How do I market to potential clients when I have no office?

[ms.prissy]

I am just starting out and do not have a location to see clients.

I will be doing my first paid gig in December doing chair massage at an art fair and am in the process of printing up business cards and brochures. I believe that this fair has the potential to be a great marketing opportunity, yet I have no place to have clients come and see me. Would it be ok to market outcalls only? I don't want to disappoint people down the road who may call for a massage only to find out I don't have a place to massage them, but I also don't want to let this opportunity to market myself pass by.

Suggestions? Thanks.

 

[Inzane]

Is there someone else you know who also does massage who may be willing to rent a room to you as needed? This is how I managed to get started. The therapist I use to go to rents a room to me on an as needed basis. I give her a flat rate for the use of the room, use my own sheets, music and oils, she has tables set up in the office already. Talk with them about the arrangement, they may be willing, if you have that resource available, it will help them pay their rent and utilities too! Good luck!

 

[ann_svit]

depending on your local laws~ if mobile is legal and you want to do it~ then YES~ market yourself.
pros: little overhead, you keep all the money, you're not in the same place every day, your client don't need to fight traffic after the massage service, you control your hours
cons: some people will not have strangers in their home, all calls must be screened for safety and client intent, inclement weather, vehicle breakdowns

there are some very good threads here about phone screening and safety for mobile.

 

[Jane S]

do you have the phone number that you want for your business yet?

My business class instructor gave us an idea: Frr marketing purposes, if you don't have a business addy yet, rent a mailbox from the UPS Store or a place like that. That way you can have an addy that looks like 123 anyplace lane, suite 20411 instead of PO Box 20411, which is what the USPS provides when you get a mailbox thru them. With that addy and your business phone # on your marketing tools, you'll be good to go!

And when clients call you for an appt, tell them that you have outcall appointments available for blahday and blahday, that way you implant the idea in their head that they MUST get an outcall visit. Then, when you decide on a place to practice your business, you can direct them there.

Hope that helps!

 

[Nikki N]

Gessika, I'm nearly in the same exact boat. Been out of school a year - still finding my feet. Did some spa work initially but HATED that and quit - I need to be my own boss. Authority issues? Never mind...

So now I have an office available to me one day a week, afternoon to evening. It's a start. It is better than nothing, but only barely - because I find myself saying, I can see you on x day or I can do an outcall for you, which will cost you an additional $x. Not exactly easy to market.

Very little advice here, only sympathy. Please keep me "posted" ha ha as to how you progress.

 

[dantexvergil]

do you have the phone number that you want for your business yet?

My business class instructor gave us an idea: Frr marketing purposes, if you don't have a business addy yet, rent a mailbox from the UPS Store or a place like that. That way you can have an addy that looks like 123 anyplace lane, suite 20411 instead of PO Box 20411, which is what the USPS provides when you get a mailbox thru them. With that addy and your business phone # on your marketing tools, you'll be good to go!

And when clients call you for an appt, tell them that you have outcall appointments available for blahday and blahday, that way you implant the idea in their head that they MUST get an outcall visit. Then, when you decide on a place to practice your business, you can direct them there.

Hope that helps!

Many MTs just use their cell phone as their business phone. I do now actually. And my last for digits spell MT4M. (Like Massage Therapy 4 Me!) I was delighted to get something people would remember!

And 8 years ago when I was in MT school, one of my MT teachers advised my class to get a P.O. Box anyway, especially if we were single, because it makes it harder for clients to try to contact us "after hours."

But I love your idea Bluhairedfaerie, about the "Suite #" looking much better than a P.O. Box #. And I love your idea about saying you have only outcall appointments available for blahday and blahday. That's excellent advice! Hope you don't mind but I added your quote to the thread for "Massage Pearls" found below in my reply to Gessika!

Gessika,
I have been a MT for 8 years and in the past year have found myself in a similar position. I DO have the use of an office room (just barely big enough for my treatment table) in a health food store about 5 miles from my house. I tell my clients that I am available there by appointment for MWF, and that I have outcall only appointments available for other days of the week. (I share the room with their acupuncturist and a master herbalist... so it involves keeping in touch with the others when booking... but we've only had a "mix up" once so far. Thank goodness my client was understanding! But that's also the reason I don't book Saturdays there anymore. LOL)

Mush is right about the phone screening and safety for outcalls threads... do a search for them and I'm sure you're likely to find lots of information. You might even look through the "Massage Pearls" thread in the Massage/Techniques and Modalities forum.

http://www.massageplanet.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2503&highlight=massage+pearls