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Starting a Successful Mobile Massage Business

Posted on: April 2nd, 2013 by Michelle DiGaetano 1 Comment

 

Michelle DiGaetano

I graduated from the Atlanta School of Massage in 2004. I spent several years working for various businesses and gained experience and knowledge of the massage industry. I then decided I wanted to work for myself and started my mobile massage business. In 2010 I registered with the state as an LLC and founded Turn 2 Massage.

At the time, I didn’t have a steady client base but knew that I really wanted to be my own boss and have control over my own schedule. I had a reliable car to transport my table and chair easily and found it really helpful to buy a cart that was specifically made for massage tables. It was about $75 and it is extremely helpful when I have a distance to walk or when I do hotel massage appointments.

Creating a Website

If you have your own business, whether it is a mobile massage service or a physical location, people have to be able to find you online. I had a free website through the American Massage Therapy Association. It was very basic and I was limited as to what I could do myself. After about a year I wasn’t satisfied having to ask the webmaster to make the changes I wanted and I wasn’t getting enough new clients. I knew I really needed to put a lot more time into making my business more successful. I was doing in home massage and outcall massage at hotels, but wanted to expand my market to corporations.To be able to reach more clients I either had to make a big investment in hiring someone to create my website and manage site optimization or figure out how to do it myself. And that’s what I wanted was the control over my own business.

I didn’t have an educational background in web design, search engine optimization or internet marketing. I started reading books and spent hours and hours online researching and learning.  I purchased my own domain through a web host and started writing content. I didn’t know how to use the website features or know what html was. I really was learning as I went and found this to be one of the biggest challenges I’d ever taken on.  I did get some phone support from my web host but in no way did that mean I didn’t have to do everything myself!

Turn 2 Massage

Marketing and SEO

I also had to learn the internet marketing side of business. I created a pay per click campaign and started writing my own ads. I continuously manage that campaign and check statistics often so that I know what’s working and what isn’t. This is an ongoing part of the business and is something I stay on top of.

Then there was learning the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) part. In order to be successful in search engine results you have to optimize your website so your business can be found online.  I continue learning the ins and outs of this and will never know enough. Not everyone has to do this themselves in order to have their own business, but I wanted this to truly be my own.  I want to know where my money is going and how to improve on things when they aren’t giving me the results I want. I began working on my website at the end of December, 2011 and launched it at the end of February, 2012. Even after more than a year I continue to work hard every day at improving my website and optimization in order to increase my business and corporate client base.

Business Growth Requires Motivation and Persistance

I receive repeat business and referrals from satisfied customers and make their satisfaction a top priority. Running a mobile massage business takes hard work and dedication.  It can be very tiring and at times discouraging when there are down times. My motivation is having the flexibility to make my own schedule and be my own boss.  I can decide how far I want to travel and determine my own rates while remaining competitive. I also hire other therapists when needed and contract only professional hard working therapists who will represent me well. But until I’m able to contract them on a daily basis, I will keep striving to improve and grow my business.

If you’re considering starting a mobile massage business yourself, you should be highly motivated, willing to learn and be physically capable of handling the demands that go along with it. You need reliable transportation, a good quality massage table and massage chair, along with all the necessary supplies you would have as a stationary massage therapist. Depending on how large a scale you want your business to be you need good management and marketing skills and be able to handle the ups and downs of running a business.

Turn 2 Massage

Turn 2 Massage offers services to corporate clients for on-site massage and events massage.  We also provide mobile spa services in addition to in home massage and hotel massage. For more information visit Turn 2 Massage.

 About Turn 2 Massage

Owned by licensed massage therapist Michelle DiGaetano, Turn 2 Massage provides mobile massage and chair massage throughout the Atlanta region. Turn 2 Massage excels in the art of massage therapy by bringing quality onsite chair massage, therapeutic table massage and mobile spa party services to you. Turn 2 Massage offers corporate massage for relaxation and stress relief at the office, in home massage for relaxation and pain relief, and event chair massage services for any occasion. All Turn 2 Massage therapists are state licensed leaders in the massage therapy industry.

 

 

One Response

  1. Melissa says:

    Good blog Michelle! Yes it takes years to be successful at running a mobile massage business! I’ve learned that word of mouth is your best FREE marketing tool!. Ask your clients to refer you to their friends and family! ????

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2 Dunwoody Park South, Suite 105
Atlanta, GA 30338
Phone: 770-454-7167