InTouch

After 20 years as a massage therapist I am still reminded on a regular basis that there is always something new to learn and discover. As a form and function therapist, you can imagine how many hours I have studied anatomy and kinesiology. I am happy to report that I am still having my premises challenged and refined. I recently had a concrete lesson in energetic Kinesiology and I want to share it with you...

One of the more overlooked areas for cutting costs is product usage. Profitable product usage is not about buying the least expensive products. It involves three things:

• Avoid waste by monitoring usage and pre measuring products
• Research and compare the cost effectiveness of products
• Evaluate how much product is needed for each client based on the service

In a few weeks hundreds of massage therapists will flock to Portland, Oregon for this year’s American Massage Therapy Association’s (AMTA) National Convention. I am so excited to be joining BIOTONE at the convention where participants will have more options than they have time...

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. For many years, BIOTONE has actively supported efforts to find a cure for this devastating disease. We’ve sponsored important research about the value of massage in boosting the immune system to fight cancer cells and raised money through annual sales promotions to support Susan G. Komen for the Cure...

September may seem a little early to be thinking about Thanksgiving, unless you are a retailer or you are going to use it as an opportunity to “dance with the ones that brought you”... In other words, to show appreciation to those who have provided support and patronage. I know that a lot of business use Christmas for this purpose. But I asked myself a long time ago why should I present my tribute to people at a time when it will end up competing with their insurance agents, hairdressers etc. It has always made the most sense to me to use the holiday that we all celebrate, to express what that holiday is all about...

In about a month the holidays will be upon on. Not literally, of course, but from a marketing standpoint, they will. As soon as the Halloween candy begins to appear on store shelves, promotions for Thanksgiving and Christmas soon will follow. So it’s definitely not too early to think about what you can do to boost your visibility during this period...

I was excited to attend The Alliance for Massage Therapy Education’s 2nd annual conference in Charleston, SC last month because I knew it would be an inspiring and valuable experience. I certainly was not disappointed. The conference was attended by massage therapy authors, CE providers, school owners, instructors, exhibitors (BIOTONE included) and several stake holder organizations (NCBTMB, FSMTB, etc). This dynamic group of 125 participants all came together to discuss “Bringing Teaching to the Next Level” for massage therapy...

I talk a lot about the need to have goals. Successful businesses don’t just happen. You need to carefully think about what you want to achieve and set a course of action to get there. But no matter what goals you set, the marketplace changes and you need to respond accordingly...

Here are three current consumer trends that should be foremost in your business building radar:

• Clients in the current economic climate are more interested than ever in value.
• Baby boomers are not only planning on not dying, they want to look and feel good not doing it.
• People prefer treatments that are an investment in prevention and health.

If you live near Longmont, Colorado, you have a great opportunity to volunteer your time and showcase your skills to the community while you do it. The American Diabetes Association is looking for volunteer massage therapists to help out on August 20th for its big fundraiser the Tour de Cure Colorado bike ride. Last year, more than 1600 riders participated in the event which raised over $800,000...

The Alliance for Massage Therapy Education (AFMTE) is holding their second annual conference August 18 – 20 in Charleston South Carolina to discuss the theme Bringing Teaching to the Next Level. This event brings the best of the best together to work toward creating a standard of excellence in massage therapy education...

In an ideal world, every client values your service, praises your skills, shows up on time and pays promptly. But we don’t live in an ideal world, and there always will be clients who either test your patience or diplomatic skills. You know those clients. They are the ones you dread because they complain too much, are always late and even worse don’t pay at the end of the session. How many times have you heard, “I must have left my checkbook or credit card at home?” With these clients, the chemistry is just off.