Flood: Disaster or Great Luck

by Booth
(Seattle)

I knew I was ready to open my own massage practice when I had more regulars than the owner of the shop I worked at. When I started we were closed on Sundays but the only way I would be able to fit everyone in was to come in on Sunday for about 4-6 hours.

We had a flood at the store and I wasn't able to have any clients go to the shop for 3 1/2 weeks while they got the water out and re tiled the floors. During that time, about 75% of my clients would go to the basement of my home for their normal appointment and I was receiving 100% of the profit for those appointments.

I decided one day that if my clients were willing to follow me to my home, why pay someone to rent their store? I do realize it doesn't look quite as professional, but I've turned my basement into a really great work room to work and get a massage in. I'm making more now than I was before and I even had some of the owners regulars get a message when her store was still down. This inevitable led to me keeping a few of her clients. Things happen for a reason people, and you will know when you have enough clients to make it work anywhere, even your basement.