What did you do after school?

[xxxobscureabyssxxx]

Ok, this is a long multi part question just for fun and out of curiosity…

How many of you started your own massage therapy business straight out of school? And if so, what do you feel your skill level was at right after graduation? What is it at now and how long (or approximately how many massages) has it taken to get to that level of skill?

For those that did not jump directly into working for themselves, what did you decided to do/or where to work upon graduation?

Also, I wonder how many started at a spa and transitioned to their own business, how long that took, and which they prefer?

What do you feel were the pros and cons of making the decisions you did?

 

[Angel Eyes]

What did you do after school?

Ok, this is a long multi part question just for fun and out of curiosity…

How many of you started your own massage therapy business straight out of school? And if so, what do you feel your skill level was at right after graduation? What is it at now and how long (or approximately how many massages) has it taken to get to that level of skill?

For those that did not jump directly into working for themselves, what did you decided to do/or where to work upon graduation?

Also, I wonder how many started at a spa and transitioned to their own business, how long that took, and which they prefer?

What do you feel were the pros and cons of making the decisions you did?

i was independent after graduating for a time. a male classmate and i were the first in our class to pass our board. he had a space he rented, and i helped him out with female requests.
i moved out of town about 4-5 months later, and ended up going to work for a day spa.

the level of my work right after graduating was very good, but overshadowed with a certain amount of nervousness over making sure the client got a good service, dealing with mobile work and safety, etc... i'd say it took 3 months to get real comfortable with it. (that's when i moved. :? )
now i've been licensed for almost 10 years. although there's always something new to be learned, i feel very confident that the work i offer is thorough and is exactly what i advertise.

later, i ended up working for a large spa. (it took me a month or so to get into the groove there.) after leaving there, mr. mush and i opened our own thing. it really took up to the first year to really get business rolling. but, if i picked up tomorrow and went to another city, i'd like to think that my learning curve would be shorter and maybe things would be viable in 6-9 months. connecting with this board has been a great help in assessing marketing strategies, etc.

pros/cons: i dunno. i think it all depends on you, the mt, to progess in your space and time. finances has a lot to do with the choices we make. few of us are free to choose. when i 1st got out of school, mr. mush was making really good money in another industry. this allowed me to try being independent. if he wasn't in that position, i'd had to have a job.

hope it helps..

 

[Pompal 09.]

I started my own business well before I graduated MT school. I was working out of a chiro office doing my intern hours. All the while I was charging a nominal fee to get me started. I spent many months before graduating working on as many people as I could and even built quite a client base before graduation. I was able to be licensed 3 months before I graduated. (all you needed in AZ was your transcripts to get licensed, you did not need a cert. or anything. Just proof that you have accrued 500 hours of study) I was well on my way. But I worked hard for it too. Talking to everyone I ran into about my business and offering salon owners free massages to sample my work. Most of my clients believe it or not did not come from the chiro office. I have never had to work for anyone and have built a successful practice. I believe I will never have to work for anyone in this industry, nor would I want to. If it ever got to that point, I would probably change careers.
As for technique, of course I am a better therapist today than when I started, but I was offering deep tissue and trigger point techniques that others in my area were not offering (Client comments). Word gets around quick when people leave happy.

 

[Morgan Galligan]

I opened up my own business within a year after graduating. I worked at a few salons/spa type places. Great experience: it gave me the opportunity to see how I DIDNT want to run my business! I learned alot from other people, and when I felt the time was right, I went for my own place. Scary thing to do for me, Im not much of a risk taker!

 

[pnkyz_brain]

I started my outcall business right away. I went with outcalls so that I didn't have to meet rent, etc. My first regular client was a school teacher who decided weekly massages were just what she needed, and she bought some gift certificates fairly quickly, too. That was nice!!! She ended up moving. I went straight to some senior apartment complexes and got some groups going, so that I can go in one day, set up in one spot, have them come to me one after another, giving myself more clients without the constant set up/tear down. Other than my schooling, I have done this completely debt free.

I also tried working as an independent contractor at a place that was touted to be extremely busy, but got very little work. Two other students from my class were also there, and we were all pretty disappointed to find out it wasn't as the owner said it was! Then I tried doing the same thing at a salon, which was even worse - she advertised 50% commission and then paid minimum wage!! I only got one paycheck and said bye! I couldn't handle the chemicals in that place, anyway - they set off my asthma every time I went in. Then I settled on independent contracting in a great little fitness club, and still take some appointments there, besides my own business. I see phasing that out in the next couple of years, as I get too busy to go there.