by darkuncle29 19 Replies latest jw friends
I know a few in the business and they expanded their businesses by adding other energy healing modalities such as Quantum Touch. It is really easy to do and inexpensive. www.quantumtouch.com is the website. It makes the massage so much more effective. I do not do massage, but I do the quantum touch and it is amazing stuff.
Target
The problem that I ran into is shown clearly on this thread... Every third person you meet is either in school to be an LMT or is an LMT... So where is your customer base?????
Yeah you can make $30-45 for a 45 min massage but you need to realize it's not straight cash in the hand! You have set up time and tear down time, you have to get your name out you have to pay for advertising you need to pay an accountant to do your taxes (if your going to do this figure on spending 25-45 hours a week doing nothing else) if your doing an in home type business there's travel (time and expenses) involved! Then there is oils and cleaning the linens and 10000 little things that get you... You also rarely have clients back to back so on a really really good week you work 50-80 hrs and you make $800-1000 so then the tax man takes a big wet bite out of your a$$ so now your down to $550-700 then you figure in all the little crap now your down to $200-350 maybe less... This is the best week you'll ever see in some places... No insurance, no 401k...
So then you decide to go to work in a Spa, Resort or Dr's office... They pay you $8-10 an hour and work you LIKE A DOG!!!!
I hope this works for you my friend but don't go into it thinging "dream job" Of the 25 people I was in class with 23 became licenced NONE are still licenced...
Good luck to you all Tho'
***********waving hands*************
Me - Me - Me!!! Count me in for the Apostamassagefest!!!!!
(as a receiver not a giver, of course)
Sherry
edited to add - oops, sorry, Congratulations, Dark!!!! Learn quick, I need a massage!
mkr... you're right about people not calculating right to figure how much $$ they will make, and how many clients they will see. BUT, you live in Florida, right? The market is tough and really competitive there. It's tougher in WA than in OR, too.
Dark: The best advice I got was to find your niche, don't spread yourself too thin on "what kind of work will you do." Find one or two things you love and concentrate on them. Then when someone asks, you sound like a pro when you answer. Of course, you have a few terms before that kicks in.
I highly recommend you get your hands on the book: Massage: A Career at Your Fingertips by Martin Ashley. It's a great resource, and you'll get a pretty clear picture of what's involved and whether you can do it, or even if it's worth it for you.
On working for someone: Don't work for chains, working for a Chiropractor while you're learning can be helpful. They pay between $12-15/hour around here. You would be learning the business and practicing very technical skills. When you're licensed, you may be able to transition to LMP for the same office, earning a commission for each massage. Commissions in this area should be between $25-45/hour client, depending on what is provided to you as the practitioner. Some hotel, spa, and salon chains are still only paying $8-10/hour and work their therapists to bloody stumps. It pays (literally) to shop around.
Remember to set aside the $$ you need for licensing, professional insurance, tests, business cards and in some cases, a city license to practice business if you are doing out-calls on the side. Figure it out now. You don't want to end up delaying license apps just cause you forgot to budget the expense.
Start buying your sheets/towels/blankets now. Run through the deep discount linen stores, the clearance aisle at Mervyns and Target, as often as you can. Twin-size sheets fit a standard table just fine. Buy all sheets in either white, or the same color range so you don't have to sort loads. Buy some extra pillowcases when you see them really cheap. I like to use all flat sheets, and a large rubber band (they make them table size,) to secure the bottom sheet. It makes things much easier.
If you plan on working for yourself right away, be prepared to expend several thousand $$, after you graduate, to get set up. Not cheap.
That's my "short list" of tips for wannabe LMT/LMP. You'll do fine.
O
I forgot that I'd started this a while back. Thanks for your input everybody. I mainly am interested in this field as I think it will help me recover physically--I am currently on SSI dissability. I am interested in working on other people who have chronic pain/fibromyalgia. I also want to get into acupressure and Tui Na (Qi Gong massage).
Odrade,. I never called you, but when I find your number in my email folder--where I saved it--I might call you, ok?
Sure thing! Good news for me... I just sub-let the 2nd treatment room in my suite today to two LMTs. Takes alot of the pressure off about my overhead.
I'm working just enough to reassure me that I can do this, and I found a mentor who is helping me sort out all the ins and outs of insurance work (which pays very well if you do it right.)
Hope to hear from you!
Hey Dark, another MT chiming in here, although I am not currently practicing either. I will say a big part of the education is becoming aware of your own body, though. Whatever happens as far as career goes, this is something that is far more valuable. Some therapists get busy working and forget to work on themselves, not only as far as maintenance work is concerned but also just getting healthy in the first place. Ultimately your capacity to help others is limited by your health issues anyway, so by all means see what massage and bodywork can do for you.
I came across the following story by Tagore a couple of days ago and it just got me to think about how spirituality is often such a mental thing, and the body is neglected. We see threads like the one about JW and physical health problems, and I think it really shows how much separation there is and the need to bring it back together. Anyway this says it nicely:
In the depths of the forest the ascetic practiced penance with fast-
closed eyes; he intended to deserve paradise.
But the girl who gathered twigs brought him fruits in her skirt, and
water from the stream in cups made of leaves.
The days went on, and his penance grew harsher till the fruits
remained untasted, the water untouched: and the girl who gathered
twigs was sad.
The Lord of Paradise heard that a man had dared to aspire to be as
the Gods...and he planned a temptation to decoy this creature of dust
away from his adventure.
A breath from paradise kissed the limbs of the girl who gathered
twigs, and her youth ached with a sudden rapture of beauty, and her
thoughts hummed like the bees of a rifled hive.
The time came when the ascetic should leave the forest for a mountain
cave, to complete the rigor of his penance.
When he opened his eyes in order to start on this journey, the girl
appeared to him like a verse familiar, yet forgotten, and which an
added melody made strange. But the ascetic rose from his seat and
told her that it was time he left the forest.
...For years he sat alone till his penance was complete.
The Lord of the Immortals came down to tell him that he had won
Paradise.
"I no longer need it," said he.
The God asked him what greater reward he desired.
"I want the girl who gathers twigs."
What kind of massage?
didn't think you need degree for it ;-)
Zagor, I know you are joking. (I hope you are joking,) but comments like yours are exactly the reason why being in this profession is such an uphill battle. It's time people learn that making *wink wink*nudge nudge* comments to massage therapists is just plain OFFENSIVE.
(waving hands)....
well i am an lmt too.... been doing it for 20 years -- i am told i am a rarity and that most stop after 5 or 6 years. it does take its toll -- bi-lateral carpal tunnel, bi-laterall des quervennes syndrome, back pains, etc. my practice is dwindling, i have not taken a new client for about 5 years or so, and now i only work onpeople i have known forever.
the profession did serve me well though.
