When starting a business, the first thing you need to do is build out its foundational elements. A massage therapy business is no exception to this rule. In fact, the foundation of a massage therapy business is preceded by you becoming certified in massage therapy. Generally, this requires a minimum amount of practical experience, which is usually between 500 and 1,000 hours as well as passing the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination. There may also be differing requirements depending on which state you choose to be licensed again.
After you are licensed as a massage therapist, you will now be ready to actually build the foundation of your massage therapy business. In order to learn how to start a massage therapy business, the first thing you need is your business name. You should look at your state’s LLC database to make sure the business name you are looking to choose is not already in use. You’ll also need to have a licensing fee prepared to acquire the LLC, as well as supporting documentation and a business plan ready in place.
Once this is in order, the next thing to look at is liability insurance. This will go beyond general liability insurance for small businesses, and should extend into different risk areas. For example, if you plan on using hot stones in some of your massages, then you’ll want to have liability coverage that protects you in case something goes wrong during that particular procedure. To get the best deal on liability insurance, make sure to shop around and see where you can get the best premiums, coverage specifics, and deductible.
After you’ve chosen your business name and liability coverage for massage therapy, the next step is to scout out a location. If you are just starting out, you may not want to commit to renting out a full space. Commercial real estate rental deals are very cheap right now, so it may make sense to do this. However, if you are not willing to take the risk, or just want to ease into your own practice, you may want to see if you can rent a room out of a healthcare facility or even run a mobile massage practice where you travel to a client’s home. Keep in mind that the latter option requires you to have a specific type of liability coverage to cover any issues that may occur in a client’s place of residence.
Now that you have the basics covered, it is time to find the clients that you need. You may want to host a launch party, spread the news about your new massage therapy through friends and family, or even post on social media. Overall though, your goal should be to acquire emails so that you can directly email your new potential clients about massage therapy deals and hours.
The idea with a massage therapy business it to help clients with their ailments to help them relax, and the foundations of your business should reflect this. While it is a lot of work to put together an LLC, find the right liability insurance, and scout out a location for your budding massage therapy business, it will all be worth it once you start to gain a steady stream of new clients who are looking for regular massage therapy.
