I walked into work last and my dad’s office manager said a woman stopped by the office and wanted to meet with me. The woman was moving to town and going to open a new massage practice at the new chiropractor’s office. After that conversation, I did not think much more about it. Massage therapists had come and gone in our small town. I had an established massage practice and never gave much more thought about the newbie coming to town.
Months later I went up to the open house uptown with my dad. He was welcoming the first colleague in his forty years of practice. He mentioned to me that he was happy to have someone else in town. He said when you have another good chiropractor in town; it is good for your business and for the profession. He made an interesting point. I would rather have several good massage therapists in town than one bad or unethical massage therapist. We had some cookies and punch. Finally, I was able to meet, Amy, the new massage therapist. After conversing for a while, she mentioned trading sometime soon. I admittedly was reluctant to try someone new. However, after a few weeks, I finally set up an appointment. What was the worst that could happen? After all, I was going to get a massage out of the deal. I would not even have to drive out of town.
I walked into her office. It was a warm, very professional atmosphere with soothing music and a very comfortable table. All of this was accompanied by a EXCELLENT massage. One of the best I have had in my life! She told me had been in practice a few years longer than me and loved the field of massage therapy like me. I am so grateful and excited to have this new, fanastic colleague in town. I know I can learn from her. I hope we can both continue to teach others in our small community about the wonderful benefits of massage therapy and the great benefits of combining massage and chiropractic. There is plenty of business for both of us.
This experience has also helped me see I had become a little complacent in my own business. There were small things I could do to provide my existing clients with a better massage experience. I have explained others that Amy and I have is GOOD, HEALTHY COMPETITION (Laura Allen once commented that she and a colleague called their colleague relationship “collaborative competition”) . I would not fault my clients for going to see Amy; In fact I have even sent a few up there already. She is trained in some areas I am not and I have heard nothing but great results. Her being in town is great for our community, for me, and for the massage therapy profession.
Take the time to meet your colleagues and see what they have to offer to you, and maybe your clients 😉
Welcome to town Amy!
Ivy J. Hultquist, L.M.T.
Advanced Massage Techniques – Massage Continuing Education, Massage Ceus, and more.
I would not blame these massage therapists too much for taking your business. Remember, setting up a massage business in a city can be more difficult then one may think. You have franchises, such Massage Envy. Since massage is a personal thing it can more challenging to find people to trust you to be their massage therapist in the city. Sometimes marketing in a smaller community can be easier and expenses could be less.
Competition is competition, whether it comes from the city or your own community. Instead of focusing on others, you need to focus on your own business and making it the best it can be. Pretend you are in the city and a Massage Envy moved in to town, what would you do then? The best advice I can give is to develop clear boundaries to make the most of the therapeutic relationship with your clients and provide a good service. People are going to go where they can get the best massage and trust their massage therapist. Sure people may choose cheaper costs for a little while, but in the end consumers are smart a want a good massage and are willing to pay for it. Why should people in your city choose you over this city massage therapist, or any other massage therapist in your community? What makes your business unique and great?
I get what you are saying. I actually have a lot clients that tell me i am to cheap and i am too good to be that cheap but living in a small town and competing with these other massage therapist i need to keep my costs down, I wish i could raise my prices but i will end up loosing clients or i won’t get any. That would really be bad if a massage envy came into this little town most of us would probably be out of business or be working for massage envy and most of us don’t want to work for massage envy.
I think a little good competition is good! See i live in a small town too but we have a little over 20 massage therapists including me the thing i am having issues with is when a massage therapist who live in a bigger populated area like a city commutes down from the city and sets up shop here in this small town when they already have a business in the city and also works at a spa in the city. It makes me feel like that city massage therapist is taking away business or potential business/clients from the local massage therapists in town who are right now trying there hardest to keep their businesses going and get and keep clients. I feel like this city massage therapist is taking away from local massage therapists it’s already a small town and we are all competing for the same clients. I don’t know but how do you feel about that? I mean this city massage therapist could easily get clients in the city why does this city massage therapist have to come to this small town and take our little business that we do have away. That doesn’t mean that everyone will go to this therapist it’s just i know a lot of us therapists in this town are struggling. oh and on top of that us independent massage therapists also have to compete with a spa. I guess i am getting tired of the competing and i don’t mind competing with my local massage therapist i just don’t want to compete or have to compete with someone who doesn’t live here and isn’t really a local massage therapist i don’t mind if someone decides to go to the city therapist but i do mind when they live out of town and they take time to come to this little town and start promoting themselves you get what i am saying?
I guess i am feeling frustrated and tired of dealing with these non local city massage therapists who already are established with clients taking business purposely (by purposely i mean coming here from the city and promoting themselves when they do know that there are us local massage therapists here already) away from us local massage therapists.