Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/78617
BUSINESS SIDE COLLABORATIVE COMPETITION I'm fond of this phrase from my friend and fellow North Carolinian, Felicia Brown: collaborative competition. I would encourage you to think about ways you can partner with other local businesses to mutually benefit each other. For example, women like their hair to look good, and may consider a trip to the salon a higher priority than a trip to the massage therapist. What about collaborating with a neighboring salon to offer a package deal? It could look like this: "Main Street Massage and Serenity Salon are offering a special for ladies throughout the week preceding Mother's Day. Get your hair and nails done, plus receive a massage, for just $150." You could share in the cost of any advertising. Chances are good that some of your clients will visit the salon for the first time, and vice versa. Consider other things competing for the client's discretionary funds—anything from clothing to the bowling alley to a trip to the beach. Realistically, we can't compete with every single thing, but we can maximize our opportunities. Networking with other business owners is key. Collect business cards from the people you do business with, and give them a few of yours. Attend the open houses and grand openings of other nearby businesses. Recommend them; they'll return the favor. If your practice happens to be located in or near a vacation destination, bear in mind that while the ritzier hotels and resorts likely have a spa on property, others probably do not. Approach the hotels, bed and breakfasts, and rental agents in town and ask if you can leave brochures, business cards, or flyers there. The agents who rent condominiums to tourists at the beach and in ski areas, for example, usually have a guest notebook that stays in the rental and gives guests tips about where to go and what to do and see locally. Cultivating a relationship with the front- desk staff and owners of local hotels and motels, as well as rental agents—maybe by offering them an occasional freebie or discount—could bring in a great deal of business. Even if you're not in a vacation destination, realtors are great people to cultivate mutual-referral relationships with because they constantly meet new people moving to town. I've had business cards made for realtors to hand out to their prospects. I use our regular business cards, with this printed message on the back: "Welcome to the neighborhood! You're a VIP if you're with Century 21, so here's $10 off your first massage." The competition for consumer dollars is out there, but we don't have to let it get the best of us. By being proactive, you're sure to get your share! The competition for consumer dollars is out there, but we don't have to let it get the best of us. Laura Allen is the author of A Massage Therapist's Guide to Business (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2011), Plain & Simple Guide to Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork Examinations (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2009), and One Year to a Successful Massage Therapy Practice (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2008). Allen is the owner of THERA-SSAGE, a continuing education facility and alternative wellness clinic with more than a dozen practitioners. Contact her at therassage@bellsouth.net. Visit the newly designed ABMP.com. Log in. Explore. Enjoy. 35