Hi,
I'm interested in retraining so I can get away from my office job and instead doing something more helping and active. I'm looking into the possibility of a+p, massage and then add ons to in acupressure/reflexology/shiatsu type specialisms.
What I'm interested to hear about from existing practitioners is the amount of work/clients available. I know this will depend a great deal on my marketing and recommendations but in general, could you give me any feedback about how many hours work a week I could expect on average? Are many of you supporting yourselves fully from massage? Are some addon specialisms more "income reliable" or in demand than others (i.e. reflexology, aromatherapy, sports massage)?
Sorry, i know this is a difficult question. But why retrain in something if it couldn't possibly bring me an alternative income!?
Thanks
Hi spacecandi
As you mentioned, how many clients you may get will depend on so many different contributing factors - so it's really hard to say.
Why don't you do a bit of an experiment by placing an advert on Gumtree (or somewhere similar) listing what you are offering, together with your prices? Don't list your mobile number - just let them email you instead. And then it's just a case of sussing out the kind of response you get to see whether there is a demand for your therapies in your area.
When I first started 4 years ago there were only a couple of other massage therapists on Gumtree, so I found that I was turning away business more often than not. Nowadays though, there are LOADS of different massage therapists, and I feel like I'm not getting as many new enquiries (maybe it's time to revamp my advert or get a website set up!).
Good luck with whatever you decide. You should maybe take a look at the "Student/Training" board or the "Business & Marketing" board for some ideas.
Kitten
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