suzanne

How To Have Your Best Massage Experience

June 30, 2018 By suzanne

With the wide variety of massages, each providing a different experience, choosing the right massage can be a bit daunting. A good massage is truly a treat and offers many health benefits, but how do you find the massage that’s right for you?

Aside from massage types, there are a few tips that can help you get the most out of your massage experience. So what are the different kinds of massages? What are some tips to help you have the best possible massage experience?

1. Relaxation Massages

First let’s talk about massages that work best for relaxation. After all, Some massages are more soothing than others.

Swedish Massage: This is one of the most common types of massage therapy. It’s best for an intro to massage, stress relief, relaxation, releasing cramped or tense muscles, and couples massage.
Hot Stone Massage: During hot stone massage, your body is not only weighted down with hot, smooth stones, but the masseuse also uses the stones to massage your body. The heat helps release the tension in your back and shoulders, mostly, so those muscles can be worked on more effectively. It’s best for centering yourself, releasing very tense muscles, and relaxation.

Obviously these are only a few selections, but they are some of the most common massages for relaxation.

2. Massages For Pain and Treating Certain Conditions

Relaxations massages are great for stress relief and tense muscles. However when you have knotted muscles, more attentive techniques are required. Here are a few massages that do just that:

Deep Tissue Massage: Deep tissue massage applies deep pressure onto specific trouble points. This particular massage can be a bit painful and leave you feeling sore. Deep tissue is best for treating stiff, painful trouble spots like the shoulder and neck.
Trigger Point Massage: This type of massage focuses on specific areas of the body, rather than massaging the whole body. In this technique, the therapist pinpoints exactly the “problem” muscle and coaxes it with deep pressure to relax. It’s best for chronic muscle pain and tension.

3. Health and Rejuvenation Massages

These next few massages should leave you feeling better overall, and give you a bit of an energy boost.

Shiatsu Massage: This massage combines gentle stretches with finger pressure to work on different pressure points. The idea is to fix imbalances in the flow of energy in your body. Shiatsu massages are best for ailments such as headaches, back pain, and lack of energy.
Thai Massage: A Thai massage works your entire body. It’s one of the most invigorating types of massages, as the therapist rigorously manipulates your body, moving it into yoga-like stretches. Thai massages are best for improving energy, increased flexibility, overall health and well-being.

4. Massage Tips

There are a few things you can do to help improve your overall massage experience. Before choosing a massage, make sure to think about the results you want to achieve. Do you want a relaxation massage or a massage for pain? Set out your massage goals beforehand!

Additionally, make sure to stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water can increase the benefits of your massage; hydrate both before and after your sessions. You may also want to refrain from eating anything too heavy before or directly after your massage.

The Best Massage Experience Takeaway

There are many more types of massages, however these are the most common ones. All in all, one of the best ways to have a good massage experience is to be informed. Know what you are looking to get out of the massage beforehand, that will make choosing the right massage a lot easier.

Interested in building your business? With Massage Practice Building we show you how to build your client base, how they and others can help you grow your business, develop it into a system that continues to feed you clients and how you can give your clients additional tools for their wellness goals. What makes Massage Practice Building different than other coaching and training? Our program is designed to build your career however you want it and extend your career your entire lifetime. It’s a solid business program that is guaranteed to succeed. At Massage Practice Building we really do care about your success!

The Stages of Small Business Growth

June 26, 2018 By suzanne

The Stages of Small Business Growth

So you’re small business is growing and thriving, congratulations! However, it’s important to remember that as a business grows it goes through different stages and challenges. As a small business owner, you should strive to keep adapting your strategy in order to keep up with all the changes and challenges.

After all, what works right now may not continue to work as your business evolves and grows. So what exactly are the stages of small business growth? How can you manage each stage and continue onto the path of success?

1. Existence

So the first stage of small business is all about basic existence as a business. This stage is when you have just started out and are still trying to make it work successfully. There are a few challenges you will likely face during this stage.

Challenges: You will have a lot of questions that you need to ask yourself during this stage. The main concern being: Can I devise a product or service that customers will want? If the answer is yes, then your chances of moving onto the next stage are pretty likely. At this stage, it’s unlikely that you’ll be making much money. You may have to run at a loss for a while, until you get enough paying customers to break even. Raising funds, and making careful use of those funds, will be critical.

The key thing to focus on at this stage is acquiring new customers. After all without customers, your business will not survive. More customers, paying or not, means more people talking about your business and hopefully recommending it to others. You should value your customers feedback and make sure you have a way to communicate and stay in touch with your customers.

2. Survival

The next stage is all about surviving for the long-term. You need to be able to sell products at a high enough price to break even and start generating profits.

Challenges: The main challenge during this stage is making a profit. To put it simply, your challenge is to make your revenue outpace your costs. If you don’t succeed in doing that, then you will eventually run out of funds and have to close the doors.

If you succeed at this stage, you’ll have a self-sustaining business. That gives you several wonderful opportunities:

The ability to work for yourself full-time, without worrying about how long you can keep doing it for.
The ability to start hiring other staff and providing a living to them as well.
The chance to meet and connect with new customers and with other business owners in your industry, and more.

The main goal of this stage is to bring in customers and pay close attention to pricing in order to ensure you are making a substantial profit.

3. Success

During this stage you move beyond basic survival and start actually thriving. You generate enough profits to either fund additional growth or provide you with a generous income.

Challenges: The challenge here is to move beyond survival. You need to find new ways to bring in income at a level of profit margin that enables you to put funds back into the business. A lot of small businesses get stuck in stage 2, where they have the means for basic survival but aren’t making enough to move onto stage 3.

To move beyond survival and start making sustainable profits, you’ll probably need to be much more systematic than you needed to be in the early stages of the business. Planning for growth becomes much more important, so you can take the time now to think carefully about the path you want to take and the steps necessary to get there.

The Stages of Small Business Takeaway

All in all, there are many challenges and changes that you will face as a small business. However it’s important that you learn how to adapt and change in order to overcome these challenges and reach the success stage.

Top Business Tips for Small Businesses

May 28, 2018 By suzanne

Business Tips

Building a successful small business can be a bit stressful, especially if you don’t have an understanding of the basics. Things like marketing, planning, social media, etc. all play a part in helping your small business grow and thrive.

Learning from other small business can help you see what works and what doesn’t. But how exactly can you help grow your business? What are some of the top business tips for growing your small business?

1. Social Media

Social media is a great tool, especially for small businesses.When it comes to growing your massage business, marketing is key. That’s why you should invest some time into creating an online presence. Social media can be a pretty powerful marketing tool, and you can get to hear feedback from your customers firsthand.

Through social listening you can find out what customers are saying about you, gain insight into their behavior, identify keywords and trends that appeal to your target market and so improve your customer service. Social media can help you to build your business profile and attract new customers.

2. Set Specific Goals

Instead of trying to accomplish your big goals all at once, try breaking your bigger goals into smaller ones. And better yet, be as specific with your goals as possible. Have a specific idea of where you want your business to be in say, 3 years.

Then break those goals down and make a plan. When you set clear and specific goals it is much easier to figure out how to obtain them. So make sure to be specific about your goals, for both you and your employees.

3. Analyze

You should analyze both your competition and your own business. To be successful, you can’t be afraid to study and learn from your competitors. After all, they may be doing something right that you can implement in your business to make more money. Look at your competitors and observe what works and what doesn’t.

Secondly, you should analyze the performance of your own business. Analyze the performance of your sales team. If they aren’t meeting your expectations, or they are showing signs of ambivalence, shake things up. Bring in new blood working on commission only.

4. Marketing

Developing and implementing an effective marketing plan can go a long way in establishing and growing your massage therapy practice. You need both strategies and tactics in order to achieve your business goals. Here are a few marketing tips for small businesses:

Make it easy for customers to find you
Create an atmosphere
Build your client database
Build your brand
Have an online presence

The Small Business Tips Takeaway

Learning from other business owners is one of the best ways to make sure your business will succeed. Making to analyze, market, set specific goals, and use tools like social media will help ensure that your business grows and thrives.

How To Create a Successful Website For Massage Therapy

May 21, 2018 By suzanne

How To Create a Successful Website For Massage Therapy

Having a great website is a necessity for any business, including massage therapy. After all, your website is a way to create your brand and build trust between you and your customers. Having a good website is key when it comes to having a successful business.

Often times your website may be the first impression your potential customers get of you and your business. Needless to say, having a successful website is important. But creating a successful website isn’t always easy. So here are a few tips on creating a successful website for your massage therapy business.

1. Function First

While aesthetics are important when it comes to making a successful website, function should always be put first. After all, the purpose of your website is to help clients find information about your business easily and efficiently.

Think about the purpose of each page, paragraph, and link. Make sure information can be easily accessed on your website, and that your website is easy to navigate. Additionally, each page should include a call to action. This ensures that those who visit your website understand what you want them to do after visiting each page.

2. Make It Mobile

You need to make sure your website functions well on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. People access the internet through their phones just as often as they access it through their desktops. So it is extremely important that your website looks good on both mobile and desktop.

If your website doesn’t function properly on mobile, you could miss out on a lot of potential customers. It’s really important that small business don’t miss out on all the potential business that comes from mobile viewers.

3. Professionalism

Professionalism is extremely important for any business, including massage therapy. You want your website to come across as professional and efficient. But how do you make your website look more professional? Well there are a few key things to include:

Make sure it is responsive to mobile devices.
Purchase your own domain.
Keep it simple and efficient
Include your logo, and your contact information.
Use high quality images

If you keep these things in mind while making your website, it will look much more professional and be more successful.

4. Promote It

So you have built your professional and functional website, and followed all the necessary steps to make it look and work great on all devices. Now what? Well now you need to promote your website, make sure people can easily find it and access it.

A great way to do this is through social media. Having an online presence is crucial for massage therapy business, as it helps build your brand and draw in new clients. Additionally, you should make sure your website is SEO optimized.

Successful Massage Therapy Website Takeaway

In short, having a great website is key for any massage therapy business. In order to build a successful massage therapy website you should make sure it is functional, mobile, and professional.

Good Health is Good For Business

May 16, 2018 By suzanne

We all know that good health should be one of our top priorities in our personal lives. But how does good improve overall business? Health is no longer just for healthcare companies, it also should be a priority for corporate leaders as well.

Health directly impacts every area of life, including business. America has a massive health deficit that is negatively impacting the economy and companies. So what’s the solution? How exactly is good health good for business, and why should you invest in better health?

1. Why You Should Invest In Health

As I said above, America has a huge health deficit. Improving the overall health of employees and customers is a huge challenge among the business community.

The good news is that addressing the health deficit pays dividends. Through investments in health along the value chain, companies strengthen their ability to serve customers, provide a platform for communities to thrive, and help consumers live longer, more fulfilling lives. Successfully tackling the health deficit means more productive work forces, more resilient communities, and innovation in business models, products, and services.

2. How Good Health is Good For Business

Businesses are apart of the community. And as members of the community, businesses should strive to take care of their employees and their consumers. But how exactly does improving health impact your business in a positive way?

If you take care of your employees, if you are careful about the health impact of your consumer products, if you try to be stewards for your environment, and you try to advocate on behalf of your community, it will effect your business in a positive way. After all in corporate health culture, employee and community well-being are inextricably linked with organizational success. If you start investing in the health of your employees and the community, your business will also be much healthier.

3. Other Ways To Improve the Health of Your Business

In addition to investing in health, there are also a few other things that can help you keep your business healthy.

Stay Organized: This is extremely important when it comes to running a healthy and successful business. Don’t overlook the power of organization. Take time to plan out your goals and how you want to achieve them. Have a detailed plan to help you stay on top of everything.
Analyze: You should analyze both your competition and your own business. To be successful, you can’t be afraid to study and learn from your competitors. And don’t forget to analyze the performance of your own business. Figure out what works and what doesn’t, never stop improving.
Social Media: Invest some time into creating an online presence. Social media can be a pretty powerful marketing tool, and you can get to hear feedback from your customers firsthand. Social media can help you to build your business profile and attract new customers.

The Good Health and Business Takeaway

In short, health should be a main priority of every business. Health is a source of competitive advantage and a catalyst for innovation, so don’t push it to the sidelines! By investing in the overall health of your employees, the community, and the environment, you can also improve the health of your business.

Ways To Keep You and Your Business Healthy

May 9, 2018 By suzanne

Keep Your Business Healthy

Most people believe that the biggest challenge for small businesses is recruiting and keeping good employees. And while this can be challenging, the issue of owner burnout is a much bigger threat. According to recent studies, burnout is one of the main reasons that business fail.

And honestly, it makes a lot of sense. When you don’t take care of yourself, your business is at great risk. Research shows that one in two small business fail within the first five years of opening. Additionally, burnout and exhaustion are the main causes of most of these failures. So what do you do when you want to grow your business and make time for yourself? Here are a few tips to help keep you and your business healthy.

1. Get Active

Everyone knows exercise is extremely important when it comes to your physical health. However exercise also improves your mental health and can prevent the symptoms of burnout. But where can you find time to move around if you are busy?

Well one way is to take walking meetings instead of sitting in a conference room. Additionally, you can try and and walk around while taking phone meetings. Generally speaking, you should be able to fit 30 minutes of walking a day into your schedule.

2. Get Enough Sleep

When running a business, there will be certain tasks that keep you away from your sleep. More often than not, these tasks are successful in preventing you from getting proper rest. However, the consequences of going without sleep are severe.

They aren’t just short term either, there are many long term consequences. This includes: obesity, diabetes, mental health issues, and cardiovascular disease. Studies have shown that lack of sleep greatly reduces your level of work and innovation. So commit to a bedtime, and stick to it!

3. Connect

The need for a community is strong among small business owners. After all, networking and personal connections are extremely important. So don’t try and be a lone wolf, get connected! Forming those initial connections is crucial.

When you’re the one making all of the decisions, the success of the company falls on you. Connecting with others who know exactly what you’re going through is important. This includes making sure you have a good social media presence.

4. Take A Class

Learning a new task can help improve your cognitive functioning. While setting aside time to attend a business class is not possible all the time, it’s certainly something to consider.

Especially when you think about the long term benefits of taking up a new skill. After all, being proficient in a new program could land your business on the cutting edge of a business trend. So don’t focus on the short term investment of time, but rather the long term payoffs.

The Health Business Takeaway

In short, taking care of yourself is crucial when it comes to keeping your business healthy. In order to avoid burnout, you should try your best to implement small changes into your daily life to help keep you happy and healthy. This can include things as simple as a 3o minute walk or getting enough sleep. Just remember, your business thrives when you do.