen recommends: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and The Morning Miracle by Hal Elrod
- Upcoming events for Thrive on August 5 and 12
Resources:
www.thrivevb.com
Find ThriveVB on Facebook to keep up with news and events!
Today we are discussing why you should attend conferences as a massage therapist. No one likes to have to close their business for a few days, plan travel, and incur extra costs. The flip side is that the benefits to these conferences go far deeper than their monetary value. Let’s talk about why you should make plans now to attend an upcoming conference.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Three main reasons to attend professional conferences:
-
- To grow and develop as a massage professional
- To build your network by meeting new colleagues in your industry
- To fulfill continuing education hours required for recertification
- Other benefits to consider about attending professional conferences:
-
- It’s an opportunity to build your professional community
- Participating in online training is no substitute for attending a conference
- You will get fresh ideas on ways to improve your practice
- You will learn about current research, techniques, and regulations
- Attending a conference can help prevent burnout
- Your clients like to know you are up-to-date with expert knowledge and current trends in the industry
- You will build a community of therapists who can help and support you
Taking the time to attend conferences shows that you take your profession seriously and want to grow, learn, and improve. What you learn at a conference gives a reality check about where our industry is heading in the future and ensures that you will NOT be left behind. You know it’s just another piece to game-changing your business!
Today we are discussing Earning Passive Income, something that can be very helpful to entrepreneurs in any field. If you don’t have passive income, then you are in the trap of always trading your hours for dollars. There IS a better way! Let’s jump right in!
- What is passive income?
-
- Also known as “residual income”—do the work once and keep getting paid
- Receive income even when you aren’t working
- Three ways to successfully create passive income:
-
- Product sales
-
- Very common but often overlooked
- Instead of “selling,” make a suggestion about a product that you sell
- Affiliate marketing
-
- Easy for entrepreneurs to do (mostly online)
- Can work with other health and wellness entrepreneurs
- Sessions with other therapists
-
- Allow independent contractors to use your office space to work with your clients
- Make sure the fee split is pre-arranged in order to cover your overhead and bring a small profit
These suggestions are ways for you to practice and improve your negotiating skills AND grow your business. The most important thing to remember is to keep an open mind to all opportunities and possibilities. It’s another piece to game-changing YOUR business!
We’re talking today about How to Become the Social Media Mogul. Social media can be a great tool for building and growing your business, but some entrepreneurs may find it overwhelming. Join me now and let’s talk about utilizing this tool to take your business to the next level.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Steps in Becoming the Social Media Mogul:
-
- Determine your social media goal
- Become the wellness guru (or the guru in your specialty)
- Become THE authority on the subject matter
- Become visual—Get in front of the camera!
- Take photos at events and post them to social media
- Tips to Grow your Business through Digital Marketing:
-
- Do a promotion and offer a discounted specific service—but have a clear end date
- Do a holiday promotion with specific discounts for THAT day
- Do a referral promo to your clients via text message and social media
- Offer periodic informational value via social media
- Offer transactional promos about upcoming appointments
- Send a text blast about availabilities during weekly slow times
- Build your list of clients through offline options
I hope these tips are helpful to you in expanding your business and your social media presence. There you have it—another piece to game changing your business!
Today’s show is about participating in hospital massages. There is a growing interest in the US in massage and energy work in hospitals, and we all know the benefits of massage to the health and wellness of patients. Let’s talk about this aspect of massage therapy.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Massage therapy: great for pain relief, joint soreness and stiffness, and injury recovery
- Hospital massages: typically done on hospital premises or at a clinic or outreach facility
- What to consider if you pursue this aspect of massage therapy
-
- Determine who will receive massages
- Determine when and where massages will be given
- Determine how long massages will last
- Tips for carrying out hospital massage therapy:
-
- Always carry business cards with you to events
- Check with local hospitals to see if they have a wellness center
- Spread the word that therapeutic massage can alleviate pain and help speed the healing process
We all need to take care of ourselves, whether we are a hospital patient or not. Hospital massage is a new and exciting field that can open up new contacts and opportunities for your business. As a massage therapist, you should take advantage of the numerous opportunities at hospitals and health/wellness events. You know it’s another piece to game-changing your business!
Today’s topic is How to Get Physician Referrals. Do you know how to get these referrals? We’ll cover tips for making the contacts and securing these clients. Even though most referral clients will be short-term until they get pain relief, some of them may become regular clients, IF you can provide stress relief and improve their overall well-being. Let’s talk about this topic!
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Getting these physician referrals allows you to educate about the benefits of massage therapy
- The financial breakdown is that just ONE referral client who visits twice monthly can yield an increase of $1680 per year
- How do you get these referrals?
-
- Do research on the physicians in your area
- Contact them via letter (I contact five at a time)
- Whether you contact the physician (or office manager) through a letter or in person, here are a few things to remember:
-
- Offer them an alternative solution to pain management
- Be mindful of their time if you see them in person
- Let them know if you are accepting new patients
- Offer a complimentary massage to the physician or physician assistant
- Share successful case histories
- Become familiar with the jargon in their area of specialty
- Include a brochure and follow up with them within a week
- Present a professional image
- Send thank you letters for ANY referral client
How about you? Do you have other tips or ideas about getting referrals or success stories about what has worked for you? I’d love to hear them, so be sure to share them on my website. There it is, another piece to game changing your business.
Today’s topic is How to Turn Your Knowledge into Power. Following my tips will help you run a more productive business and help your clients with their treatment plans. Sounds like a big win-win on both counts, doesn’t it?
Keep these tips in mind to always keep a fresh perspective on your business and turn your knowledge into power:
- Remember that everything is negotiable
- Give back to your community
- Keep your perspective in check
- Take time to recharge
- Try to make someone else feel better
- Have a social life
- Exercise!
- Have positive intentions and be supportive
- Encourage someone else to contribute to your vision and give insight
- Keep email etiquette in mind
Be genuine, honest, and sincere with all your actions, and you’ll see your business grow beyond your wildest dreams. There you have it---another piece to game changing your business.
Today’s show is about Creating an Inviting Environment with Jennifer Tampasis. Jennifer is an interior decorator with her company, Jennifer Lynn Interiors. She helps women create homes that are clean, calm, and relaxing, so they feel content, proud, and inspired by their space. She has just logged her first full year as an entrepreneur—and as a busy mom of three. Jennifer works with local clients in the tri-state area and also has an online business. Join me for more from Jennifer!
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Jennifer’s work with local clients and online through her virtual designs
- Why she loves the collaborative process and the flexibility to be at home
- “Design, Style and Martinis”
- From teacher to entrepreneur: changing the mindset
- Jennifer’s “Aha” moment in her business: creating your business to fit your life
- Suggestions for making a massage room more inviting, relaxed, and comfortable:
-
- Maximize the work space and reduce the clutter
- Soften and dim the light
- Consider the colors in the room
- Add fun décor
- Jennifer’s time management tips—including her favorite time-saving apps!
- The best advice she ever received? “Do what you love, and the rest will come.”
- Jennifer’s favorite books!
- Jennifer’s upcoming events and endeavors!
Resources:
www.jenniferlynninteriors.com
Find Jennifer on Facebook: Jennifer Lynn Interiors and her private group--Design, Style, Martinis
Find Jennifer on Twitter, Linked In, and Instagram: @jenniferlynninteriors
Jennifer’s favorite apps: Trello, Google Calendar, Zapier, Calendly, Later, and Buffer
Jennifer’s favorite books: Dot Com Secrets and Expert Secrets by Russell Brunson
Ask by Ryan Levesque, Profit First by Mike Michalowicz, The Theory of Colors by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and Launch by Jeff Walker
Today we’re talking about a topic that can be quite challenging: Email marketing. As a business owner, you know you need to use this tool, but how do you know what to do? Perhaps most importantly, how do you do it correctly? I’ll admit that I have some pet peeves around this topic, like when my email junk box fills up, when I receive emails with typos, and when I receive too many emails in the same day from the same company. Let’s jump into this topic!
- The BIG question when it comes to your email list: How do I get people to take ACTION on my emails?
- Some basic rules to follow in the field of email marketing:
-
- DON’T bombard customer with email
- Be honest in the subject line
- Keep an updated contact list
- “All it takes is ONE too many emails to get people to unsubscribe from your email list.”
Remember, be sincere with good intentions. People will know when you’re phony. Thanks for joining me for another piece to game-changing your business!
Today’s show is about Designing Innovations for your business. The idea is that we purposely decide what we want in our lives, and we have to create the design that’s perfect for our businesses and our clients. Let’s talk about it!
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- One of the biggest challenges is keeping our ideas and innovations alive and taking them further than just being a fleeting thought. Why is this a common struggle?
-
- We’re not ready for the new idea to become reality
- We let ourselves be talked out of our dreams
- We haven’t grown like we should have
- We don’t know how to utilize the new idea
- How to counteract that tendency and foster new ideas and innovations:
-
- Carry a notebook, audio recorder, or use your cell phone to capture new ideas
- Ask the right questions and ask for opinions
- Consider ideas carefully, and even contemplate a variation of the idea
- Keep an open mind
- Revisit new ideas on a regular basis
Remember that small changes CAN yield significant results, but growth always requires innovation. Be a forward thinker in your business, because no one else will do it for you! There you have it---another piece to game-changing your business. Thanks for joining me!
Today we’re talking about being innovative with your intentions. Intention will help your life be more fulfilling, but you have to be creative and establish a plan. Learning how to implement better thinking and better tools in your business will spill over into other areas of your life as well. Don’t we all desire a more fulfilling and intentional life? Let’s talk about it!
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Live life deliberately
-
- Have clarity about your mindset
- Decide which friends to spend time with
- Manage stress levels
- Know your limits
- Develop a team
- Be focused and strategic about your schedule
- Know how to act fast to maximize your energy and resources
-
- Accomplish your goals
- Create a rich life
- Plan and organize details
There you have it. Thoughts about living with intention that will be another piece to game-changing your business. Thanks for joining me!
Today’s episode is all about Building your Chair Massage Practice; this is an element you can incorporate into your services, in addition to what you offer at your brick and mortar practice. The benefits to a chair massage are that it can happen almost anywhere, no oils are required, and no clothing removal is necessary. Offering chair massages is a way for you to do more marketing and gain new clients. Let’s discuss some of the basics!
- Where can I go to do chair massages?
-
- Sporting events
- Expos, conventions, shows, and health fairs
- Business offices, especially during employee appreciation events
- Graduation nights, birthday parties, and girls’ nights out
- Volunteer at events for non-profit organizations
- Tips to remember about doing chair massage at these venues:
-
- Get clients’ contact info, especially names and email addresses
- Have a drawing for a free gift certificate in exchange for their contact info
- Choose a great location that’s not too noisy, but visible to passersby
- Have your documents with you, like ID, license, and proof of liability insurance
- Have a written agreement with the venue organizer for your payment/time
The hope is that you can put these tips into action to build your chair massage practice, which will hopefully secure more long-term clients for your practice. It’s another piece to game-changing your business!
Today we’re talking about Focusing Your Efforts without committing more time. After all, wouldn’t that make our lives easier? The keys are learning to be more effective while refining our focus and keeping our efforts simple. Think about the successful people you know; how do they do it? Most likely, they have full, yet productive, days. Let’s jump into this topic together!
- Three Steps to Focusing Your Efforts:
-
- Overcome the fear of public speaking in order to grow your business
-
- Consider Toastmasters to take baby steps toward confident speaking
- Have a specific mission
-
- Remember what your initial purpose was in starting your business
- Deep dive into your areas of specialties
-
- You can’t do EVERYTHING! Pull from your toolbox what’s necessary
- Other actions to take:
-
- Make yourself the expert in your field and NEVER stop learning
- Implement your program to solve problems
- Eliminate time-wasters
- Set boundaries
I hope you can take these tips that are another piece to game-changing your business. Remember, it takes work to be effective, but you need simplicity and a framework for baby steps forward.
Do you want to be successful? Hopefully, it’s not even a question you have to consider! Most everyone seeks success in business and other areas of life. The problem is that we know the road to success is a long and winding one with many twists, turns, and obstacles. In short, the path to success requires hard work and sacrifices, many of them behind the scenes. Today’s show is about transforming yourself into a BETTER YOU.
Five Key Elements for Success:
- Composure—Remain calm in high-stress situations
- Etiquette—Practice good manners and be polite
- Being Productive and Punctual—These will separate successful people from the rest of the crowd
- Acknowledging Mistakes—No one’s perfect! Have a firm grasp of reality
- Your physical fitness
- Your mental condition
- Your confidence
- Your social skills
- Your good habits
- Always work hard at improving yourself—Consider the areas for improvement:
I hope these key elements will help you achieve greater success in EVERY area of life! They are just another piece to game-changing your business.
Why blog? We all know that blogs are featured on social media and on various magazines, but what can blogging do for you?
Here are 8 points on how blogging can change your life:
- You will become a better writer and thinker
- You will have a filter of what’s really important and meaningful
- You will have opportunities to meet new people
- Blogging is FREE!
- You will become more confident
- You will inspire others
- You might even make MONEY!
Take the plunge and start blogging. You may find benefits that you never realized!
Have you ever wondered how you are going to get your business off the ground? How do you jump start your business if you are still struggling with cash flow? That’s what we are talking about today. Some simple ideas that you can implement to help you get your business off the ground and see some early success:
- Put your game plan together.
This gives you a road map for your business. Detail what it is you are expecting your business to do in the course of the year. Now you have a place to focus your efforts and try to do everything possible to meet your goals. You need to set your budget and really do your homework. Most people over estimate the revenues they think they will bring in. Don’t make this mistake because it will throw you plan off.
2. Find a mentor.
It doesn’t really matter where you are in your business, you can always use a mentor. They have already been down the same path and can help you avoid some of the mistakes they made.
- Set up your website.
You need to be able to be found online. If you have technical skills, you can do this yourself, or you can hire someone else to do it. The idea is that people need to be able to find you and when they do, they need to be able to book an appointment.
That’s another piece to game changing your biz!
Welcome! Last week we talked about Recharging YOU, taking breaks, and getting away from your business. Today, we follow up with a discussion about Recharging Your Business. After you return from a break, you should feel revitalized in your purpose, energy, and goals. Let’s get into the details!
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Take your renewed energy and use it wisely: How?
-
- Set aside one day weekly to think BIG about the future of your business
- Engage your employees and share your goals with them
- Set action into motion
- Recharge your business itself:
-
- Prioritize
- Examine your time management
- Manage the highs and lows of your business cycle
- Evaluate yourself as a business leader
- Reconnect and network
- Take time to give back to the community
- Take time to unplug and recharge
- There you have it, another piece to game-changing your business. Look objectively at your vision and goals. A fresh mindset and positive outlook can have an impact on your industry and on how you lead your team. What are you waiting for? Recharge!
Today we’re looking at another piece of game-changing your business. It’s the very important topic of Recharging YOU, or taking time for yourself. We all know that being stressed out can lead to burnout, self-doubt, laziness, guilt, and other negative feelings. Maybe an energy problem is the root cause of what’s going on. Let’s talk about some ways you can step back and recharge, both physically and mentally.
- Look for quiet times, or lulls, in your business
- Get away from it all and take a vacation—Why?
-
- You can rest, relax, and recharge
- You can have time to create new ideas, like marketing strategies, a blog, etc.
- Plan your time off around your clients’ vacations or down times
- Let customers know ahead of time about your plans—You don’t want to surprise them with your vacation plans!
- Consider delegating a “second in command” who can fill in when you’re gone
- Take a break from your computer and cell phone as much as possible on vacation
I hope these tips are helpful for you, and that you can implement them in doing your number one job, which is taking care of yourself. Don’t be afraid to take a break and Recharge YOU!
Welcome! How is your business? Do you plan on starting a business in the near future? Statistics show that nine out of ten new businesses WILL fail. I don’t say that to discourage you, but to encourage you as an entrepreneur to do your research to prevent failure. Being successful requires some forethought and some homework. Join me now for today’s conversation—and avoid these common mistakes!
Five Mistakes Entrepreneurs Should Avoid When Starting Up Their Business:
-
Confusing your product or service with your business
-
Have a revenue stream beyond a one-time purchase
-
Not knowing your numbers
-
Know your monthly income and expenses
-
Failing to get expert advice
-
Many startups think they can’t afford expert help
-
Not realizing the emotional toll of entrepreneurship
-
Get proper rest and nutrition, and make time for friends and family
-
Expanding too soon
-
You must have the proper foundation in order to grow
Last week we talked about being GREAT:
Giving
Relating to Others
Exercise
Appreciation of things around you
Trying out new things
Today, we are taking it a step further by talking about DREAM:
Direction
Resilience
Emotion
Acceptance
Meaning
In this episode I discuss each of these in depth. Listen to this episode to get challenged and motivated to achieve more than you are now.
Don’t forget, International Day of Happiness is on March 20, so map out your dreams and celebrate!
This content is based on Vanessa King’s 10 Steps for Great Dreams from Success Magazine April 2016
The happy medium between being deadly serious about your business, but still being happy may not be easily achieved. We can have the best of both worlds while we build our dreams.
5 Steps to Keep A Happy Mindset:
- Give - do things for others
- Relating and connecting with people
- Exercise and rest - restores and refreshes your bodies
- Appreciation - be grateful
- Learning new things
How does one go about developing their ability to persuade someone to invest in your company, or the products or services you provide?
6 Principles of Persuasion:
-
Reciprocation - People respond better to a mutual exchange
-
Consistency and Commitment - write it down to make it stick
-
Social Proof and Social Media - This is a huge part of today’s culture and a necessary one
-
Knowing Your Subject - People gravitate towards others that have the same interests
-
Authority - What do people get advice from you about? You may be an expert and authority!
-
Scarcity - You want people to act immediately and have a limited time offer!
Use these principles with the highest integrity so that you can maintain your reputation!
Today we’re talking about how to do a mood makeover.Maybe you’ve had a traumatic event, faced rejection, or had something else happen. Sometimes it’s hard to find your happiness!
Strategies to change your mood and have a positive outlook on life:
- Figure out what is holding you back.
- Find the motivation - inspirational books or movies
- Set up your positive practice to take action - maybe set up a vision board, exercise, talking to others and share encouragement. Turn negative thoughts into a positive. Pray. Eat chocolate. Whatever makes you happy!
Books Recommended:
The 7 Habits of Highly
As a Man Thinketh
The Alchemist
The Power of Now
Getting Things Done
Chicken Soup for the Soul
Your frustration and low morale will have negative effects on your emotions and on your health. Whether you’ve received negative feedback or been rejected, all of these can take a toll physically and emotionally.
Here are a few quick tips to help you handle rejection:
- Think about the feedback from a different perspective. This may keep you from taking it personally.
- Try not to jump to conclusions - maybe they are having a bad day and not rejecting you personally. Take some time to think about it for a few days before you judge it.
- Focus on more positive thoughts and joyous events. Don’t stay focused on the rejection.
- Try to be empathetic to the situation and the parties involved. Give them space and allow them to cool off. Don’t react out of anger and don’t react to the person - judgment is clouded when we are angry.
- Take an analytical approach to the issue. Think like a scientist and keep emotions out of it.
Being in business for yourself, you always want to make sure your pipeline of new customers and new business is full of great prospects! The key is to forge relationships with people now, so you can ensure you have future customers.
Sometimes marketing feels icky, but if you approach it as building a relationship, it can become a beautiful partnership.
5 Steps to Help Be More Comfortable with Marketing
- Know your target market - who you are targeting and what they want
- Narrow your prospect list to a specific list you want to target
- Gather intel - research website to see what services they already offer and write your proposal
- Contact your prospect - letter, thank you note, etc. Set up a time to call on them.
- Build a relationship - be their problem solver!
You may use your credit cards for trips, special occasions, birthdays and special purposes. The average consumer debt for Americans is $39,000. This can really put a strangle-hold on your finances. It’s important to get your credit card debt paid off as quickly as you can.
How do you get rid of this credit card debt:
- Get organized
- Prioritize your debt repayments
- Use an online tool to help you see what your best payoff would be
Why pay off debt?
- It can keep you from getting a house or car loan
- Your debt ratio should be no more than 30% of your income
Strategies to pay off debt:
- Pay highest APR down first and roll that payment into the next debt repayment
- Pay off the card with the lowest balance first. This can make you feel successful right away.
- Try to consolidate your cards and then focus on paying it all off.
- Stop charging any new debt.
Resources:
The Debt Analyzer
Welcome! How do you know when to quit your day job? If you’ve ever considered entrepreneurship, then you’ve been faced with this question. It’s one that requires careful thought, soul-searching, and planning. After all, making this transition most likely means leaving a steady paycheck and benefits for a period of uncertainty. Let’s talk about those challenges.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Tips in preparing for this transition:
-
- Try to get rid of all your debt
- Save a year’s worth of living expenses
- Follow a business plan
- Create a personal financial plan
- Have a business financial plan
- Consider starting as an entrepreneur in a part-time capacity
- Think about new skills and network connections that might be helpful
- Consider finding a mentor
- Remember, there will never be a perfect time and a perfect situation to make this transition into entrepreneurship. The goal is to be successful in your endeavor. Good luck!
Today’s episode is about finding and following your passion. In your business, you’re always looking to maximize your passion and leadership. That may be easier said than done, so there are several questions you can ask to help you define your passion.
- What was your passion in the past?
- Has it changed from the past to the present?
- What fires you up?
- What makes you happy and brings a smile to your face?
- What is the ONE thing you could never give up?
- Is there a hobby or activity that always brings you joy?
- Is there something people constantly ask your advice about?
If you determine your passion, then what’s next? Where do you go and what do you do with it?
- Follow it to get needed skills and stand out in your field among the competition
- Seek out mentors and instructors to help you
- Remember that there is always some kind of trade-off within any new venture
It’s a New Year and everyone is talking about new changes, resolutions and goals. But many times we get held back from accomplishing these goals and resolutions because of fear. As humans we can’t both want change and embrace change to reach new goals, and yet fear change all the while.
So my challenge to you is to set your fears aside in 2017, so that you can focus on achieving your goals.
I’m in the same boat as you. I’m working hard on achieving my goals for the new year. I’m on track to hit a couple of them too!
Show Notes:
- You’ll have to change your outlook on life
- Appreciate the moment you are in now - live in the moment
- Write down goals for 3, 6 and 12 months
- Goal setting triggers our sub conscience into thinking bigger
- Think deliberately and be strategic when doubt sets in
- When you get opposition think about it 3 days before you make a decision
- Be deliberate and strategic questions about what you want to achieve
- Review and update your goals every 3-4 months
- “Just so you know, you’re awesome!”
Life moves at a rapid pace, so jump right in and make your change for 2017. Have no fear!
Happy 2017 to everyone! Today’s topic is Strategies and Trends for 2017. Let’s take a look!
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Top three strategies:
-
- Look at financial records and set up a budget
- Consider a mindset based on positive thinking
- Look at your marketing strategies for what has (and hasn’t) worked
- Top three business trends:
-
- Technology (It’s crucial!)
- Branding and Marketing
- Creative ways to improve the workflow process
- Using remote employees and virtual assistants
- Customer service
Resources:
Zoom.us
Skype.com
Let take a look our goals for 2016. Did you accomplish everything you wanted this year? Did you write them down?
It’s worth going back and taking a look at what you did and didn’t accomplish this year. Not so that you can beat yourself up, but so you can know what goals to set for 2017.
Over the next couple of weeks go ahead and do some analysis.
We are going to have a 5 day business challenge here, so stay tuned for the details.
5 Things that Setting Goals Does:
- Write goals down to keep you motivated. Make it step by step.
- Visualize your goals.
- Make your goals attainable.
- It makes you accountable.
- It allows you to focus on what is truly important.
Don’t get discouraged with the goal setting process. Take some time and think about it and write what comes to mind.
In the next episode we are going to break down the strategies for achieving your goals, and get you ready for the 5 day challenge!
Welcome to my conversation with Lawrence Woods, the massage therapist who developed the exciting new therapy called Neural Reset Therapy, NRT. From an understanding of the law of reciprocal inhibition and the law of symmetry, Lawrence formulated this technique that brings relief from muscular pain and tightness for his clients. Lawrence worked in other careers before a back injury and his first body work class led him into his new profession, and his newly developed technique is revolutionizing the world of massage therapy. Join us now!
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- How Lawrence was led to create NRT
- How a simple evaluation can reset muscle tone in other areas of the body
- The BETTER way to talk to the nervous system
- Amazing success for clients—without PAIN!
- Forced into the roles of pioneer and entrepreneur
- Lawrence’s partnership with Ralph Stevens
- Getting the word out about NRT
- Connecting the brain and muscle
- Who can benefit from NRT?
- Lawrence’s best advice ever received? “Be prepared to give your life to it. It won’t come easy.”
- Lawrence’s advice to other massage therapists: “Know anatomy and movement patterns of muscles.”
Resources:
www.neuralreset.net
On Facebook, find Lawrence at NRT Now.
What is your specialty? As massage therapists, we need to learn other modalities, and there are a lot of them out there! Finding your specialty depends on your preference, but very few people know what they want to focus on, especially when they are starting out in the business. We’ll discuss these issues and more!
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Common modalities include Swedish massage, reflexology, sports massage, deep tissue massage, and medical massage
- Why learning various modalities gives you more tools in your toolbox
- How I structure my simple menu for clients: 60 or 90 minute massage in various modalities, including “specialty” massages
- New therapists have to figure out what modalities they want to include
- My tips:
-
- Start with continuing education
- Take a class in-person rather than online
- Don’t get discouraged with learning something new
- Get new certifications and work those modalities into your practice
- Remember that every therapist, every practice, and every client is unique. Find what works best for you!
We normally live and work for our family and dependents and we need a long life to be able to carry out this noble purpose as long as necessary; but life happens only once. Practice self-care to prolong your life and avoid burnout. As a therapist, you are often in contact with people who are not feeling well and they could drain out your energy.
Show Notes:
- Take care of your physical self
- Take care of your mental health
- Take care of your emotions
- Take care of your spirituality
- Do something good for yourself too. Get a massage, a manicure, pedicure, and style your hair
- Try the spa and sauna
- Eat healthy foods. – improve your health and increase energy and keep medical costs down
- Consult with your doctor to make sure you are in the right plan
- Get regular medical care for illness prevention
- Dance, swim, walk, play sports, sing, run. We all need to exercise.
- Get enough sleep
- Take a vacation
- Read fun literature
- Write a journal
- Say no to extra, burdensome responsibilities
- Spend time with others whose company you enjoy
- Play with children, play with pets
- Find things to make you laugh
- Spend time with nature
- Find a spiritual connection or community
- Be aware of the value of non-material things in life
- Meditate, sing, and pray.
Resources:
Our resource center: Game Change Your Biz
Like us on Facebook
You can develop an effective marketing strategy during the holidays. There’s no need to compete with the marketing gimmicks and promotions that others use. You can stand out by simply focusing on your own products and services.
Show Notes
- Prepare in advance. It’s important to be ahead in planning and strategizing
- Have special loyalty offers for the holidays
- Initial promotion can be done through social media using free promotions
- You can also use Facebook ads and Google ads
- Use in-store or in-shop promotions as another method
- Use gift certificates or gift cards and sell to customers as their holiday gifts to family and friends
- Decide if you will maintain your business hours and announce it on the shop, on your website, and on your social media accounts. This will help your customers plan their visits
- Promote your gift certificates to your clients after their therapy session, not during the session
- Update your website with your holiday promos and gift certificates and holiday hours
- Have your GCs readily available for handing out
- You can also sell your GCs on your website
- Sell your products as your customers' gifts to their family and friends
- By selling your products on discount, you will move your inventory and you also provide samples for impulse buyers and other customers
Resources:
Giftcardcafe.com
Our resource center: www.gamechangeyourbiz.com
Like us on Facebook
Maya Holihan went from quitting her job at a major bridal salon to owning it in a matter of months. Since then, she has opened a couple of shops and acquired 5 existing bridal salons. Last year, she won the Entrepreneur of the Year Award from ACHI Magazine and was recognized as one of Inside Business’s Top 15 Women in Business. She was named the “Entrepreneur of the Week” on 2 episodes of the TV show Hampton Roads Business Weekly. She has been featured in magazines, bridal shows, and television. She is the Editor of House of Maya Presents the Wedding Planner of Hampton Roads, is a business consultant, public speaker, and a recognized wedding expert. She lives with husband Bobby and their 3 children. They are her inspiration for her continued success.
With a commitment to her employees, her clients, and her community, coupled with her passion for the wedding industry, Maya has changed the way bridal salons operate in Hampton Roads, by providing the very best in service and products.
Show Notes
- How did she acquire her expertise in wedding planning?
- What are the organizations she supports?
- The well-being of her clients, employees, and her community is a commitment on her part
- She has a passion for the wedding industry
- She always looked to herself as an entrepreneur
- What Maya does to promote the House of Maya
- Professional development goals should always be part of one’s success goals
- She has her own publication
- The best advice she ever received came from her mother: Don’t let anybody get in the way of your vision. Stay focused. Don’t get distracted.
- What she does to maintain her focus.
- She thinks in minutes. She is a moment to moment person
- Take care of yourself: Sleep well, eat well, delegate work.
- Resources
https://www.theknot.com/marketplace/maya-couture-norfolk-va-358519
http://www.houseofmayabridal.com
https://www.facebook.com/MayaCoutureBridal
Our resource center:
www.gamechangeyourbiz.com
Like us on Facebook
In the previous episode, Elise talked about the ways to expand your business and each of these ways requires resources. An alternative to expansion is simply just growing your business, which, similarly, still needs financing if you want to grow fast. Financing has an important role in making your business grow. The strategic use of financial instruments, such as loans and grants, is the key to success of every business. In this episode, Elise Walton gives you another game- changing strategy for your business.
Show notes:
- Ways to finance your business
1. Get a bank loan. Banks have funds for small business lending.
2. Use your credit card. This method is risky though so it needs to be used sparingly and wisely.
3. Crowdfunding. This facilitates the asking for and giving of support for projects. Usually, project creators offer incentives for the one pledging support.
4. Angel investor or group of investors. Angel investors prefer to fund companies with experienced and credible management team.
5. Tapping into your Retirement Plan. Based on long-standing provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, you can finance a new business or franchise by rolling your retirement money into your new business. You pay no income taxes or early withdrawal penalties, avoid debt and have money available immediately to rent a space, pay a franchise fee, hire employees, buy equipment and pay yourself a salary.
6. Securing an SBA loan. Your business may need to meet other criteria depending on the type of loan.
7. Raising money from friends and family. You will have to treat the money as a loan.
- What is an SBA Loan?
- What you need to apply for a bank loan
- Using your credit cards wisely
- What is a Crowdfunding?
- How crowdfunding can help your business and projects
- Finding Angel Investors
- When to pull out your retirement funds
- Government guidelines that your business needs to qualify for a loan
- Tips for treating your friends and family as investors
- Marketing strategies
Resources:
Our resource center: www.gamechangeyourbiz.com
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/Game-Change-Your-Biz-735650646569921/
You’ve set up your business and you’re now excitedly watching it pick up momentum day after day. Your current business is under effective control. You start thinking of growing and expanding it because you feel that’s the next best thing to do. Elise discusses several ways to grow your business. Choosing one, two, or more of these methods of expansion will depend on a lot of things - your type of business, available capital, time, and other resources you are willing to invest. Here are your choices:
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Opening another location. Spread your business to another location or city. This is the most popular approach among business owners – opening a new office or store in another place.
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Franchising. If you have a highly successful business, people will be interested in buying out a franchise of your business. Franchise out not only to gain more capital and exposure but also to expand your business without requiring you to manage the new franchise. Before doing that, you’ll need to hire a lawyer to draft the franchise agreement and all other legal documents and to provide legal advice in the implementation of your franchise business.
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Collaborate or form an alliance. Look at the big picture without leaving your primary goal. Aligning with similar businesses by forming an association or organization can be a powerful way to expand quickly.
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Diversification. To diversify means having another product or service; or selling someone else’s product. You can also teach a class or speak on the same specialty. Diversifying is a great strategy for growth that can often fill seasonal voids of your own product or service.
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Merger or acquisition. In this method of business expansion, make sure the business you are acquiring or buying is profitable, it has no debts, and the company’s mission and vision are aligned with your own. Do your research to find out if the business merger is beneficial.
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Globalization. Export your products or import others’ products to expand globally. You will need to sign up with a foreign distributor who will resell your product in their domestic markets or vice versa, you can sell their product in your market. International business can be done through the internet but this calls for more responsibility. Due diligence is a must. You would need to do your homework through research.
You’ll find one more method of expansion for the small business and more detailed tips as you listen to Elise:
The rest of the Show Notes:
- She describes the resources you’ll need for business expansion
- Your sweat equity, what it is
- Import and export of products
- Targeting other markets
- Speaking or writing about your business can expand your business
- Using your creativity in growing your business
- Search engine optimization of your business
- Business expansion through the internet
- Doing market research
- Using trade journals and magazines
- Importance of an attractive and optimized website
- When you just need to keep on growing your business without diversifying location
- Other opportunities for expansion
- Choosing the best opportunity and method
Resources:
Game Change Your Biz resource center: www.gamechangeyourbiz.com
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/Game-Change-Your-Biz-735650646569921/
Danijel Velicki, , a motivational speaker, educator, author, and entrepreneur owns 3 successful businesses in Virginia. He had transformed a difficult childhood in war-ravaged Croatia into his very own version of “American dream.” His unique strategies for financial education and family planning have equipped his clients with the knowledge base and skill set to excel professionally and personally, turning their own dreams into profitable and fulfilled realities. He is happy to share his story to inspire you and game-change your business.
Show Notes:
- Danijel's inspiration for creating his business
- Worst entrepreneurial moment
- What was it that held him back from being an entrepreneur
- What was his Ahah moment
- What he suggests to people to become a successful entrepreneur
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He is a member of EO https://www.eonetwork.org/ the world's most influential community of entrepreneurs.
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Advice for those who want to become entrepreneurs
- Quotable quote: Successful people want others to become successful too. They became successful because of that attitude
- What he does to promote his business/es. He’s got 3 businesses
- The best advice he received was the mentorship and financial advice
- Books he recommends are: Chicken Soup for the Soul; Success Principles; The Extraordinary Mind
- He wrote the book: Your Life is a Blank Canvas
Resources:
Danijel's website: danijelvelicki.com
Our resource center: www.gamechangeyourbiz.com
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/Game-Change-Your-Biz-735650646569921/
Elise is happy and excited to introduce this week’s guest, Steph Nissen, a Social Media strategist and CEO of Nissen Media, a successful digital marketing agency based in Missouri. Steph, a single mom with 2 kids, is a web developer turned social media manager. She launched her company in September 2014 and since then has been covering all digital marketing needs of entrepreneurs in most parts of Missouri.
What you’ll hear from this episode:
- The first step the entrepreneur must take to launch business
- How networking helps your business
- She talked to a lot of people
- Elise met Steph at an event
- Steph’s worst entrepreneurial moment
- Did anything hold her back from pursuing entrepreneurship? If yes, what was it?
- What was Steph’s Ahah moment?
- Advice for those new in the field and those who want to be in the same business
- What she did aside from social media marketing to promote her business?
- She also did offline marketing because not everyone is in social media
- Best advice she received was from her dad.
- Quotable quotes:
- You’re the only one who gets in your way. – Steph’s Dad
- Hug your haters.
- Avoid opportunistic clients, those that don’t align with your ideals
- Surround yourself with good people
- Love what you do.
- Don’t get stuck in a routine
http://www.stephnissen.com/
This episode will provide tips on how to manage your finances in 6 ways: 1) Annual review of your Credit status; 2) Obtaining new money for investment or getting lower interest rates on your loans; 3) Managing your personal finances, as well as your business finances; 4) Saving for the rainy day or investing in business; 5) Paying the right taxes and ways of refunding any overpayment, and 6) Finances and your Retirement. Elise has a background in finance and accounting and has years of experience in the field.
Here is the summary of Elise’s advice:
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Credit reports can impact a lot of things in your life -- how much money can be loaned to you, as well as interest rates on your loans. Make sure you have the highest possible credit score. Check your free credit report on an annual basis and read up on that report to see what you can do to improve your score.
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Debt. Obtaining new money, a better loan or rate, for the advantage of being able to streamline or refinance your loan may depend on your credit score. You might want to check with your tax accountant or call the credit card company to negotiate for lower interest rates.
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Keeping your personal and business finances separate. Don’t mix the personal with business finances. You can pay your salary from your business account, but all your personal expenses must be separate from your business expenses. Keep a separate checking account for your business, and personal checking account for your personal payments.
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It’s very important to save money. You can do it by 1) setting aside money in a savings account, or 2) invest in business or stocks, and 3) Maintaining your 401K.
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Pay your taxes every year to avoid penalties. Check with your accountant if you ’ve missed some savings in taxes. If you paid more, the IRS may refund it or deduct it from your next tax payment
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Sooner or later we all want to retire. Make sure you have the options available to you. You could semi-retire or get the money from your 401K penalty-free. It’s a good idea to have a financial consultant. Find an advisor that you can trust. There’s a penalty if you do an early withdrawal of your 401K. Ask questions. You have the right to know how you want to spend your retirement money.
Please listen to the podcast for the details on these 6 tips/topics:
Show notes:
- The 6 topics for financial management
- How to obtain a credit report
- Importance of a credit report
- How to improve your credit score
- Negotiate for a lower interest on your new loan
- How to obtain new money for your investment
- Separate your personal finances from your business finances
- When to access your business finances for your personal finances
- The 2 ways of saving your money
- Pay your taxes annually to avoid penalties
- Find out if you have overpaid the IRS and ways of getting back your overpayment
- There’s a penalty if you withdraw your 401K money too soon or prematurely
- Saving your money for the rainy days or for an early retirement
- What to do if you want to have an early retirement
- Consult a financial adviser for the best ways to enjoy your retirement
Resources
Please share our Game Change Your Business website with friends and family.
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/Game-Change-Your-Biz-735650646569921/
In marketing your products or services on the social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, or Google Plus, here’s one powerful tool to keep in mind. You can market your gift certificates, aromatherapy products, or your massage therapy business without spending a lot of money. Elise talks about PRISM.
Show notes:
- P is for In order to be successful, build your audience on a daily basis. This should be the right audience. Social Media apps have analytical tools identifying the type of audience that you can target
- R is for Relationship. If you have a good relationship with your audience, they are more likely to take action that you desire such as opting in, subscribing, sharing, or purchasing. Build rapport with your audience by providing valuable content and by connecting with influencers. Listen to the full podcast to learn about influencers.
- I is for Inbound traffic. You can attract traffic and build an audience by sharing valuable evergreen content. What is an evergreen content? Elise describes this in the podcast. Share this content on a regular basis to increase traffic to your website through the social media
- S is for You want to capture the contact details of your audience by sending your social media audience to your website. A capture form will save the name and email address. You can, later on, send them promotional emails, nurturing emails, or emails that build good relationship with your followers.
- M is for You can direct your leads to a sales funnel to convert them. When people opt in to purchase, you can also make an upsell.
In the upcoming episodes, Elise will discuss social media strategies, sales funnels, and other social media marketing tools.
Listen to the rest of the show notes to get all the details of the podcast. You don’t want to miss any episode so check out our resource center here: Game Change Business of Massage Therapy
In this episode, Elise interviews Carl Tuinstra, the CEO of Gift Card Café (GCC) which he founded in May 2007. The GCC is both a virtual/instant and physical gift certificate that can serve as a complimentary gift, discount feature, special deal certificate, or a promo code. It can be integrated with your Paypal merchant account. GCC helps your business get more sales by adding an instant Gift Certificate and Special Daily Deal to your website.
Show notes:
- How Karl developed the GCC concept
- How GCC boosts your sales
- What you need to join the GCC
- What was Carl’s worst entrepreneurial moment?
- What were his Ahah moments
- Biggest strength of Karl
- What does Carl consider his biggest weakness
- What Carl does to promote the GCC business
- Which of these had helped increase his sales: trade shows, postcards, salon, mailed out postcards, PR firm, or word of mouth referral
- Book recommendation
- How the GCC payment button is added to your website
- GCC online security issues
Resources
www.TheGiftCardCafe.com
Gift Card Facebook
Please share our Game Change Your Business website with friends and family.
Game Change FACEBOOK
In this episode, Elise shares simple but best tips on how to promote your massage therapy business now that you already have a website.
Show notes:
- You can tap your existing clientele. Ask them to tell their friends and family that you are accepting new clients. Reassure your clients that they won’t lose their time slot even if new clients come in. Let them know that they are entitled to a discount for referring new clients to you. Show them your appreciation for helping you grow your customer base.
- Have an automated tracking system. So nobody gets left out in your incentive system, keep a tracking system. Type in the name of the referrer and the name of the new client he/she referred. Record their client visits. This will help you remember who to give discounts to and when.
- Have lots of business cards on hand. Distribute to these cards to your existing clients and ask them to give them out to their friends or family who need massage therapy service. Be ready to give out your card to prospects. So they can call you whenever they want to avail of home service or whenever they have a client to refer.
- Treat all clients fairly. Treat your new clients the same way you do your original and loyal clients. That’s the way you earn their loyalty and trust. Don’t forget to ask them for referrals too.
- Send out newsletters. You can build an email list by sending out a newsletter every 2 months or every quarter. This can be forwarded to your friends’ contacts. It’s very important to mention your specials in your emails, when they can expect your next newsletter or blog. Remember not to spam your readers by sending out too often.
- Write blogs. A blog is a very effective way to let your clients know about your expertise. Help them with the information about the different modalities that you regularly offer, and the special modalities they can avail of.
- Attend sports events, expos, and other related events or occasions. You could rent a table so you can conveniently give out your cards or brochures. If renting a table or a tent is expensive, just pay somebody to stay at a strategic spot to distribute your cards to people attending or participating in the event.
- Give Lectures at various functions. This is an effective way to let the target audience know about your service. You can advertise your business by letting them know about your website, your services, and your location. Hand out brochures and cards, too.
Please share our website with friends and family.
You may also join our Facebook page.
Elise talks about the importance of a website for any business, but especially for the massage therapist who has a mobile or brick-and-mortar business. As people no longer use yellow pages, a business without web presence is missing out on one of the most powerful marketing tools available in this technological age. People search online, via Google, to find anything they need. They research products, companies and providers before they make a purchase.
Elise tells the story of how many websites she made before she finally settled on a domain name registrar and hosting company for her current website. Listen to the details she provides on the following:
- How the internet has improved her business
- Her very first website was Yahoo
- How she used Wix website to set up her own website in a couple of hours
- How her website captures her target audience
- How to help your clients find you through your website
- People use Google to search for the most convenient method of purchase
- They Google to find out the closest store, the best price, and the easiest people to deal with
- Websites help build your reputation as a massage therapist
- Websites help build your credibility
- People learn about your business through your website
- You can choose to have online booking through your website
- Your hosting company can host multiple websites or businesses
- Your website will include all the information you want your audience to know about your company.
- All the pages that you should have on your website
- Your website will help convert leads to sales
- Elise says you can have your own website for a very affordable fee
- You can even start with a $100 only
Check out her website for the rest of the valuable resources and tips: Game Change Your Biz
Have you ever wondered before what type of client you want to have-- your so-called “avatar”? Is it just the ones who come to the door? Or is it the perfect client?
We business owners know that there’s a good client and there’s a bad client. And then there’s your perfect client. Yes, there is. He’s your dream client. This type of client for the massage therapy business is the one 1) who needs the massage therapy service 2) can afford to pay for it; 3) the business survives and thrives because of his patronage, 4) He is easy to work with, 5)He doesn’t make unreasonable demands, 6) He brings in the most money because of his regular visits, and 7) Is the best fit for your business from the outset. Elise talks about the “perfect client” for the massage therapy business in this episode.
Get the details of the following from the podcast:
- Defining your perfect client/avatar/dream client
- Knowing your specialties: Are you offering Swedish, Shiatsu, Deep Tissue, Hot Stone, Reflexology, Thai, Sports massage, Manual Lymphatic Drainage? -
What you offer will determine who your perfect client is.
- Have a written profile of your avatar or avatars, find specific client for each niche
- Consider the following in identifying your perfect client:
- Demographic factors
- Your specialty techniques
- Your own location
- Not all clients are healthy, some have health issues but they can still be your perfect client
- Work up a treatment plan for them
- Chances are your perfect client/s will find you depending on your geographic location and online presence in the social media, your website,
- When your perfect client finds you, and if it’s their very first massage, educate them about the benefits of massage therapy
- Show your client/s how you will help them
- If you have an optimized website that contains all your services, your ideal client will find you
- Join networking events, offer discounts, ask for referrals from your present clients;
- Give incentives to referrers
- You can be sure that you found your perfect client, or that he has found you, if you know that he recognizes your worth as a therapist and happily pays you for your service.
Listen to the podcasts at our resource center: www.gamechangeyourbiz.com
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Meeting customer needs and expectations is critical to business success. Bad customer service can ruin your business. Customer-staff interactions or moments accrue leading to customer experience which should generally be great. They do have varied needs and priorities such as service quality, comfort, relaxation, (even entertainment☺), trust, and most importantly, affordability. These may change from time to time just as their moods and behavior change. Their expectations may also be heightened depending on the situation or stimuli.
A customer may be very clear in telling you what his exact preferences are but others may not be as vocal. You could run the risk of assuming what his needs are. To avoid this, standard procedures and processes should be in place. Other clients book online so the first client-staff interaction really starts at the front desk. Make sure you have a full understanding of customer service and your personnel are fully trained. Elise talks about setting client expectations in this episode.
Get the details of the following from the podcast:
- Start by greeting your client at the front desk with a sweet smile
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Ask a set of clear and specific questions and actively listen
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Allergies to anything?
- Any particular type of massage preferred?
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Therapist preference, if client is a regular
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Make sure you understand them clearly, note down his preferences on the client profile
- Clients expect results, great experience, and great quality of service
- Develop strategies for a great client experience
- Meeting client needs and expectations
- Can you exceed client expectations?
- Each customer is different – how to adapt to each of them
- Avoiding disruptions
- Ask more questions:
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- How is the pressure?
- Do you like the music?
- Room temperature okay?
- Need water or any drink?
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How to maintain and even make good service better
- Resolving issues; rectifying the situation by personally talking to customers
- Give customers a way to provide feedback, either through a questionnaire survey, email, or a phone call
Listen to the podcast for all the details: www.gamechangeyourbiz.com
Here are practical suggestions to help the business owner build a team of engaged and happy (even inspired) employees. These management practices can put your employees in a productive mindset and also help you gain more loyal customers because efficient staff will attract and retain more customers. Listen to the podcast to get the details of the following highlights.
Show notes:
- Selecting and training support staff
- Hiring employees or independent contractors or both
- Setting goals and making action plans for employee development
- Providing training and retraining for all staff – the front desk staff and service staff
- Importance of continuing education – providing for employee training
- Appointing staff to coach and supervise new employees
- Regularly update everyone’s knowledge of the office protocol, procedures, and processes
- Building strategies on employee development
- Setting expectations
- Building a work environment that promotes productivity
- Designing economic incentives for your employees
- How to inspire your staff to be committed to your company’s success
- Beating challenges on how to motivate employees
- Motivating yourself so staff is also motivated
- Following the licensing requirements of the State so your employees know that 1) you are aware of state policy and requirements; 2) your employees know they are connected with a legitimate business; 3) your customers are assured of their safety inside your premises
- Setting up standard operating procedures to make your employees consistently efficient and, later on, may help them become more creative. Office rules and regulations or standard operating procedures will eliminate confusion, help maintain good practices and keep employees efficient
- After the training, provide a copy of office manual to staff and make them sign an acknowledgment form that they have read and understood the rules and procedures. This will make them observe and maintain good practices
- Building trust among your employees. Employee trust can ooze down to customers and be translated to customer loyalty
- Customer satisfaction resulting from great customer service from a well-trained staff can lead to great word-of-mouth advertising and referral business
Get more valuable tips from:
Website Game Change Your Business
This episode is packed with the most valuable tips for the small business owner especially for the massage therapy business. Elise covers each management aspect for the entrepreneur. The strategies include: setting achievable goals, financial planning and budgeting, mapping out an action plan, efficient and cost-effective management actions, strategies for multiple business locations, increasing client base, increasing income base, and many other valuable pointers.
Get the following details about:
- Small business strategies
- Efficiency and effectiveness
- Comparison between efficiency and effectiveness
- Pursuing effectiveness while maintaining efficiency
- Setting achievable goals
- Comparison between goals and objectives
- Financial strategy
- Cost -effective management actions
- Managing multiple business locations
- Maximizing productivity and minimizing costs
- Managing time and all other resources effectively
- Increasing client base
- Increasing revenue
- Measuring performance and goal attainment
- Measuring effectiveness of every management decision
- Promoting the business during downtime
- Being creative during downtime
Resources:
- Check out all the helpful information here: gamechangeyourbiz.com
- http://smallbusiness.chron.com
Is your business successful? We would all want to answer YES! Take a closer look: is your business THRIVING? We might not be so quick to answer. The truth is that we need a foundation and we have to be prepared for the challenges that inevitably come. The cold, hard fact is that 80% of businesses fail. Let’s talk about the reasons why they fail and how we can avoid the failure!
Five Reasons Why Businesses Fail:
- Lack of financial, business, or strategic management plans
- Failing to plan sets you up to fail
- Where do you see your business in 1, 2, and 5 years?
- Lack of marketing strategies
- Check competitors’ services and prices
- The goal is to “stand out” in your community
- Insufficient cash flow
- Have a budget forecast
- Know your expenses!
- Failure to market online
- Your business MUST be visible
- Make the most of SEO and social media potential
- Failure to listen to your customers
- Ask customers for feedback (use surveys)
- Show customers that you care
- Pay attention to details
I hope these reasons are helpful to you, future and fellow massage therapists. Make it another game piece to your successful, thriving business.
Check out all the valuable practical information here: www.gamechangeyourbiz.com
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Do you often feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day to do what you HAVE to do? Are you always “short on time”? Do you feel like this is your story EVERY SINGLE DAY? I have some practical tips to help you GET MORE out of the time you have each day. Today’s topic is Time Management, an area in which we all can improve. You may not have ultimate control over every minute of every day, but we will talk about how to control what you can.
Time management tips I’ve found that WORK:
- Make and use lists to stay organized
- Limit meetings and have boundaries for them
- Block your time
- Pre-plan and prioritize
- Learn to say NO
- Look for patterns that waste time
- Schedule time for interruptions
- Use a “Do Not Disturb” sign when necessary
- Have specific times during the day for specific tasks
- Check off the items on your list throughout the day: Feel accomplished!
Helpful Resources:
“How to Manage Time with Ten Tips That Work” by Joe Matthews, Don Debolt, and Deb Percival (article at www.entrepreneur.com)
www.gygb.com (See Traci’s helpful advice on time management!)
No BS: Time Management for Entrepreneurs by Dan Kennedy
Welcome back to Game Change Business of Massage Therapy! Today’s episode is a continuation from my Youtube video on the basics of how to set a massage room on a budget. I am going to share with you some suggestions how to set up your space and why it is important to stage your space just right.
Show Notes:
- Why is it important to have a unique space?
- What should you consider when picking a location for your office?
- What are some suggestions for the waiting area for setting the “tone”?
- What are the important items to consider in your massage room?
- Sketch it out!
- What is a roomstyler?
Resources:
- roomstyler.com
- youtube.com
Elise shares her unforgettable story about carrying her old 32-pound massage table to her clients’ preferred massage area, the top floor of a 3-storey house using a spiral staircase! The client preferred the 3rd floor because of the panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean. She saw the importance of buying portable equipment, e.g. massage table, if the therapist has no massage office or shop.
She did some research and provides helpful tips on:
- What to carry to a client call
- Saving for your business needs
- Investing in the right equipment
- Basic guidelines for purchasing massage equipment
- Suppliers /sellers of massage equipment
- Choosing what suits your budget and purpose
- Purchasing your massage table, desk, side table, chair, cabinet, lamps, wash sink, water glass, water cooler, etc.
- Purchasing and organizing your massage supplies: oils, lotions,
- Purchasing your linen, kits, etc.
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Best and affordable portable massage table
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Best practices in setting up a massage therapy room
- Sharing expenses with a fellow therapist
- Purchasing basic equipment
- Comfort, affordability, durability
- Preparing supplies good for at least 2 days
- Making your space a place where you enjoy working
- Making it what your clients love to visit
- Lighting - where it should be fully –lit , and where it should be dimly-lit
She recommends watching out for bargains and deals from: http://www.massagewarehouse.com
Business owners should have goals that are written down to guide them and their employees and even providers and contractors. The acronym SMART Goals can have slightly different variations in meaning but the letters stand for:
S stands for specific. Goals must be specific rather than general. A specific goal has a greater chance of being achieved. A general goal could be: Grow my customer base. Your specific goal will be: Increase the number of my customers from 30 to 60 within one month.
M means Measurable. It could also stand for meaningful and motivational. The direction and success of your goal must be measurable so that you will know how to gauge your progress and also be able to modify your goal. Establish a concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set.
A stands for Achievable, or attainable. Your training, knowledge, and skills should match your goals which should be achievable.
R stands for Realistic or Results. Your goals if they are achievable are realistic. When you have the necessary knowledge or skills, then results can
T stands for Timely or Tangible or Timeframe. Set a timeframe for achieving your goal and establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set.
Listen to the episode as Elise gives specific examples of SMART goals for your business.