Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/68005
SURVIVE AND THRIVE Success that is not measured can't be repeated easily. Unmeasured failure will be repeated. with just one other therapist. "The easiest thing for me to do would have been to close up," she says. "For a while, I thought moving back into the smaller suite was failure but it took a lot of strength. All around us there are spas closing. I get calls every day from therapists who are looking to work. I personally wasn't feeling the crunch but … I spent a lot of my own money on marketing [the clinic]. I realized I had to act quickly and resolve the situation." Harper arranged with her landlord to move back into a 580-square-foot space—down from 1,600 square feet. She dumped an expensive website, opting for a cheaper one, and she cut down to one phone line from three. The new website gets more traffic than the expensive one. "Sometimes people think they can just go with the flow. I'm a more 'go out and get it and make it' type of person. I do something as soon as my mind is made up." Most people will feel uncomfortable with this downsizing strategy and lay down until the urge to take action passes. Do what you know you must. 9. MEASURE AND TRACK Success that is not measured can't be repeated easily. Unmeasured failure will be repeated. • Watch where the money goes. I lost four regular clients when a local industrial plant closed. They will continue to see me, but far less frequently. I bartered a massage for a tutorial on spreadsheets. It was an eye-opener as to where the money is going. The math came to an annual loss of $3,000. That's when I opened my schedule to new clients again. • Watch where the money goes at home. This is a family project, too. 10. ASK FOR HELP This is the hardest one. Nobody wants to admit they need help, but everybody needs it sometime. • Prepare an envelope with three business cards. When your clients are on their way out, ask. "You know three people who've been thinking about coming in for at least a year. I need your help. Would you give them my business card and ask them to give me a call so I can help them? That would really help me. Thank you." Few clients will refuse to help you. Your clients want you to succeed so you'll be able to continue to help them. Insulate yourself from financial heat. Stay cool. You could earn even more income than before the sub- primed bottom fell out. contributor to Massage & Bodywork magazine. Contact him at consciousbodywork@hotmail.com. Robert Chute, RMT, is a regular visit massageandbodywork.com to access your digital magazine 45