Massage Your Mind Blog

When I was shopping around online for my electric massage table I was surprised to see that there was quite a variance on price when it came to shipping and handling costs.

These tables are heavy, (as you can see it took two guys and a trolley to move it) and so the shipping costs can be considerable. There was one vendor that I was considering buying my table from as they had it listed for a little bit less than competing sites.

But their web site said that after I placed my order I would be contacted by a representative and told the shipping method and cost.

That seemed a little dodgy to me so instead I called the company before I ordered. Good thing too - the amount they wanted to add for shipping was very high.

I did a bit more research and found my table at another site where the actual table was a little more expensive, but they were running a special and the shipping was FREE!

That saved me a couple hundred dollars! So if you are looking for an electric massage table do shop around and look for special packages.

By the way, my dog JJ wasn't too excited about the new table, but he LOVED the box.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 6:47 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

I received an email from a massage therapist last week who was looking for some online resources that would help her decide what was the best way to approach a bank or lender for funding to help her growing her practice?

She felt that she had a solid business plan and was ready to take her business to the next level.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, a great place to start is with a bank that you already have a good relationship with. You might find someone there who would be happy to take a look at your business plan and give you some advice.

Also if you belong to any networking groups (or know someone who does) they can be a great source of educational support. One business networking group that I was a member of for a number of years regularly had a friendly bank representative there to answer members' questions.

In addition, here are some great online resources I use:

If you are thinking of going to a bank for funding, entrepreneur magazine has some good articles.

And here are links to all kinds of traditional and non-traditional financing.

Also check out the Small Business Administration for some great articles on getting financial assistance for your business.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 9:00 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

I just returned from a wonderful conference especially for entrepreneurs in Dallas, TX called the Idea Incubator. The whole 4 days was focused around taking your ideas from concept to cash.

How many times a day to you have an idea that could bring more money into your massage business? For example, you could teach a seminar, write an eBook or develop an eCourse on a subject you know a lot about.

Or you could link from your massage website (if you have one) to other sites that have complementary products you recommend to your clients anyway, and make money on the commissions (like with amazon.com).

So many ideas… so little time!

Anyway, on my blog over the next few days and weeks I'll be sharing in detail some of what I learned that applies to running a massage business. So, if you've ever thought that it would be nice to have some additional streams of income coming in, and you'd like to know how, do check back.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 10:56 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

So, I've been re-reading one of my favorite classics, The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles, which is really the science of manifesting anything you want in your life, when….

Well, let's just say I was thrown off course by the unexpected. You see my husband had a number of surgeries recently and just prior having them I called my health insurance company to verify our coverage.

Being self-employed, we pay over $800 a month for a high-deductible "catastrophe" policy, hoping that we'd never have to use it, but knowing that it was (at least on paper) an excellent policy if we ever did need it. In almost 10 years we've never put it to the test as we keep ourselves pretty healthy.

So after being told that we had 100% coverage after we met our deductible, I went white when I opened the mail on Saturday to find bill after bill has been denied, and for no reason that makes any sense. It adds up to a LOT of money.

So, how do I stay positive and feel abundant when facing a mountain of unexpected medical bills? Of course I'm going to appeal it, but who needs to deal with that!

I noticed that my mind keeps wandering to the "lack" side of the fence and I have to go get it and haul it back to the reality that it is an abundant universe.

So it was somewhat comforting to read in The Science of Getting Rich this morning that…

Every person has the natural and inherent power to think what he wants to think, but it requires far more effort to do so than it does to think the thoughts which are suggested by appearances. To think according to appearances is easy. To think truth regardless of appearances is laborious and requires the expenditure of more power than any other work a person has to perform.

So now I don't feel quite so bad. It's not just me that has trouble with this. Wattles goes on to explain that sustained and consecutive thought is the hardest work in the world. Especially when the truth it is contrary to appearances. That's because every "appearance" creates a corresponding form in our mind. The bills certainly made an impression on my mind!!!

Yet, to create true abundance and wealth, I have to return time after time to the truth that it is an abundant universe, and that I can be, do and have what I want?

Boy, I've got my work cut out for me today…

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 9:40 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

When thinking about being wealthy it can bring up all kinds of uncomfortable feelings because of our past financial conditioning (especially all the stuff we heard as a kid about money not growing on trees. Duh!).

Bob Proctor, one of my mentors, says that the secret to financial prosperity is that we have to work through those uncomfortable feelings and not let them stop us. And once you learn how to do that in the area of money, you can apply the same principles to any area of your life.

Maybe you feel uncomfortable marketing and promoting yourself, or are uncomfortable with the concept of selling your massage services or products.

Or maybe what you really, really want is nothing to do with your massage business at all! Maybe you want to find that ideal life partner or soul mate. But the uncomfortable feelings come up when you even think about it. You know… the negative self-talk… that little voice that tells you all the reasons why it will never happen to YOU.

So the reason I believe that the book The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles (see left side bar) inspired the movie The Secret, was simply because when you put these timeless principles into place THEY WORK, and they apply to anything you want to manifest, not just money. Hence…. “the secret”.

And from watching the folks interviewed on The Secret, you do get to where the uncomfortable feelings become comfortable. As Bob Proctor has pointed out to me, wealthy people are very comfortable talking about money. But they didn’t all start out that way.

Growing up in my family, money was never discussed in public except in arguments. How about you?

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 10:38 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Tamara Felix, PhD, LMT of The Right Touch had some great insights about massage fees. Read on....

One way to establish wellness massage fees is based on the local economy.

Our local gas prices are a federally regulated cost of living check. More expensive in Southern California where the cost of living is greater, for example, than in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the cost of living is a bit lower.

In the early 1990s when I was first introduced to massage therapy as a client, the average full hour wellness Swedish massage was $45, sometimes $50-$55, depending on location; a 15-minute (unit) seated massage was $10; and the average gallon of gasoline for premium was about 75 cents. A $45 hour ($10 unit) calculates at 75 cents per minute, the cost of a gallon of gasoline in my neighborhood at the time.

Since the early 1990s, the cost of living has increased (tremendously) and so has the educational requirements to become a massage therapist and maintain licensure or other credentialling and national certification.

If you will take a moment to think about it, all costs of living increase when the gallon of gasoline increases: groceries and household items are more due to the extra transport costs, utilities take a hike, real estate is worth more, and employees get pay raises.

Today, a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in my neighborhood (Portland, Oregon) is more than $2.50 per gallon, and closer to $4 per gallon in Southern California. Each more specialized gas is an additional 10 cents per gallon, with diesel at as much as 50 cents per gallon more than regular unleaded.

Establishing wellness massage fees based on the local economy, a basic wellness Swedish massage should have increased over time to about $150 per hour (based on $2.50 per minute/gallon of gasoline), and a 15-minute seated massage should have increased to about $40. And that doesn't begin to cover the additional educational requirements, and more focused and specialized training most massage therapists practice.

Do you also have advanced training beyond Swedish? How many years experience do you have? Each year of experience and advanced training program you pay to learn are certainly worth 10 cents per minute! Just a thought.

How have your fees kept up with your local economy?????

Thanks Tamara. Now that's food for thought?

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 10:11 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

This morning I was reading in The Science of Getting Rich, (see previous post) that Wallace D. Wattles doesn't believe that we should be content with anything less than a life of abundance, including lots on money. He is not into poverty at all! In fact he says it goes against the universal laws of life.

"Whatever may be said in praise of poverty, the fact remains that it is not possible to live a really complete or successful life unless one is rich. No person can rise to his greatest possible height in talent or soul development unless he has plenty of money."

Imagine having so much money because of your successful massage business that you never have to say "no" to something because of lack… Imagine being able to do what you want, when you want, with whom you want and as often as you want…

And when he said "rich" he was not speaking figuratively. He clarified by saying...

"To be really rich does not mean to be satisfied or content with little. No person ought to be satisfied with a little if he is capable of using and enjoying more. The purpose of nature is the advancement and development of life. Every individual should have all that can contribute to the power, elegance, beauty, and richness of life."

So, Wallace D. Wattles believed that riches are an essential part of life. And let's face it; with money we are able to expose ourselves to so much more. We are able to learn from great teachers, and have the experience of travel. With money, we don't have to limit ourselves or the experiences from which we can learn and grow or give back to humanity.

Because I had the money, I was able to travel to study personally with one of my mentors, Bob Proctor who introduced me to The Science of Getting Rich two years ago. And that has impacted my life tremendously. Bob has now become so popular because of the success of the movie The Secret that had I not taken that chance to be mentored by him, it may not have presented itself again.

If money was no object, who would you like to meet and study with? Which conferences would you like to attend? Where would you like to travel to? How would your life be different from how it is now?

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

The popularity of the movie The Secret has brought a renewed interest in the classic, The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles. I've written about that book before and will continue to do so because I think it has a very powerful message for massage therapists.

Wattles says, right in the first chapter of the book, that it is our BIRTHRIGHT to live full, abundant lives. The universe is an abundant universe, and wants us to have it all. He goes on to explain that being rich in all areas of life, including financially is our Divine Right.

He says that many people believe it is all right to be content with poverty? Do you? A lot of massage therapists seem to think it is. I too used to have a difficult time charging what I was really worth. I felt that because I was helping folks I should give my services away (or almost).

I felt guilty even thinking about or imagining getting wealthy from serving others in need. And let's face it; doesn't everyone need healing touch these days? So how was I ever going to have that lifestyle I dreamed about? And my husband Francis was (still is) also a massage therapist! So did that mean we were doomed to a life of "just getting by"?

No it did not! But it did mean I had to make some changes in my business and in my life….. and most especially in my thinking.

And I'm going to share with you in upcoming posts some of the things that helped me along the way. Maybe they'll help you too, or other massage therapists you know who may be struggling with making money and creating abundance in their lives. My passion is to help bring more prosperity to the massage profession as a whole. Will you join me?

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 11:23 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

My husband's massage practice is mostly made up of busy professionals and executives. So one year, in early December we sent a letter to all of his regular clients with 3 lovely gift certificates.

He explained in the letter that he wanted to alleviate some of their holiday stress. So if there was someone on their holiday list that they did not have a gift for yet, all they had to do was call us with their credit card information (or mail a check) and give us the certificate numbers and we would instantly "activate" them. Then, the certificates were ready to be put under the Christmas tree or popped in the mail. What could be easier?

We followed up with a brief reminder call to anyone who hadn't used them a week before Christmas, incase they just forgot about them. A few clients who had been procrastinating about gifts were really glad we called, and we sold quite a few more.

And in addition to selling a record number of certificates, his clients really appreciated that we made their lives a bit easier during the holiday season. A win-win situation for us all (not to mention the happy recipients!).

Don't forget to download your free massage gift certificates. Enjoy.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 7:09 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

I posted this last December, but it was so good..... here it is again.

Last December, a massage therapist who was taking part in my Massage Marketing Marathon program, set the intension to sell 30 Christmas gift certificates. That was more than she had ever sold before (by far) and in fact more than she had sold in the entire previous year. But not only that… she had fun doing it. And in the process she completely shifted her attitude about "selling" to one where she is so much more comfortable promoting her services and products.

Want to find out how Beth Brown, Licensed Massage Practitioner of Bellingham, Washington did it? Then click below to listen (or "right click" the MP3 link to download to your computer). Way to go Beth!

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 8:18 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

One year at Christmas, a client of mine said that she would like to purchase a gift certificate for her boss to get a massage as she was so stressed out. (Now there's a smart strategy!).

However she wasn't sure if her boss would use it as she had never had a massage before. So I told her that I would put a 6 month expiration date on the certificate, and if her boss didn't use it, it would revert back to her to use for herself or gift to someone else. She loved the idea so much that she bought more certificates for family Christmas gifts that year.

So that inspired a new policy with gift certificates in my practice. When someone purchased one (or more), I'd ask for the name and phone number of the recipient (if that information was available). After 6 months I'd call the recipient to remind them it was about to expire. I would always extend that if they asked.

They were also free to transfer it before it expired. If it still did not get used, I'd call the purchaser and they could schedule a session, or I'd re-issue them with a new certificate. Because of this policy I have sold a LOT of massage certificates.

Do note that in some states, (for example, Washington) it is illegal to put an expiration date on a gift certificate, so do check your local laws.

How have you used gift certificates successfully in your practice?

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 8:02 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

We recently got dumped on with a foot-and-a-half of snow at my house. It was cold enough to freeze my dog's whiskers to his face. And yesterday was the first day in a week that I could get out of my driveway (I live at the top of a very steep hill).

And when I did get into town, I ran into a colleague at the post office. She told me that she had to reschedule ALL of her massage clients for the entire week because of the weather. It reminded me of when I was 100% dependent on my massage client income for my livelihood.

But now I make money from a variety of sources, some of them pretty much passive. For example, I have written a number of programs to help other massage therapists build successful practices. Once the initial work of writing the program is done, I continue to make money each time someone buys it.

I have spoken to other massage therapists who have written e-books for their target market, or on a specialized subject, such as proper stretching techniques. Some therapists teach teleclasses or live workshops. Many have websites that promote a variety of products through affiliate links (where they don't actually stock and sell the products - but they refer folks to a website like www.Amazon.com and make a commission on any sales made).

So I was wondering how many other therapists have found interesting ways to make additional massage income streams that don't depend on them doing hands-on work, or that maybe are even completely passive (in that you do the work once, and continue to make money).

If that's you, please hit the comments link below and let us know what you've done. We'd love to hear from you.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 8:25 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Julie of www.thebodyworker.com recently commented on a previous post on insurance billing for massage therapy. She has some free resources on her website that I wanted to share with you. You have to click around a bit to find the free manual, and be wiling to sort through a bunch of ads. If you want to bypass the ads you can make a donation and get the ad-free version.

Here's what Julie has to say about insurance reimbursement.

The medical massage profession is in a big state of confusion. Here in WA State we are able to become contracted providers with companies such as Regence Blue Shield. But that is a mixed blessing. While we want to be a part of the medical profession, the insurance companies here are raking us through the coals and taking advantage of the fact that massage therapists are willing to work at such low rates. ($59 for one such company.)

They are also making it harder to collect money and are limiting benefits. Do we as a profession really want to be a part of such an organization?

My personal passion is teaching people how to bill insurance companies for massage services so that they can then see how it does not serve our profession.

I also have most of the information that one needs to know to bill insurances available online for free at
http://www.thebodyworker.com

Thanks Julie!

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 11:58 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Tamara Felix, PhD, LMT who has made some extremely useful comments on this blog, and who I have interviewed in my Successful Therapists series, has a book I thought you should know about. It is "Medical Massage Therapy Billing Textbook for Oregon--CPT Codes, UCR Fees and the Law."

Although the laws in the book are for Oregon, the laws in other states are the same, they just have different "numbers." Besides, the first 2 chapters are on creating and building a successful, sustainable massage practice by writing, developing and implementing business, marketing and financial plans. Then in Chapter 4 she discusses at length the differences between wellcare clients and medical patients.

What I love about this, is that Tamara is extremely knowledgable about the laws and codes, but she is also a massage therapist and speaks our language.

And after talking at great lengths to Tamara, she sure knows what it takes to build a successful massage practice.

The book is $59.95 plus postage ($5.95). You can request it by sending a check to her office: The Right Touch, 1363 NE Cornell Road, Hillsboro, OR 97124; by faxing a request with your credit card info to (503) 844-6150, or by calling her office at (503) 795-9402.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 8:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Here is another gem from Tamara Felix, PhD, LMT of The Right Touch

Thank you for your article on "do you charge enough?" Absolutely timely, and I truly hope massage therapists across the country get it! The cost of living has more than trippled in the last decade, but most massage theraists are STILL CHARGING THE SAME as they did 10 years ago! No wonder they're struggling...

Just had to share a new money-making strategy I implemented about a month ago... you will appreciate. I had not accepted same-day appointments for years due to the serious disruption to my schedule. However, I get a lot of same-day requests, and have accepted quite a few lately due to a lighter summer schedule... Still a disruption, and realized the great convenience I was providing was at my expense. Why not charge more? I informed my scheduling service and just started advertising -- plastered signs on my office windows, updated my Guide to Services (menue), and on my website:

"Same-Day Appointments now available $99. Any service of your choice. Includes all urgent care fees."

My scheduling service thought I was really pushing the envelope, but the next day had a same-day appointment with no qualms, pretty much every day therafter, and several every Friday!!!

Yep. People ARE willing to pay more for convenience! And, $99 is worth the disruption in my schedule. Now I'm considering adding an evening appointment or two to my schedule at $99.

Thank you for your generosity Tamara. To your ongoing massage success...

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 11:16 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

In response to a previous post about getting massage clients during day-time hours, Tamara Felix, PhD, LMT of The Right Touch had this to say...

Massage therapists are MEDICAL providers. If you are trying to establish a 9 to 5 practice (as I have successfully done for the last 12 years), the next time you have a client ask if you for an appointment in the evening after work or on weekends, ask the client how they handled their last medical appointment. Most employers provide 2-3 hours during a work day for medical appointments, which is what you are offering. The only difference is yours feels a whole lot better, and provides more health benefit than they realize!!!

Then ask the client if their employer offers a FLEX plan (caffeteria plan, etc.). FLEX plans cover medical services not covered by their health insurance. Massage therapy is not typically covered by health insurance without a prescription, and is a serious business requiring tons of documentation; but with a FLEX plan, they don't need a prescription, and you don't have to deal with their insurance. All the client has to do is simply supply a copy of your receipt to their human resources manager and they get REIMBURSED from their employer for your services!

So, then, not only will their employer provide the time for them to get a massage from you during your normall 9-5 day, but will also PAY FOR IT!

Happy massaging!

Thank you so much Tamara. We appreciate you sharing your expertise.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 10:43 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

You are trying to do it all yourself.

At a certain point in your massage business you realize that you just can't do it all yourself and you need help. If you are busy as can be, and are still folding sheets, answering the phone to schedule appointments, doing your own billing and bookkeeping etc, then I mean YOU.

Why are you doing work that you could hire out for $10 - $15 an hour (less in some states) when you could be building your business and even creating additional streams of income? And working towards true financial freedom? But instead you are filing forms!

And I don't necessarily mean employees. There are inexpensive phone answering and appointment scheduling services. There are independent bookkeepers and laundry services, and even virtual assistants who can do billing and make calls for you from their own home or office (which can even be across the country).

I had a virtual assistant who lived in New Zealand. We communicated primarily by email and instant message, and never actually met in person.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 8:11 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

You have chosen a market that really cannot afford your services

So what do you do if they really CAN'T afford your services? Most massage therapists get into the field, not to make money, but to help people. But if you have chosen a market that simply cannot pay you what you need to make to run a viable business you need to rethink your strategy.

I hate to sound cold, but if you can't make enough money to stay in business, who will you help then?

So if you are in this situation, you may want to seriously consider choosing a target market that CAN pay you want you are worth, and then DONATE a certain amount of your time and services to the market you feel passionate about serving.

That way you all win!

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 6:59 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

You are not charging enough?

Way too many massage therapists simply don't charge enough for their services. It may be because they lack confidence in their skills, or are concerned about losing clients to the competition if they raise rates, or think their clients couldn't (or wouldn't) pay more, or don't value their work and the difference they make in the lives of their clients.

But if you don't charge what you are worth, how can you hope to build a sustainable massage business?

Are you charging enough for your massage services?

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 6:54 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

You don't have the necessary business and marketing skills.

A lot of massage therapists are really good at massage, but don't know how to run a business and are lousy at marketing or promoting themselves.

It takes a very different set of skills to run a successful business or practice than it does to give a massage and many therapists underestimate this.

If you need help in this area, there are many classes at local colleagues and as well as online to help you develop the entrepreneurial, business and marketing skills you need. You can also get help (often free) from organizations such as SCORE.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 8:52 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

OK, so you ARE putting in the hours, but you are not doing the right things.

Maybe you are spending hours working on that perfect brochure that is just going to sit on your shelf. Or you are planning your website, but not planning how folks are going to find it. Or you are cleaning your office or organizing your papers or rearranging your linens……..

You get the picture?

So you might find it useful not only to track your working hours, but also how you spend those hours. Are you focused directly on the actions that will bring you more of what you want, be it more clients, more free time, additional income streams and so on?

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 8:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

You feel that you are putting a lot of hours into your business, but you are not working as many hours as you might think.

Often during the work day it is easy to get distracted with family matters and other personal issues, like phone calls,
answering personal emails, taking the kids to gymnastics etc. Try tracking your actual working hours for one week and see if it is as much are you imagined.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 8:31 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Reason #1: You are letting your fear of rejection get in the way of getting yourself out there.

This is a big one. Nobody likes to be rejected. Yet it happens to all of us at some time or another. But let's face it, not everyone is going to be an ideal client for you. And people saying "no" to your services is a natural part of doing business. It's part of the sorting process. The more you can get comfortable with this, the easier it will be to promote yourself with confidence.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 6:03 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)