Massage for parties

[groovybug]

I have been asked to do a party for a 30th B-day. They are asking for me to give birthday girl a one hour massage. I live in ohio, the destination isn't too far from me also. What should I charge? Around here, one hour massages are priced at 50-65/hr. I know I need to charge travel too. Also I want to offer to bring my massage chair too, in case anyone else wants a quickee. Any Ideas on pricing. Or ideas in general on how to do all this? Thanks.

 

[MaddyxPeace72]

Very Cool!!!!!  ;D If it were me I would charge 65$ and a travel fee of $10-15.  If they are asking you to do this then they are willing to spend some $$$$.  

 

[paladin]

I charge my normal hourly rate for the massage, minimum of one hour and charge a travel fee, about half my hourly rate, minimum of $20. آ Setting up/taking down the table is included in that travel fee, so that's really another 10-15minutes I'm not charging for.  It will probably take you longer if you are not used to quick setup/take down.Is this a surprise for the birthday girl? آ I would actually recommend they rethink the day. آ Is she really going to want a massage right before the party? On the day, maybe, but not close to the party time, she'd want to be getting ready, and she wouldn't want to be taken out of the party for a massage, nor would the guest turning up and asking where she is - "having a massage". آ Or is this a total surprise party and they want you to massage her and then spring the party on her? آ That would be the last thing I'd want after a massage.Are you thinking chair massages for people around before the party or during? آ I'm actually not quite sure what the party has to do with the massage. Are you expecting the host to pay for the chair massages, or the individuals? آ You're going to have a very fine line between getting in the way and offering a welcomed service before the party. Make sure you have lots of business cards on you, you might need to look at it as more of a networking opportunity rather than more money with the chair massage.Good luck with it.  

 

[reitakitty]

Okay - I will put my two cents worth in here - in a salon/spa most massage threapist are paid 50% of the price or maybe a bit less like 45% - the reason is the salon needs to be able to make money to pay all of their bills. So If an independent goes out and charges the same as a salon - this should include travel cost - due to the fact they are making the whole 100% not just 45-50%.They do not have the overhead cost a standing salon/spa have - but they do have the supplies and travel so it should work out.  If you are charging more than a local upscale salon spa - then you may price yourself right out of work. I personally would just go to a spa/salon instead of paying someone more.This is just my opinion - hope that it helps.

 

[michael c]

Purrkitty, you obviously haven't thought about this much.  There is a lot more to home visits than "you got $120 for a one hour massage!"It takes me an extra 15-20 minutes to set up and pack up the table at the clients place, plus travel time, plus the additional time it takes to pack/unpack the table at my end - there's another 10 minutes.  I am not going to do a 2 hour round trip plus 20 min table set up and then charge the same rate as if they were to come to me.  My time is more valuable than that.If we say everyone charges $60 per hour, in a spa/salon setting you can have 4 50minute (charged as 1 hour) massages in 4 hours, the therapist gets $120 (50%), salon/spa gets $120. Home visits - you do a one hour table time massage, 30 minutes of packing/unpacking (at clinic and at client's), 2 hours driving (charged at half hourly rate), you have to allow an extra 30minutes before starting the next client (travel to or clinic) owing to traffic conditions, so 4 hours all up and you get $120 - the same money as earnt at a spa/salon in 4 hours.  Plus you are doing the supplies/laundry and the additional strain of lugging the table around.  The only way to really make any more significant money out of it is if you do more than one massage in the home visit, or if you can schedule your next client to be next door to the first one, but the next client is almost always in the other direction.

 

[Brad]

Massage for parties

Not to mention that in the time it took you to travel and set up, you could have massaged another client at your practice.

 

[Better Than]

Sorry - but I have thought of it - I own a mobile day spa business - so trust me - I did a lot of homework. آ Maybe if you are working by yourself this is what you need to do. آ Where I live = no one would pay that.  I do mostly spa parties - so that we get more than one person.  We do get the occassional one person and then my prices are comparable to area upscale salons.  Otherwise, we just would not get the customers.  Maybe it is just being in the midwest.Boy, can I relate to all the lugging and laundry!  But I chose this because I like to be my own boss.  I also work in a salon two days a week for licensing reasons and I can relate to spa ownership as well - either way there is lots to pay out.

 

[Mackenziee Rose.]

Purrkitty, you have me confused.  You charge more for Ala Carte services than spa parties.  You charge extra for going over a certain distance. You say travel should be included in your price structure.  I am confused....Gross generalisation, but in today's larger cities, people looking for papmpering services tend to be time poor not money poor.  If your service is good enough, people will pay for it. Admittedly with spa parties you do sometimes encounter the bulk discount frame of mind, but the original post was about doing one massage for the birthday girl  that had a party, not about a massage party for multiple people.  Replies were directed to the original post's content, not just the subject line.

 

[Pompal 09.]

You are correct - I do show that charge more for ala carte menu items - this is deterr that selection - but it is also comparible to upscale spas in our area as I mentioned above- but we prefer parties - make better money - and I must add that in 7 months of business we have had only 2 calls for individual services.The charge for travel is after 30 miles - so if you are within the general area of where we are located there is no extra charge - but since I have had parties over 200 miles away - I needed to charge for this.Sorry if I was confusing for anyone- I tend to not explain myself well at early morning hours (LOL) - I did not intend this in any way to mean other areas could not charge more for outcalls - I meant just in my area it does not go over.Giving my feedback based on my area.  I think it is great for those of you that can get over $70-80 and hour for outcalls.  Have a great day everyone!

 

[Mother Nature]

Massage for parties

There is really only one thing that is relevant in pricing - the price of the known alternative - the local day spa.You probably charge a little less than that to have someone come to you since you probably don't provide all of the amenities of the day spa.You should add a 50% - 75% premium to that to cover the extra time it takes (but pick one rate and stick to it). Do yourself a favor - don't call it a travel charge or set up fee or anything else. It only adds to the confusion and invites the client to shop for someone with a lower travel fee, who does not charge for set up time, etc. One price, I come to you, period.The distance from you to the clients is actually irrelevant - clients will just end up finding the closest therapist to minimize the travel charge, which means every therapist has an area of coverage in which they are the most affordable - a title no professional should ever strive to hold.If they are too far away to make it worth it, then just tell them you are booked. As soon as you start changing rates for every client, you have to remember every quote you give.You are saving the client the hassle of travel, parking, dealing with the weather, and you are probably offering the service at hours when day spas don't operate. Plus, try booking at Elizabeth Arden some weekend - if you are not calling 10 days in advance they will laugh at the thought of having an opening. Your clients know this, and are willing to pay.