Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/738894
C h e c k o u t A B M P 's l a t e s t n e w s a n d b l o g p o s t s . Av a i l a b l e a t w w w. a b m p . c o m . 25 Karla Freitag and Tiesha von Kaenel founded Cornerstone Wellness & Medical Massage Group in 2015 (www.medical massagecenter.com). It is a comprehensive physical and mental wellness center dedicated to helping clients naturally achieve wellness and live fuller lives. The medical massage offered at Cornerstone focuses on chronic pain, injury, neurological and physical disorder, postsurgical recovery, and stress management. Freitag and von Kaenel met while working as massage therapists at a medical massage clinic in Littleton, Colorado. When the owners announced they were going to close the clinic, these two therapists and friends decided to take advantage of the opportunity. They purchased the client list and opened their own clinic. "This opportunity fell into our laps," von Kaenel says. "When faced with the certainty of losing our jobs and our clients losing their treatment, we said, 'Nope, it isn't over.' Now, every day is a new adventure!" They found a location with treatment rooms and areas for an office, reception area, and storage. They made sure the new location was close to the original location, so it was an easy transition for existing clients. They rent one room to a counselor full time and another to an acupuncturist part time; the inflow of rental income contributes to their practice's bottom line. HIRING AND PAY STRUCTURE Freitag and von Kaenel both continue to see clients, and, in addition, have hired three massage therapists as employees of the business. When hiring new therapists, von Kaenel offers this advice: "Find therapists who are team-focused, fit your business's niche, and want to work for you for the right reasons." Freitag adds: "When approaching the hiring process, provide specific details regarding criteria that you require for the job, as well as the education, experience, skills, and techniques necessary to meet the needs of the position. Clearly understand your business vision and what you need from a new therapist in order to support this vision. Be confident in your ability to tell someone what they need to improve on in order to fit your business needs." Therapists at Cornerstone are paid a flat rate per hour for bodywork and a lower administrative rate for meetings, no shows, and late cancellations. As owners of the business, Freitag and von Kaenel have just started taking a small owner's draw on the business profits, in addition to the flat rate they receive for their massage sessions. They will take a larger owner's draw as profits increase and they don't need to reinvest as much money back into the business as they initially did for start-up expenses and new initiatives. CLIENTS—AND NOW, MEMBERS One of the challenges Freitag and von Kaenel faced was enticing clients of the original clinic to continue their relationship and become clients of the new clinic with its new therapists and new location. They Tip Before you hire someone to work with you, visit the Internal Revenue Service website (www.irs.gov) and carefully research the difference between hiring an employee and an independent contractor. There are important differences between the two, and you need to be sure you choose the situation that's best for you and the therapists working for you. UNKNOWN CHALLENGES As you can imagine, taking on such a big endeavor comes with some challenges. "There have been so many," Freitag says. "Initially, when we committed to opening this business, we knew all about being massage therapists and very little about business administration. Everything from finding a location and leasing a space, purchasing insurance, managing a business bank account, setting and maintaining a budget, making fiscal year projections, hiring and managing employees, running payroll, doing staff reviews, completing employment paperwork, acquiring office furnishings, technology, computers, social media, ordering business cards, etc. You name it, it was new to us!" She says the two overcame these obstacles through hard work, determination, research, good communication, resources, commitment to their vision, and dedication to their clients and each other. PARTNERSHIP AND OUTSIDE HELP One of the things both Freitag and von Kaenel say has been incredibly helpful is the strong partnership they've created with each other. They complement each other's strengths and weaknesses, brainstorm together, divide the workload, and support each other when they need it. They also know how to ask others for help. "You can't know everything," Freitag says. "When possible, allow trusted experts in their respective fields to assist you with topics that are not your expertise." That's why the partners are currently working with a business coach to help them clarify their vision and goals for the business, problem solve, and create strategies to move forward.