Massage Therapy Equipment: What You Need
- Pillows, linens, and towels, enough to change between clients
- Massage oils, lotions, and creams
- Music and candles for ambiance
- Storage such as cupboards for your supplies
- A way to wash linens and towels
- A vehicle for travel to clients homes or offices
- Foldable massage table
- Sturdy bag for lotions and towels
Itemized Costs To Start A Massage Practice
Massage therapy is probably one of the least expensive businesses you can start. All you need is a quiet and manageable space with restroom facilities, a massage table, sheets and towels, music, lighting, lubricant, and a way for people to schedule with you.
Assuming you already have your professional or business licenses and insurance paid for, below is a general list of common massage business start-up costs.
The business expenses that Ive listed below are separated into two areas: start-up and monthly reoccurring costs. On the bright side, start-up costs are typically a one-time expense, and your ongoing costs are controllable based on the choices you make related to smart budgeting.
Also on the bright side, anything that is used in your business, for your business, is a tax expense. The money you spend, for example, on the laundry, lubricant, paper you used for a gift certificate, and rent are always tax deductible.
Can I Be A Massage Therapist Without A License
In most cases, the answer is no. You need a massage license to practice massage therapy. In some instances, you cannot even run a massage therapy business with a team of licensed therapists unless you are also licensed.
For example, in Washington State, you must hold a massage license to run a massage business unless you are a health care professional who holds a higher degree of medical training. Chiropractors or kinesiologists are examples of healthcare professionals who may offer massage as part of their practice without massage-specific licensure. However, there are some states in which you are not required to have a massage therapy license.
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Analyze The Market And Your Competitors
Once you have a hold of your target market, you need to analyze it well in order to offer valuable services. Get a pulse of what people exactly need and want in the current market. Whether individual massages are in demand, or couple massages are the new cool, etc.
Your plan for setting up a massage business is bound to work out if and only if you cater to the demand effectively. Or as we briefly discussed in the previous section, you can identify gaps in the target market of your industry, and cater specifically to them. For example, if the massage centers in your area generally cater more to male customers, you can target the female ones better and win them over!
Competitor analysis is also necessary to ensure that you dont underestimate or overestimate your value in the market. Understand the competitor prices and the paying capacity of your target customers, and set your prices accordingly. Offering services at a very low rate might raise questions, and that at a very high rate may keep your appointment slots empty.
You can visit your competitors or just look up their service menu online to find out their prices . Dont forget to check their reviews and ratings online to understand their strengths and weaknesses, and how people feel about them.
Once you have a solid idea about your market and competitors, you can devise better strategies to penetrate your market and appeal to your customers!
How Do I Start A Massage Business
For your plan, lets lay out the steps required to start a fully licensed and certified massage therapy business.
Start-up costs range from $6k to $10k, which is very low when compared to other businesses. Where you attend massage school and your choice to work from home or in an office are the top factors in determining the cost.
Well explore all of those options in the next sections, but first, lets list out the costs to open your business.
If youre a first-time entrepreneur, starting a business from scratch can feel a bit overwhelming. Buying an operational massage business can cost more but takes less time and work to get started.
Start-up Costs
We asked Pam about her largest ongoing expenses and she stated:
What Equipment and Supplies Do I Need?
Massage therapists require specific equipment and supplies for operation. Its important to get high-quality equipment to provide the best care for your clients.
The equipment may seem expensive when youre first starting, but be sure to prioritize quality over quantity.
Choose Safety
The other factor to note when choosing your equipment is safety. Clients view massage therapy as a business thats both safe and relaxing, so your space and equipment should reflect those standards.
However, you also have to protect your own body.
If your massage business is mobile, then youll require a foldable table you can safely transport between locations .
Protect Your Body
- Laundry and Cleaning Equipment
- Carrying Equipment
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Secure The Legal Front
You need to acquire the required business licenses and permissions before you open a massage therapy business. Failure to do so might result in unnecessary troubles and may even lead to the shutting down of your business.
It is imperative that you start as you mean to go on, and set up a massage business that is a legitimate and fully licensed legal entity. This not only protects you legally but adds further professionalism to your business. It can also help to ensure the most favorable business valuation down the track, should you consider selling or borrowing funds to further invest in the venture.
Apart from being a certified massage therapist, here are some other licenses and permissions you need before you get started with your business:
- State & Local Business Licensing Requirements: Massage therapy is regulated in most states, and they generally need diplomas or certifications. You can find out your state guidelines for the same here. Additionally, you might need certain local licenses and permits. You can check with your town, city, or county clerks office, or get any assistance.
- Informed consent agreement: In an industry like yours, it is recommended to be completely transparent and provide your clients with informed consent agreements. This will also help you reduce legal liability.
How To Start A Massage Business
Published on Written By: Lars Lofgren
Starting a massage business is a great option for someone looking for either part-time or full-time work in helping people heal their minds and bodies.
Massage therapists do need quite a bit of training and education to be able to start their own businesses.
They also need to obtain licenses and certificates to be able to operate legally in most states.
Although it requires quite a bit of preparation, this type of business can be quite rewarding for someone interested in promoting healthy living,
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Take Care Of Your Body
Its up to you to take care of yourself, so you can take on as many clients as you can safely handle. Sometimes that means telling clients you cant get to them until next week.
This tactic will keep you healthy and working, and thats how you achieve financial goals and keep your business profitable. Play the long game!
Network With Other Local Businesses And Health Care Providers
Networking is one of the most important aspects of a growing business the more people you speak to and get to know, the more the word will get out about you and your practice. Chiropractors, physical therapists, acupuncturists, to name a few, would be great people to build a relationship with, as their clients are very likely to be looking for a massage therapist. Marketing yourself and your business to the community is an excellent way to let people know you are there!
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Form A Business Entity
There are a few different ways to form your own business. Your business structure can be either an LLC, S Corp or even become a Sole Proprietorship with no entity at all.
If you do not know how to set up one of these types of entities and how they work it is highly recommended that you read this article on business formation services and the different types of business you can start.
Understand Board Certification Requirements
States that require licensing for massage therapists often will have certain levels of training that the applicant needs to have. Some of these requirements may include:
- Receive accreditation from a recognized organization, usually through passing a written exam
- Undergo a certain number of hours of hands-on training, usually at least 200
- Spend a certain number of hours in formal instruction classes, usually at least 300
- Agree to a code of ethics
- Complete ongoing education every year or two
Its possible that the massage therapist will need board certification both at the state and local levels.
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Network And Meet Your Neighbours
Find online business groups in your neighbourhood you can join on Facebook or on your citys website. If you are friendly with your neighbours, they will be too! If you love the coffee shop next door, ask them if you can serve the same coffee in your massage business. People will love the coffee, ask where its from, and you can direct them next door for their coffee fix.
Having good relationships with local businesses can make your business grow and youll make friends along the way! Explore the neighbourhood and dont be shy to go to local events to talk about your business. Every small business in your neighbourhood wants to grow its revenues, so helping each other out is a win win situation.
To sum up, these 9 essential things to know before starting a massage business are vital information you need to remember. You wouldn’t want to forget a highly crucial aspect like creating a detailed business plan since you can’t neglect taking into consideration certain elements like your strengths and weaknesses and your marketing strategy. You already have a million thoughts you’re thinking about, making it easy for you and your clients to book online whenever they want will relieve some stress on your shoulders. So really… When are we getting that free massage?
Step : Open A Business Bank Account & Credit Card
Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.
When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.
Additionally, learning how to build business credit can help you get and other financing in your business’s name , better interest rates, higher lines of credit, and more.
Open a business bank account
Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:
- Makes accounting and tax filing easier.
Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.
Open net 30 accounts
Net 30 accounts are used to establish and build business credit as well as increase business cash flow. With a net 30 account, businesses buy goods and repay the full balance within a 30-day term.
NetMany net 30 credit vendors report to the major business credit bureaus . This is how businesses build business credit so they can qualify for credit cards and other lines of credit.
Recommended: Read our best net 30 vendors, guide and start building business credit.
Get a business credit card
Getting a business credit card helps you:
- Build your company’s credit history, which can be useful to raise money later on.
Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from Divvy and build your business credit quickly.
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It Takes More Than Enthusiasm To Start A Massage Practice It Also Takes Budgeting Your Money To Be Successful
Based on my experience helping new massage therapists put together their first-year business plans, I know there is this thing that happens to many of you in fact, you might actually have this thing going on right now, if you are thinking of working for yourself.
That thing is a palpable driving force building up inside of you, generating all kinds of thoughts, feelings, hopes and excitement. What is that thing? It is blind enthusiasm.
The problem with blind enthusiasm is it often gets misconstrued as a sense of security that makes you believe your ideas for a business are definitely going to work and you are definitely going to be successful.
It takes more than enthusiasm to start your business. It also takes a pretty boring special ingredient. What is the boring special ingredient that makes a business successful? Budgeting your money.
Fear not with basic information about how to budget when starting a business, you will be able to direct your enthusiasm in a realistic way that results in clients and income.
Register With An Association
Itâs not essential to register with an association, but it is highly recommended. Upon joining, youâll have the opportunity to increase your network, stay across new information and training, connect with other industry contacts and experts, get access to discounted rates for insurance and more.
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C Establish Your Social Media Presence
The ease of access presented by social media makes it a seamlessly efficient method of sharing information. Create social media pages for your business on various platforms.
Your social media pages will be yet another source by which your clients can contact you for information. Create a Facebook and Instagram page for your business and make sure you provide all the information required for your target audience to contact you upon viewing your page. Start posting regularly and include relevant hashtags to reach out to potential clients.
You can also add appointment booking buttons on your and pages to get more customers from there!
Start On Social Media
Social media marketing is a great place to start to get the word out about your new business. Just like everyone searching online for services, many people find out about local businesses through friends on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The key to good social media posts is consistency. If you overload your accounts with several posts a day, people are going to feel like youre spamming them with information and simply unlike or unfollow your business. A post or two a week is all that is required, but be sure to keep things relevant and entertaining.
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Decide Whether To Buy A Franchise Or Start From Scratch
It is believed that buying into a franchise in the massage therapy industry is far more profitable or rather advisable than starting from the scratch. One of the reasons is that a franchisee buys more than the right to use a business name you buy the franchisors experience and the businesss formula for success.
A lot of individuals choose to buy a franchise because they have a good business background but no experience in a particular industry. Others know an industry well, but dont have a background in business. Still others have both and just want the experience and support a franchise offers.
You should also know that another benefit of opening a franchise is that the franchisee is provided with a turnkey operation. At this point, the franchisor aids you choose the site and negotiate the lease, tells you how to lay out the salon and where to order furnishings, provides information on what products you are required to use and what your opening inventory should be, and provides you with management and technical training. On the issues of cost, control, expertise, and support, these franchise owners were equally split.
6. Know the Possible Threats and Challenges You Will Face
7. Choose the Most Suitable Legal Entity
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Business Liability
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Business Troubles and issues
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Set up Expenditures
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Business Equity Investment
8. Choose a Catchy Business Name
- Body Transformation
- Personal accident insurance
Choose Where To Register Your Company
Your business location is important because it can affect taxes, legal requirements, and revenue. Most people will register their business in the state where they live, but if you are planning to expand, you might consider looking elsewhere, as some states could offer real advantages when it comes to massage services.
If youre willing to move, you could really maximize your business! Keep in mind, its relatively easy to transfer your business to another state.
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Register Your Massage Business
You must register your company with your local Secretary of State before you can begin operating. There are four different types of business structures to choose from: sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company , or corporation.
A limited liability company is an ideal choice for massage businesses. An LLC protects your personal assets in case your business comes under financial distress or legal action. For example, if a client sues your company for injuries, your personal assets are completely separate from your business assets.
An LLC also allows for pass-through taxation, which means your business income will only be taxed once. Other business entities, like corporations, undergo double taxation, which means youll be taxed at the business level and on your personal tax return.
Check the Small Business Administration websitefor more information about registering your business.
Write A Marketing Plan Packed With Ideas & Strategies
Even though word of mouth will be your greatest marketing tool, there are other things you can do. You need to start first by building relationships with the medical professionals in your community. A lot will refer clients to you and allow you to put your literature at their front desk. No matter what route you take for your massage business, social media is the most affordable way to share information that specifically targets your demographic. Here are few ways to start
- Use the newspapers
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