Current Economic Conditions

[Tsunami]

I was just curious how the CEC is affecting your business over the last 12 months.

1. Business is Up!!!

2. Business is the Same.

3. Business is down.

4. Area Served:

Comments:

 

[STUDY]

Thankfully business is up.

 

[Gipsy]

Are you "Massage Paradise" of the new chain/clone of Massage Envy? Instead of a terse marketing survey, perhaps you would like to join the community?

 

[sooners]

Some days we're up, and other days we are down.

Does that help?

 

[flippendo]

Business is up

 

[borderbethie]

Up!

And I wasn't sure. Glad I checked!

 

[Sonia]

As a whole, my business is down by 40%.
Kinda stinks, but I am enjoying my time off and
probably will never go back to working as much as
I was last year. It was too much.

 

[Office Monkey]

I hope everybody hangs in there and that you all are as busy as you want to be.

 

[Pompal 09.]

From Scottsdale, AZ:
The three star "resort hotel" (ha!) I work at, it's 89 sister properties, and the parent company just instituted pay CUTS for absolutely everyone. 3% to 15%, depending on how much you make. We therapists in the spa lost 3% of hourly, plus 9% of comission payout. Net cut, about 7%. Cuts are "temporary". We wil see. They say it was either that or layoffs. They say the business for the entire company is down 16% in Jan and Feb, as opposed to last year.
I believe it, it's mid March, and I should be complaining about my hands hurting. Not even close. No appointments for me at all from Mar 5 thru Mar 14.
The country club I'm at is doing well for me, thank God. Those folks are paying to be there whether they use it or not, so it seems like they're cutting back on trips and such, and "nesting" more into their established places. And that would be us. Whew.
I've heard a rumor that one of the jumbo sized hotels in the area usually carries a massage staff of 42 therapists, and they are down to only 18 now. But that's an unconfirmed rumor.

 

[rodolfo l]

We're busy, but I believe the area I am in is a "bubble" of sorts compared to most of the rest of the US.

I am thankful and taking every moment to take on clients, since you never know what the next day will bring. Working late and working many Sundays currently. (I think I said that in another thread recently.)

 

[dan90]

From Scottsdale, AZ:
They say it was either that or layoffs. They say the business for the entire company is down 16% in Jan and Feb, as opposed to last year.
I believe it, it's mid March, and I should be complaining about my hands hurting. Not even close. No appointments for me at all from Mar 5 thru Mar 14.

you can thank the idiots in DC for that. They seem to be out to kill the travel and tourism industry with the misguided harangues of the evils of corporate meetings and conventions. Who gets hurt? MTs, bus boys, front desk agents, valets -- the very people these self-annointed protectors of the working man profess to protect. Pick an industry, DC has put a target on your back -- energy, health care, fin svcs, travel and tourism -- they all think the gov't can do it better.

Soon, these resort-based MTs will be out of work and will move back where the came from, or linger out in the freelance market. More competition from previously busy MTs -- just what folks like SANDYO and the rest of the sunbelt MTs need!

Plus, the states hurt most by the anti-travel rhetoric are also the states with the highest foreclosure rates -- FL, AZ, CA, NV. Just kick 'em while their down. Such hope and optimism...

God help us all!

 

[seahorse02]

Yawn......

R&R, your political diatribe posts are getting old. The election's over; move on.

 

[kicksd]

No one - on either side - was targeting the T&T industry during the election.

Now it is a crime against society to hold a corporate event at a hotel or resort.

I will be sure to pass on your words of comfort to our employees -- soon to be ex employees -- in our resort markets, where business is off over 40% this season (compared to flat in our urban markets).

"Sorry the political rhetoric killed your job. Get over it and move on to a career at McDs."

 

[Alison W]

By all means, let's use MassagePlanetL for politically biased & simplified statements about the economy. The current recession is obviously caused by our new government, who have been in power a whole 2 months. Forget about the past 10 years of deregulated, high-risk behavior by an entire finance industry that plummeted our economy into chaos. Forget about the fear that the media sells like crack cocaine, making people who have money too afraid to spend any. Forget about folks like Madoff turning rich people into poor people overnight. That means nothing. The real problem is the government objecting to bailout companies spending taxpayer dollars for luxury trips. That's obviously an act of war on working america. If only R&R was president, the economy would turn around instantly.

If there's one thing we should have learned by now, it's that the economy is a complex, living organism. Anyone who says otherwise has an agenda they're trying to push.

For the record, I have complete compassion for people who are struggling economically. I have none for people who twist the complex cause into a biased political view.

 

[Pompal 09.]

By all means, let's use MassagePlanetL for politically biased & simplified statements about the economy.

That's obviously an act of war on working america.

Thanks for proving your own point..."working America?" -- who, pray tell, is "loafing America?"

 

[Tdog]

Please! Not here! I cone here to get away from all the negative "stuff" in the world.

 

[A Wolf at the Door.]

-- who, pray tell, is "loafing America?"

I think I fit that description. Did you know you can get a doctorate in Leisure? Yeah. Dr. of Leisure. 8)

 

[Danny G]

Please! Not here! I cone here to get away from all the negative "stuff" in the world.

Yeah I agree. If I wanted to listen to over the top right wing histrionic paranoia I'd tune in to Glenn Beck.

Not everyone's business is down either as this thread clearly shows us. So obviously there are many of us working MT's doing something right even in these difficult times. Perhaps there is a reason for that. Better to focus on those distinctions. Maybe MT's working for someone else might actually do better working on their own. If I had an employer who thought that my only options were working for "them" or working at McD's I probably feel pretty insulted.

 

[Pompal 09.]

Most of my work is in corporate/convention massage. I had a great year in 2008. By March of 2008, I had done 3 major conventions. I have yet done one in 2009, although I do have some scheduled for later on in the year. My biggest convention client (for the last 6 years) cancelled their convention for 2009....they brought in 8000 attendees and I hired out 8 therapists for the week long show in '08. They hope to resume in 2010.

I do not work for anyone else. So, it's not a question of whether I am doing anything wrong or doing anything right.....tourism is tight in Salt Lake City, a smaller travel/tourist destination. There does not seem to be as many conventions in town, and those that do come, have tightened their belts. Even some of the recurring shows have dropped days, events and other activities. I am having to rethink how I market my business. The thing is...I feel bad for the IC's that I was able to hire last year...they're suffering too.

I don't care if it's considered political rhetoric by some, it's reality to me.

 

[Becky Curta]

Most of my work is in corporate/convention massage. I had a great year i
I don't care if it's considered political rhetoric by some, it's reality to me.

I don't see any political rhetoric in your post at all. I don't think anyone here would accuse you of that. It's all a matter of context and delivery.

Sorry you're going through tough times. I hope you prevail. I am sure you will.

Here's something different I'm seeing lately. Perhaps some might find it useful.

Suddenly I am getting more new clients and referrals than ever before. The upward spike in new clients and requests in the last 8 weeks has really gotten my attention.

What I am hearing is that many of these people, who usually go on vacations and spend lots of money, are now staying home and being thrifty, sure, who wouldn't be? Life is about change and change is upon us. But change doesn't mean opportunity doesn't exist, it just might not be where you are used to looking for it. I say this because I am hearing something lately I had not heard before so it has kind of stood out. To paraphrase: "I am going to stay home this year because a trip is out of the equation. But I am going to treat myself to some really great massages at home instead! I have to do something nice for myself and I really do need it!" I have met several new clients this way. I have even seen several who have been laid off. A lady I saw this week got laid off last year but she still needed to do this for herself. She needed it! It's easily justified in that it would be a fraction of the cost of a real vacation but face it, people still need a break. The stress of the their situation is often greatly altered by the experience and some people are really stressed out right now. We are in the de-stress business, how can this not be an opportunity? Clients are out there. Believe in yourself. Structure your business so that you get them and don't be dependent on anyone else getting them for you. Be creative and don't be dismayed. Keep in mind that for some people maybe the only massages they got were when they went out of town. So here they are now and they still want and really need that massage. That was always the best part of going out of town anyway, right?

I want to encourage people that love and are meant to do this work to continue and alter your practice as the times demand it but survive and even thrive if you can. As long as people draw breath there will be people to work on. If you do this long enough you will see many fluctuations in the marketplace and you will roll with them. Ask any old timer.

If I may offer some advice, simple as it is, keep the thoughts positive. Like my late friend Peter McWilliams used to say "You don't have the luxury of single negative thought."

He was a little nutty but he was sure right about that.