Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1338685
L i s te n to T h e A B M P Po d c a s t a t a b m p.co m /p o d c a s t s o r w h e reve r yo u a cce s s yo u r favo r i te p o d c a s t s 73 NIRZAR PANGARK ARUNSPL ASH to do other things. Success is whatever it is to you. Now that you're straight on that, make a list of your personal goals: • How do you want to practice? Do you want a mobile business or a home-based business? Do you want to share an office in an existing business or have your own storefront? • Where would you like your business to be located? • How many clients do you want to see per week? And tied to that, what do you want your annual income to be? • Do you want to work alone or include others in your business? • What are your ideal working days and hours? These are preliminary questions to answer before formulating your business plan. Plenty of people start out without a concrete plan, but it takes a huge commitment and a lot of work to open a business, so making sure your thoughts are organized is an effort worth making. Having a plan A and a plan B—for circumstances like we've found ourselves in during the pandemic—may not be a guarantee of success, but it will certainly maximize the chances. THE REALITY CHECK Opening your own business is not the time to be in denial. Being a good massage therapist and being a good businessperson are two different things with two vastly different skills. You learned to be a massage therapist; you can learn to be a businessperson. But it's also prudent to take an honest inventory of your strengths and weaknesses, while keeping in mind the responsibilities of being a business owner.