Start a Massage Business with $100.. and Beat the Rest!

My answer is yes! We all have a dream of having our personal practice, but unfortunately this dream rarely seems attainable.  But recently an interesting thing has been happening, it seems as though companies are sprouting up from the cracks of floorboards at astonishing rates, and in fact, they are. Forbes Magazine estimated that a new company is founded every 48 hours (about 193 each year). This article is going to show you how to not only join in, but outshine them on a shoestring budget! First lets breakdown what we need to have a great modern massage company up and running:

1. A great skill, business license, and exceptional service: I will leave this one up to you.  Be different from the competition and be great!....exceptional service is by far the most important part, no amount of marketing can overcome a bad service.
   
   
2. Marketing:  Potential customers need to find ways to learn about your business, understand what your do, and properly interact with you. This seems like challenge, but we are going to dominate this area. 
   
   
3. Web Presence: 97% of all consumer research begins online. Any successful Massage business must posses a web presence.  You have to be there... no option.
   
   
4. Business Operations, Bookkeeping, and Client Management: Research shows that a new small business has 45% greater chance of success if they properly keep their books and manage client relationships.  Client management done correctly will allow the business to provide more value to existing clients, and these deeper relationships will lead to more referrals.  -- Like I said, we are not only going to build a company, we are going to thrive!--

1. Web Presence- $25/Month: www.Ocoos.com  This DIY platform offers us a world-class marketing and management tool that will kickstart our entire business; from website to client management.  Within a few minutes you will have built a great website (Example) that offers your clients ability to learn, interact, and schedule your services online.  For this one simple price Ocoos integrates a back-office technology which will include your client management, sales tracking, web analytics, social media updates, and even blogging. All for $25 per month!
   
   
1. EXTRA TIP! Custom URL: $12.99 per year: www.Godaddy.com you can buy your personalized URL ex. AAAtraining.com. 
1. Tip 1: Godaddy offers tons of coupons so you can pay less than half. Here
2. Tip 2: Simple steps for forwarding your URL to your new Ocoos website
   
   
   
2. Business Cards- $14.99 for 250 :www.Vistaprint.com This is great value for any new business. Business cards are a powerful touchpoint, amplify your first impressions, leave a follow-up message right in your customers hand.
    
3. Social Media- Free:Facebook.com, Twitter, Instagram; Could we be any more fortunate to have a free direct channel to millions of potential customers just waiting to learn about our businesses? We can use these powerful tools to join/build conversations, engage potential customers, and educate the market of what we have to offer.  Our Ocoos tool provides us a quick update for all accounts from one simple place. Article: Dominate Social Media Marketing

   Facebook.com   -    Twitter.com

4. Guerilla Marketing- Free:  Get to fitness and health events in your local area, hand out your business cards, and let the world know what you have to offer. Events such as marathons and triathlons bring thousands of people in your market just waiting to improve their health and fitness.  Be there and be ready to blow people away with your expert skills/knowledge. (Here’s a cool example)
   
   
5. Blogging-  Free/Included with Ocoos.com:Ocoos.com - You are an expert! Let the world know.  I am going to make this simple, if you spend 30 minutes a week updating your blog with a short article, client story, or interesting fact, you will have 52 pages around the web leading directly back to your business. You will beat 90% of your local competition on Google simply by doing that. While tools such as Wordpress or Tumblr  let you build blogs, only Ocoos connects directly within your business.
   
   
6. Email Marketing- Free up to 2000 emails:Mailchimp.com Email marketing is a great way to reconnect and stay in your customers mind.  Mailchimp allows us to build a list of 2000 clients and send unlimited emails before we have to pay a dime! Collect email information (Ocoos bookings collect automatically) and start engaging your clients. Remember not too much, and reward those that are loyal and engaged.    
    
7. Others FREE:
1. Be Everywhere: Yellowpages, Angieslist, Yelp, Google Local.  These are all places from which potential clients will start a search, and they are free with a quick setup. Tip: Make sure your website is setup first, so potential customers can learn more. 
2. Google Places:   This is less well-known, but savvy businesses benefit from top results when Google combines with maps and their social media.  The image below highlights the companies that have enhanced their results on Google:

 

                                  

BOOKKEEPING AND OPERATIONS:

Bookkeeping, Client Management, $25/Month:www.Ocoos.com Along with giving you a web presence and blogging capabilities, Ocoos also has an extremely powerful tool for managing your business on the cloud.  As soon as a booking is made, all calendars are updated and client/sales information is stored.  Ocoos allows you to manage your business in a world-class way, so you can focus on what is most important: providing a great service and growing your business.

 

TOTAL COST: $51.99!! With plenty left for coffee and any additional expenses!

Stop holding back your dreams! Take the leap and control your own future!   Set up your business and start providing a great service.  Please as always send me any feedback, and I would love to hear your <$100 success stories or any other suggestions you would like me to add to our readers!