Massage Practice Builder

After reading an article a few weeks ago in another magazine ( I am not sure if I should say the name or not!) titled “Massage Franchises – The Impact on the Profession” I have to say I was quite saddened initially.  The two most alarming things I read were about the new relationship that Massage Envy is creating with Corinthian Colleges saying that they will be teaching Massage Envy requirements in their schools and the other statement saying that this should be a positive wake up call for private practitioners!  A part of me wanted to get out of the massage profession right away if that is what it is coming down to!  What happened to massage being a calling and a lifestyle that I joined the career for back in 1987???  After much online discussion in various forums, massageprofessionals.com, Facebook and writing on my own blog I have to say I am more inspired then ever to continue teaching massage therapist that there is a different way!

You can just say no to low paying franchise jobs!  You can also use them to get where you want to go in starting and running your own business.  Running your own business is also different than being an independent contractor where you are half employee and half self employed (Paying your own taxes but working doing massage for someone!)

As a self employed massage business owner you do have the opportunity to make much more.  You can start a business without much investment but no it isn’t always easy and it does take a commitment to learning to step out and promote yourself!  It can be an extraordinary growth process!  Many massage therapists use the reason that they don’t want the hassles of running a business but even if you work for someone you have to do many of the same things as a self employed massage therapist would – get and keep clients.  You can hire a bookkeeper and a billing person if you hate that part of it!  You can hire a receptionist to take calls or use some of the tools that are available to streamline your business so you can focus on what you do best – doing massage!

Everyone seems to go back to the same reasoning that what other career can you make $25 (with tips) from a franchise on 500 -1000 hours of training?  If you compare it to an independent contractor where they often end up giving away half of what they gross (which is a whole other topic – most should really be employees!).

As a business owner you get to keep more!  As a self employed massage therapist I make $85 an hour average a week.  I am not sure why anyone would not want that.   Yes I have overhead but it doesn’t compare at all to how much you have to pay when you give 40-60% of your gross to an employer as a so called independent contractor!  I pay rent but share an office space with others doing massage keeping the costs low and I am in the center of downtown Seattle, cell phone, website and that is about it!  I don’t advertise or do much in marketing because my website does it all for me!

There are others who are also teaching massage therapists that you can make more with your own business- Meagan Holub author of  “The Magic Touch - How to Make $100,000 a year as a Massage Therapist.”  There is Woody Haiken with his work at “The Growing Practice”.   Laura Allen is a gifted author writing on the topic of building a business so that anyone can do it and our massage pundit!

There are so many good resources out there today to help you along the way!  There is no reason why you can’t learn how to start and run your own business.  If you don’t want to then don’t complain about those franchise jobs!  You can either go and get a higher paying massage job or start your own business!

I think with all of this talk of the end of the self employed massage therapist I should start a campaign – “Just say NO to low paying massage jobs” and also a new marketing campaign for massage therapists starting their own business ” I fix $59 massages!”  (OK I hate the word fix because I don’t think we do fix but it is just for the impact like a commercial on tv lately with a cheap hair salon offering $6 haircuts and a small business barber/salon who puts up a sign across the street staying “I fix $6 haircuts”)

One of my concerns in the massage profession is the way massage therapists are treated by employers and also figuring out what is the appropriate status for a massage employee.  Most massage therapists work as independent or subcontractor status which is basically saying that you are self employed.   It is my personal belief from the research I have done through the years that most are being hired as subcontractors when they should really be full employees with full employee benefits.   I have yet to find a concrete legal reference and there is a lot of conflicting information.  After talking to and reading many questions from massage therapists there is not of course one clear answer.  Figuring it out is actually the responsibility of the employer because they are the ones who will be hit with back taxes and penalties.

There are many different criteria for figuring out your own status and I have a bunch more info on my regular blog citing articles online from many different sources -www.thebodyworker.com

There is the legal aspects of this that are important not only for who pays taxes but the legal aspects also fold into the ethical aspects – do you want to work for someone who may be taking advantage of you?   It will not only come out in how you are paid but also how much you are paid.  It will show up in how you get along with the person who hires you and the company itself.   Ethically speaking you want a nice place to work and one that also respects you and makes you a part of the team.

If anyone has any other legal references let me know and of course all stories you have would help others in trying to figure this all out!

So what do you think?  Is massage a profession or a hobby?

I have been doing it for 20 years so I think it is a profession.  The frustrated massage therapists at indeed.com think it is just a hobby and that they are not valued or respected for what they do.  Some came from high paying jobs with big degrees and feel that massage is just not respected.

Massage is still so commonly thought of as a massage parlor and those ‘other’ massage therapists.   Even here in Seattle where I have never really had a problem being respected every once in awhile I will hear that someone’s doctor said something like “Massage doesn’t work” but not very often.  What can we learn from the people here in the NW?  Or maybe it is just that people have migrated here who want more and are more open.

What is it exactly that makes for a profession?  The white paper from Rick Rosen “On Becoming a Profession” (pdf)a few year ago talked about some of the issues and we are working on them all.

If you think it is a profession will you be respected more or care less about what other think?   Is it a hobby just to be done part time and not make any money?  Is it just your perspective that makes it a profession?  If you don’t think it is a profession you then get everyone who thinks the same?  How does your perspective influence what others think as far as respecting the profession?  If you don’t think it is a profession why would anyone else?

Just some questions I have been wondering about?  What makes a profession?

I just read that AMTA Massage Industry Research Report says:

Nearly sixty percent (57.8 percent) of school administrators responded that the average age of students has declined at their school in the past five years, according to the 2008 AMTA Massage School Survey. School administrators estimate that the average student is 30 years old, with 36.6 percent being 25 years old or less.

The National Average for massage therapists was 45 and is now about 40 and is continuing to decline according to these facts. (that of course are not public information – another of my AMTA pet peeves!)

What does that mean for the massage profession?

I have been seeing a trend through my website www.massage-career-guides.com where I talk about what it takes to become a massage therapist that more people right out of high school are wanting to go to massage school.  Their main question is ‘do I have to take math?’  If people are coming to a career in massage just to get out of taking math classes what will that do to the profession? Do they have the maturity to hold the therapeutic relationship?

Careers in massage are becoming more appealing to younger people but with only a 500 hour training program I for once don’t think it is enough.  I come from the camp that less education is really better and that anyone can take a 100 hour massage school training and provide adequate relaxation massage and also bill insurance companies if they want to learn the ropes on how to do that as massage for stress is applicable to just about everything!

But thinking about high school kids wanting to become a massage therapist I usually tell them to go to college and get a degree in business and marketing and then decide later if you still want to go.

If people are coming to the massage profession just to get out of taking math or they are also drawn by the so called ‘ high wages’ that of course is not true – where has the passion and a calling to help people gone?  For me being a massage therapist is a lifestyle and a way of life and a great road for personal and professional development.

I think it is about time we do start thinking about creating 4 year college programs like Japan or 3 year training programs like Canada for these younger people.  My concern is that will massage just be massage – in the totally pure physical sense without the emotional, mental, and spiritual healing aspects?

Who is studying these trends and working on keeping up with them in our massage training programs?