Not sure what to do

[Sarah K]

I am soon going to be starting yet another business venture....I met a woman at the dog park near my house and she is starting a Doggie Day Care company here in town and I mentioned that I was a massage therapist, which led her to offer me a job doing pet massage!  I'm excited to be doing it and think I'll have a lot of fun with it, and here's the deal.  We're going to charge $1/minute for the pets, 50/50 split, but I'm also going to be offering chair massage for the people (kind of a pamper yourself and your pet at the same time type of thing) and that will also be $1/minute, 50/50 split, but the owner mentioned early on that she would like to offer full body massages for the people.  I told her that I'm not interested in doing that right now (first of all, it will be in the doggie day care place, seperate room from the dogs though) and I don't know how relaxing it would be and I'm there to help the dogs, I don't want it to be just about the people, but here's my question.  If a client asks me if I do house calls (which I primarily do) and they want me to come to their home to give them a full body massage, technically, since I got the client from the day care place, is the owner entitled to anything that I make from that?  I know that my client is my client, but I wouldn't have gotten a client had it not been for her, and I would like to be able to thank her somehow for it, but I'm not sure how.  This hasn't happened yet, but I do think that after they get a chair massage, they will ask about a full body massage and I don't want it to look like I don't want to do full body massage at the dog place just so I'll keep all the money, does any of that make sense?

 

[jd spoonworthy]

I think this idea is unique enough that it might actually work.  I would wonder how many owners' dogs have services that would last an hour (like a massage).  I know if I dropped my dog off for an hour, I would rather have a massage during that time than wander around neighboring stores or drinking coffee.  If the owner could make the room conducive of course, you might be able to build a practice with a built in clientele!   If that were the case, I'd try to go with a rent payment vs. a split.  When I was in college, I always went to this one laundromat because it had a bar in the back.  Strangers combos have made it.  As for your original question, I think you just have to let her know what your plans are and have it as part of your agreement.  That way there aren't any surprises.  I would think that a one time finder's fee a good compromise that would be payable by you for the first off-site appointment with a client.  After that, it's yours to cultivate.  Good luck and please let us know what you decide.  Joe E.

 

[danielblarg]

I think the finders fee is a great idea and that is what I was thinking, but I'm not sure what's fair.  Right now, I'm thinking of giving her say 25 or 50 percent of the first massage (that would be $18 or $35 depending on the perceneforum.xxxe I decided) and just saying "hey, I just paid a home visit to Lucy and I want to thank you for introducing us!" or something like that, but I don't want to insult her either and have her take it the wrong way and make her think that I'm stealing her clients, which I'm not.  We haven't even started with the pet massage yet, probably in a couple of weeks and we're both going to test the waters and see what kind of responses we get.  Right now I don't have any office that I work out of (except the spa I work at and I don't have people see me there because of the cost and the fact that I'm not going to be there forever) and ultimately I do want to have my own office/space, but for now, the house calls work for me and my clients!

 

[MikeE]

Not sure what to do

One more thing I forgot to add....if the response is so great there, I will talk to her about renting the space so I can see clients there too, but again, we'll see how everything works out, but I'll keep everyone posted!I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love this website!!! ;D ;D ;D

 

[Helpful]

Hi. You mentioned: "hey, I just paid a home visit to Lucy and I want to thank you for introducing us!" or something like that, but I don't want to insult her either and have her take it the wrong way and make her think that I'm stealing her clients, which I'm not.  I think that the whole comment in quotes (".... thank you for intoroducing us") is a perfect way to set up the boundaries without her even considering you stole a client.  If you didn't want to pay a "finders fee, which she may interpret as you "owe her something", you could also toss around the idea of giving her a gift certificate to a book store, gardening center, food store, etc. after every few clients you see as out calls.  Of course, I am not knocking the finders fee at all, but just trying to give another option in case you are interested in one.  The gift card also can be used to fit into your budget.  In case one month is a little lean, you can give more or less on the "next go-round".  I'd also make it a different amount on each occasion,  just so it is more of a "thank-you" look and not a "pay" look.  Did that make sense?  ;DYep, I like these smileys!

 

[pedrosilvasintra]

merged

why this world crisis unfornatley people try to cut and noramly they left animals behind

you have to got a good marketing

my parrot would love it i bet

it´s better for you to focus in animal massage only

then if things go good then try to go to massage people also

try to go for rich people

womens with expensive dogs they will do it and you can ask for money

ladies are your tagert guys will not go unless there is a women to massage them

u could also do manicure

for the dogs : manicure, massage, grooming etc

but focus in massage the others are extras - like a spa for animals

you should also have a plce for them to stay this way they would also pay 1 or 2 nights at the animal spa

what about this name: dog spa

hummm...not very good maybe dogmassage

you could also do other animalos like cats

one more ideia for instant if you could get a phisioterapist that would be good like a special guys that could make exercises and pressure for the animals

for instant if a dog sufers an incedinet he could do some phisioteapies and soft massages

but only the rich people would pay those services

i wish you good luck with your future business good luck!!