Bee~ Journal of then...

[freemotion]

Oh, no you don't, liar!!!!

 

[Beekissed]

Hey, free! I met another MT in the area and she just does Swedish also.... She had never even heard of trigger point! I wish people were more progressive around here, I could build a booming massage business. What with the economy and everything, less and less people will be wanting what they call "luxury" things. Little do they know that my type of massage can keep them from having a costly surgery and months of costly PT! Its hard to educate about that! :/

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Bee, I'll be right over and you can educate me!

 

[Farmfresh]

Bee you and your jokes... you simply rock!

 

[freemotion]

How could she not have heard of trigger points? Did she go to school? Continuing education? Does she read any of the journals? Does she have liability insurance? IS SHE LICENSED?????

All said with horror! TrP's are so BASIC!

If people even knew that 80% of headaches are muscle-tension....and TrP....related, they'd run right over to you. At my poorest, I found the bucks to take care of my headache issues.

Are there any chiropractors around? Or a good primary care doc that you could give a massage to? To let them see what your work is all about, I mean. I am very against free massage unless it is for a volunteer, but sometimes, in some areas, you might have to give some away to educate and possibly get some referrals.

I built up my practice in part by doing 10-minute chair massage for charity, $10 for 10 minutes, all going to the charity. I focused on upper traps and rhomboids, where I knew I could have an impact in a few minutes, with a little fluff around the rest of the upper body and a few compressions to the arms/hands. Then I gave each person a coupon for $10 off their first one hour table massage or an equivilent gift certificate. Just before the next gift-giving date, I did a mailing to all these people with an additional 3 coupons. Sold close to 40 gc's the first time I did that. But I am closer to an urban area.

Before doing the chair event for the first time, I had some friends over for a "massage tea" and served tea and cookies and gave each a 10 minute chair massage so I could practice. Did that for free, since it was more for me than them.

Just some thoughts!

 

[Beekissed]

I have found chiropractors to be very....er....protective of their business. The last thing they want is someone who makes their patients call for an appointment with the massage therapist...only! I actually got passed over for a job in a chiro's office for that very reason....

When I went for the interview I was to give a 15 min. massage to the chiro's mother!!! Well, in 15 min. just how are you going to impress someone? So....of course I chose TrP! Her mother told me she had been having trouble with her hip aching and sciatic pain for around 20 years that keeps her awake at night.....hmmmmmmmm, my daughter is a chiro and I have THIS problem??? That's what I was thinking, anyway.....

So, of course, I chose to concentrate on her periformis and check her legs for equal length, and proceeded to even them out and work out her periformis. When I called back about the interview, the chiro said her mother got her first night's good rest in 20 years and hasn't had a problem with that pain since the interview!!!

AND.....wait for it........

She decided to go with another MT!!!! I knew the one she went with and she was only educated in fluff and buff and her school taught her to never massage below the thighs!

For 15 min. of work, I think she couldn't have gotten any better...but what do I know, I'm just a lowly MT!!!

Also, chiropractors want to dictate what treatment you offer....I like to assess that for myself and treat accordingly.

Man, do I miss being able to help people with their pain in a natural way! :/

 

[Beekissed]

How could she not have heard of trigger points?

Free....she said she would go right home and google it!

 

[freemotion]

How could she not have heard of trigger points?

Free....she said she would go right home and google it!

Good grief, aren't you in a licensed state? Did these people get grandfathered in, or what? Sheesh!!!!!

My first job was at my chiro's office, and let me tell you, it was very different behind the desk than as a patient. I didn't stay long, and found another chiro for me and dh, besides. After the first loudmouth yelled that I helped her more in 1/2 hour than the doctor did, that was it. And that was during my internship. I didn't get that it was a problem until I started working there a few weeks later. One patient made an appt with me even though, as he put it, the doc said he "wasn't ready" for massage therapy yet. It had only been about three months since his MVA!!!

I worked on him for 1/2 hour, and rebooked for the following week. He came in all excited, his pain was 90% gone! And he was also loud about it. Another 1/2 hour and he was good to go, back to normal.

I wish they were all that responsive! But that told me why I was doing so little work there, and I quit. Went off on my own. Rented space in a busy salon (YUK!!!! Women!! Buncha catty b*****s!) where there was a lot of traffic, and developed a few regulars. No non-compete contract was signed, and when the owner wouldn't work with me to make my situation better (she moved the waxing room next to mine, and those clients scream!!!) I moved and took my average of 8 hours a week to my new location. Just covered my expenses, worked for free, basically, very scary......then having control of my environment changed everything. My clients loved the peaceful setting and no more errors in scheduling (a jealous hairdresser would erase and switch my clients around!) and they started referring like crazy. My business tripled within three months and I've never looked back.

Of course, I am not in a rural area.....but if you get the word out, they will eventually come. Target your efforts to the right demographic.....middle-aged women with secure incomes and all the kids out of college. A bit more educated, who can understand the value intellectually. Many of my clients have been nurses, teachers, higher-end riders, librarians, and mid- to upper-management types. Also people who need their bodies to work pain-free in order to make their living: hair stylists (arms up all day!), dental hygenists, electricians, etc.

Hope this give you some ideas!

 

[Beekissed]

I didn't have any problem getting clients in my MT business back home, from sheer word of mouth....the problem was working capital for the business. The only MTs I know that got through that first year alive were the ones with a second income(hubby). I never had that. My first year I cleared $13,000 and probably gave away another $4,000 in promotional massages. I talked to MTs in the biz for their 5th year that weren't making that, in our area.

Unfortunately, I could not support a family on $13,000 and put money back into the business. I couldn't get a business loan because of crappy credit. So...doomed for failure from the start.

So...two house payments behind and utilities being threatened, I finally gave it up and went back to nursing~which I hate, and left massage therapy, which I love. I'm thinking if God wanted me to be in MT right now He would make a way. Who knows? It could still happen!

 

[freemotion]

Got it now.......Is it something you can do to supplement your income, or is that too much with the other projects and a job? I just hate to see someone who "gets it" give up on it. As an instructor, I see a lot of people who are lazy and think they are going to get a quick, easy buck by spreading oil. I try to ignite a fire in them. In each group of 20 or so, there are usually only two or three that I would want to receive from, and only one that I would pay! But I have become very picky in my old age.

And I've seen some of those good ones, too many, give up because of the business aspect. Even in my area where there is work for all, and lots of competition.

All that being said, when you have kids to support, that does have to be your primary focus.

E-mail me if/when you want to discuss it more. I have lots of ideas, but I also understand that "superwoman" is a myth!