Where is your massage career headed?

With massage therapist Lauren’s Massage Career Guide, you can get advice from other therapists who have “been there, done that.” Learn from their mistakes, ask questions in the forums, and find tips on everything from choosing the best massage certification program to starting your own massage business.

Lauren’s site also includes massage school reviews, business plan templates, sample resumes, and salary expectations for massage therapists—all the tools you need to launch a successful massage career!

When you’re starting out as a brand new massage therapist, you basically have two career paths that you can follow. One, you can look for a therapist position in an established business (spa, gym, health center, etc.). Or two, you can start your own business.

No matter which career path you choose, you will most likely want to build up your own private client base. Most therapists work during the day (whether at a spa or a job that doesn’t involve massage) and build their private practices in the evenings and on weekends. This allows them to pay the bills until their massage practice generates more income.

Be Patient But Persistent.

Starting out in any business often requires long work weeks and inconvenient hours. After your practice becomes more established, however, you will be able to switch to full-time massage work (rather than working two jobs) and choose appointment hours that are more convenient for you. Be patient but persistent. Building your practice takes time, but it’s worth the effort as you begin to see your client base grow.

Build a Network.

With permission from your employer, hand out business cards at your workplace and around town. Let customers and individuals you come in contact with know that you are a massage therapist and are available for evening or weekend appointments. Even better if your job is in an area that caters to health-conscious customers, such as a clerk at a health foods store or a yoga teacher at the local gym. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your network or expand your network to find new clients who will benefit from your services.

Connect with Like-Minded Businesses.

Partner with other health-related businesses. They can send you referral clients, and you can refer clients to them in return. Ask if you can post a professional flier or brochure on the bulletin board at the local health foods store or fitness center. Partner with chiropractors, physical therapists, hair salons, bridal boutiques, and other service professionals to become a part of the community and open up new opportunities to find potential clients.

Don’t try to target everyone with your marketing efforts. Focus on a select group of people. Choose your ideal client (for example, the elderly, athletes, medical patients, pregnant women, etc.) and your ideal type of bodywork (sports, therapeutic, pregnancy massage, etc.). Then focus on marketing to this select group of potential clients.

1. Get the clients you want.

You’ll connect better with your clients if you are genuinely interested in helping the clients you target. If you’re treating the clients you want to treat, you’ll be more motivated to establish lasting relationships with them.

2. Build the practice you’ve always wanted.

With niche marketing, you can deliberately shape your practice to reflect your dreams and goals. The result is focused, responsive service and care that satisfies both you and your clients.

3. Encourage referrals.

Athletes will refer other athletes. Pregnant women will refer other moms-to-be. People tend to associate with others who are in the same stage of life and enjoy the same activities. They’ll have plenty of friends and acquaintances to send your way.

4. Set yourself apart from the competition by offering specialized treatment.

The more cancer patients you treat, the more knowledge and skill you will gain in easing their pain and complementing their medical treatments. Soon you’ll be known in the community as the go-to therapist for cancer patients and other clients with illness and pain. Once you’re established in a certain niche, it’s easier to build and maintain your client base.

Open yourself up to a wider client base through corporate massage.

Massage in the workplace allows you to reach individuals who may never have considered booking a massage therapy session before. Their reasons for neglecting the power of massage may differ, but they generally boil down to two excuses: time and money.

Excuse #1: Time

Many of your corporate clients will fall into the overworked or overstressed category. They simply can’t find the time or energy to book a table massage and travel to your office. With the on-site convenience of corporate massage, however, your clients have no excuse. Chair or desk massages take as little as ten minutes and include no prep or travel time, so your clients don’t have to block out an hour or two in their day. They also don’t need to plan ahead by booking an appointment a week in advance.

Excuse #2: Money

The other limiting factor for table massage is cost. With corporate massage, almost anyone can afford to invest in regular massage. Some employers cover the full cost of a workplace massage contract. Other employers subsidize your services and employees pay a reduced cost. Lastly, some corporate locations hire your services for the convenience of their employees, who pay you directly for your services. Even in situations where the employee covers the full cost, the shortened sessions offered with seated massage cuts the cost down to a reasonable rate for any employee to cover.

Some potential massage clients may be hesitant to try new things. Chair massage is a great way to introduce the power of massage therapy to new clients. It also allows the client to remain fully clothed, which may be another barrier to table massage. With these hesitations aside, more individuals will benefit from your healing touch through corporate massage.