Top tips for running a successful therapy business
Are you a newly qualified practitioner or qualified a while ago but not yet started out in the field? Having set up Rose Holistic Treatments just under a year ago, complimentary therapist Anne-Marie Rose shares her top tips for running a successful therapy business.
Confidence
Be confident – if starting out feels daunting then why not start small, offer discounts on treatments for a month. Or volunteer your services to a client group that you feel would benefit from a session, but may not be able to afford it.
Plan
Make a plan. Where do you see yourself in a year’s time? How you would like your work life balance to look and what do you envisage yourself doing? It might be working part time from home from the spare room as a practitioner, beginning to get a client base and then expanding into new premises once the demand is there whilst also working part time for an employer to keep a regular income coming in.
Continual Training
Be the best you can be! You are now qualified and all your hard work has paid off, so keeping up with the latest industry news or training is imperative, and this is where attending conferences, workshops, subscribing to trade magazines and enhancing your current skills is a good idea. As practitioners we need to undertake CPD (continuous professional development) as a matter of course.
Local Support Groups
Join local support groups and network – you will be surprised how just making contacts can help. Other people are always willing to offer advice and maybe there is just one contact that wants what you are offering, or there are new opportunities that you may not have thought of.
Marketing
Market yourself and what you are offering. Research your local area and set your price accordingly. Get a website (or if that feels too daunting then find someone that can help) – just the act of designing the website and putting down what you offer is in itself inspiring!
Delegate
Decide what you can do yourself and what you need to pay someone else to do. There is always help out there and if for example, accounts are not your strong point then find someone that you can use to do your accounts whilst you concentrate on what you are good at. Private Practice Hub is a very useful resource for practitioners setting up in business and is free to join.
About the Author
I’ve been qualified in complementary therapy since 2004. I wanted to make a difference to people’s lives and offer the space for my clients to have a relaxing massage or reflexology treatment to switch off from the day to day pressures of modern life, so I decided to start Rose Holistic Treatments. Everything I have set up for the business has been done with the client in mind and am looking forward to expanding my business within the Bath area in 2016 with a new clinic at The Nourish Centre and a clinic at The Well-being House which is a retreat for those experiencing mental health distress.
If you have any questions or want further advice, please contact me on Rose Holistic Treatments.
