Starting Out

So, I've been a qualified Sports & Remedial Massage Therapist for over a month now! I still can't quit get used to the idea that I managed to pass the course at the first attempt given how nervous I was and how addled my brain had become! But I did, and now I'm busy exploring what to do next and how to get my practice off the ground.

I've treated four or five clients since qualifying. The strangest thing is getting used to asking for money. Setting an appropriate fee was the first challenge. I didn't want to sell myself short, but I didn't want to be seen as too expensive either. I decided that the best solution was to set a fee and then discount it. That way I hope that my clients will feel like they are getting a good deal and I get to earn some money.

The next piece of the puzzle is where to practice. Currently I'm working mainly from home. That's okay, but I need a better space from which to do this. The plan is a nice log cabin in the garden for home based work, but I need to build a client base so I've been looking at treatment rooms in gyms. 

One opportunity that I hadn't thought about was advertising in local sports club programmes. I work as a volunteer therapist at a local rugby club, and they offered to put a free ad in the match day programme. So far I haven't found another local team that has a programme, but I'll keep looking, it may be a reasonably priced way to advertise.

Of course the best advertising comes from satisfied clients, so let's hope my few clients so far fall into that category!