You're Ready When Enough Good Customers Demand It

You're ready to start your own massage business when enough good customers demand it. Which customers? How many?

Which customers? Those loyal customers who insist on massages from you alone. Add up the loyal customers who happily pay on time, in full, and continue to make regular referrals to solid customers like themselves. Be conservative and subtract a percentage who will have second thoughts or be slow to join your new business.

As difficult as it is, you must also completely subtract the well wishing cheerleaders who are slow pay or constantly looking for a discount. Going into business means doing it for the money. Your time will have more demands on it than ever. You must use it wisely. Good wishes are a bonus, but they don't pay the bills that will inevitably roll in.

How many customers? This is truly a tough question. But, one you can figure out. As a business owner hours and hours of your time will be spent each week on tasks that keep the business side of the business going. These generally have little or nothing to do with actual massages. These recurring demands for your time, attention, expertise, and business judgment are often the difference between success and failure. Business owners get paid for this.

What advertising venues and media work? Should you hire and manage an employee? Evaluating and managing expert help from insurance, accounting, legal, advertising, banking, and numerous other experts. How quickly should you grow the business? How? Where? These all take the business owner to decide.

You will need enough good customers to keep the business going, meeting your obligations and goals (including profit and capital for expansion). You must split your total work time between performing services and running the business. The good customers need to provide enough income to cover ALL your time and efforts. The best customers will help to grow your business with quality referrals.

Running your own massage business can be both demanding and VERY rewarding. With a little self-examination, you'll know when to start.