Our Advice From the Pros series of blog posts will highlight one of the leaders in the massage and bodywork field once a week. Jennie Hastings is our featured expert this week. Hastings is a board-certified massage therapist, writer, and teacher. She is the author of The Inspired Massage Therapist (Massage Blossom Books, 2012). For her, massage therapy is the foundation all her dreams are built on.
The challenging experience that taught me the most valuable business lesson is:
Jennie Hastings: That it does not pay to hold on to a client who drains you. Even if they want a 90-minute massage every week and you don't know how you'll replace the income, let them go if they are causing you physical or psychological pain.
My most effective marketing strategy is:
Jennie Hastings: Building relationships with business leaders in my community. I joined a business networking group that taught me a lot about running a business and created relationships that support me to this day.
To be a successful business owner you need to:
Jennie Hastings: Have a clear vision of your goal and focus on that. It is hard to be successful while juggling many competing priorities.
My financial advice for therapists is:
Jennie Hastings: To be realistic about how much it costs to do business. Build this into your fees, and do not feel bad about it. Decide for yourself what your work is worth, and ask for what you need to be supported.
This blog was created from Massage & Bodywork’s July/August 2017 Business Side column "Advice from the Pros."