Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/72103
FOR MORE GUIDANCE ON SETTING UP A BUSINESS, ABMP MEMBERS CAN LOG ON TO WWW.ABMP.COM AND ACCESS THE DIGITAL EDITION OF THE SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS HANDBOOK. 'Yeah, right, where's your place?'" For this business owner, not choosing the right name first has been a stressful and expensive process. Better to get it right the first time, since you want to cultivate positive name recognition. It's also wise, and not just for legal reasons, to choose a name that isn't so close to another business name that clients could easily get confused. If there is already a massage business in your town named Healing Hands, don't name yours Healing Touch. If someone is looking for you in the phone book or looking at your sign, it's easy to see how those two things could run together in someone's mind. Most importantly, if your name does not convey what you do, then be sure the word(s) massage and/or bodywork or your modality (if you specialize) are added to the name. "Serenity" may sound nice, but if you don't add a descriptive term to that, people will have no idea what it is. INVEST IN INSURANCE The single most important piece of advice I can offer practitioners is to protect themselves with liability insurance—one of the many member benefits offered by Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP). I've been called as an expert witness in cases where a client was suing a massage therapist for supposedly causing harm, and also sat on our state board for five years listening to clients who were accusing a therapist of causing them harm. Don't think it can't happen to you—it can happen to anyone. I wouldn't put my hands on anyone without it. If you rent office space, you'll also want to purchase renter's insurance. In the event the building burned or blew away in a storm, the owner is under no legal obligation to replace any equipment, supplies, or other assets belonging to you; that's your own responsibility. If you own your property, that's all the more reason to be insured; if you're still paying for it, the bank will insist on it. Contact ABMP for information about Business Property Protection add-on to your liability insurance coverage. Don't forget, if you're self- employed, you'll have to provide your own health insurance coverage. It's wise to purchase disability insurance as well, in case you suffer an illness or injury that interferes with your ability to work. The Social Security Administration can take months, sometimes years, to rule on a disability claim, so disability insurance is a good thing to have. Simple Guide to Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork Examinations (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2009) and One Year to a Successful Massage Therapy Practice (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2008). Her third book—A Massage Therapist's Guide to Business—was published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins in January. Allen is the owner of THERA-SSAGE, a continuing education facility and alternative wellness clinic of more than a dozen practitioners of different disciplines in Rutherfordton, North Carolina. Visit her website at www.thera-ssage.com. Laura Allen is the author of Plain & NOTE 1. Kermit Pattison, "How to Register a Small Business," The New York Times, accessed February 2011, www.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/ business/smallbusiness/01sbiz.html?_r=1&dbk. earn CE hours at your convenience: abmp's online education center, www.abmp.com 23