Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/588318
Get More Boots on the Ground by Enlisting Your Allies When you start your own massage therapy practice, you may not have any clients. But you do have friends, family members, neighbors, parishioners, a mail carrier, a dentist, a UPS delivery person … you get the idea. Even if you don't necessarily feel comfortable massaging the people in your existing network (for boundary reasons or a simple desire to avoid awkwardness), these folks care about you, and they want to see you succeed. They can be invaluable sources of referrals who can help you get the ball rolling as you start your own practice. Offer friends, family, and other local associates some sort of referral bonus for sending their friends your way (perhaps a massage, a home-cooked meal, an evening of babysitting, or whatever else you may be able to offer). Time is money, of course, so be careful how much you throw at the referral bonuses you offer. But when you're short on cash, time and skills may be the only commodities you can offer. Ben Glosson, massage therapist and owner of Gentle Ben's Massage Therapy in Marietta, Georgia, agrees that a strong social network can be leveraged to bolster one's massage practice: "I would tell anyone starting a massage business to be involved in their community. Sing with a chorus, or volunteer for community groups, emergency response teams, sporting events, or religious functions. These are the people in your community who will help grow your business by word of mouth." Bootstrapping means not only making the most of financial resources, but also taking stock of, and maximizing, your collection of allies, who can serve as brand ambassadors for your emerging business. 76 m a s s a g e & b o d y w o r k n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 5 76 m a s s a g e & b o d y w o r k n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 5 Bootstrapping means not only making the most of financial resources, but also taking stock of, and maximizing, your collection of allies … #1 #2 Treat Your Client List Like Fort Knox When I was a Camp Fire Girl, we used to sing a song at camp that included the lyrics: "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold." Not only have these lyrics stuck with me throughout the years in regard to friendships, but also in regard to relationships with clients. Just as bootstrapping involves squeezing the most value out of all available resources, it also means recognizing, and never minimizing, the inherent value of each and every client—whether new or long- term. Just as we can't afford to waste money or other resources, we definitely can't afford to waste the potential each and every client holds for our burgeoning practice. Treating each client like silver or gold, and not taking any client for granted, is imperative not only when we're bootstrapping our way to a successful practice, but long after we've established ourselves as accomplished practitioners and business owners.