Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1509769
option as well as set the expectation for response. When a client texts to ask about your schedule (or for an exception to your schedule) try, "All my availability is in the online schedule at [website]. If you don't see anything there, let me know and I will call you when I'm back in the office to make a plan." You get to decide how available you want to be to clients and craft a response that respects your time and boundaries. HANDS-ON SCHEDULE My work schedule seems to always be evolving. Over the years, it's adjusted to accommodate officemates and renters, school vacations and co-parenting, the changing abilities and issues of my own body, and the ups and downs of my stamina. More recently, my schedule has evolved to allow for COVID ventilation protocols and office neighbors who take up all the parking spaces on specific days. As resistant as I am to change and as much as I thrive on routine, it is really nice to make regular adjustments that suit me, my needs, and how I want to work. Last year, I noticed I don't love early morning appointments, but adding occasional Sunday evening appointments works well for me (and my clients). This year I've found that I prefer days with three longer appointments over days with four shorter appointments. I physically feel better when I break up the massage days versus plowing through five consecutive days at the massage office. I eat and feel better when I have a work-from- home day midweek that allows me to meal prep for the next few days. As I set my 2024 schedule, all these factors come into play. Never perfect, but always gently adjusting and evolving my work schedule seems to serve me—and my clients—well. Make an effort to notice the days and weeks that feel good to you and when your schedule doesn't feel so great so you can make adjustments to suit your needs. TAKING NEW CLIENTS (OR NOT) "I am not a 'throw your back out' kind of massage therapist." I've found myself saying this out loud frequently. When you are building a business, it can be hard to refuse a new client. We are taught to see every new client as an opportunity to make a good impression, retain that client, and maybe get referrals from them eventually. But . . . I'm not going to make a good impression if I'm nervous about making their low-back spasm worse, or if I'm working with issues that aren't compatible with my skill set. I am just not great at A B M P m e m b e r s ea r n F R E E C E h o u r s by rea d i n g t h i s i s s u e ! 83 You get to decide how available you want to be to clients and craft a response that respects your time and boundaries. acute pain relief, and the pressure and expectations of those acute appointments stress me out. My website is pretty clear about whom I serve, and I've made it a point to screen new clients via my online booking process. I'll reach out before a client's first appointment to clarify their needs and potentially refer them elsewhere if we're not a good match. Some clients are less than thrilled that I can't meet their needs. Others are happy to avoid wasting their time and money and delighted that I have a thoughtful referral for them. Regardless, I can feel happy and confident about every client who walks in my door. Allissa Haines is a practicing massage therapist and columnist. She builds websites and cultivates a community of massage therapists at deepbreathdigital.com.