Capitalizing on holidays and special events is an economic necessity to grow a massage therapy practice.
These are times when extra/bonus customers are seeking your services, and you can easily provide them, thus earning new clients and extra income with a little bit of effort and customization to your existing practice.
Holidays such as Valentine’s Day can provide a lot of business opportunities—so let’s take advantage and make them memorable and profitable.
Valentine’s Day Supplies
The materials we suggest for the Valentine’s Day spa specials in this article should not cost more than $175; $175 is usually less than the cost of two massages, so it’s well worth the investment when you can earn some extra appointments and perhaps even pick up some new lifetime clients.
At the very minimum, providing holiday services will become endless free advertising for you, because happy clients will frequently talk about their holiday service with others. And it’s always nice to break up that regular day-to-day massage therapy grind with something fun and different.
In this article, we’ll review how to use chocolate and foot soaks to create some easy Valentine’s Day spa specials and packages. Here’s what you will need:
1. Print some Valentine’s Day specials on red copy paper to advertise your event, and tape these to your doors and walls by the end of January.
2. Post your Valentine’s Day specials to your social and digital media platforms.
3. Print some Happy Valentine’s Day sayings on red copy paper and tape these to your doors and walls during your Valentine’s Day event. Be creative and cut some of these preprinted sayings into heart shapes—and don’t be afraid to be funny. Everyone loves a good laugh and light-hearted jokes can get people talking about your business. (Try something like: “Will you be my Valentine? That’s a rhetorical question—we’re married.”)
4. Purchase foot baths: one bath for individual services and two baths for couples services. You can purchase still water bowls or the electric bubbling kind. Just be sure to properly sanitize the foot baths between clients.
5. Purchase individually wrapped chocolates, a candy bowl, sparkling (non-alcoholic) cider, chocolate massage oil, finely ground table salt and champagne cups (disposable or glass).
6. Add some chocolate massage oil to some finely ground table salt to create a Valentine’s Day body scrub, and either have the client shower off the scrub, or wipe it off with sponges and hot towels if you are in a dry treatment room.
Sample Valentine’s Day Spa Specials
Here’s a sample Valentine’s Day menu that can be offered with these basic supplies in a no-frills massage therapy treatment room or practice:
Valentine’s Day Treat (60 Minutes)
Foot Soak with Chocolates & Sparkling Cider (10 Minutes)
Chocolate Massage (50 Minutes)
Royal Valentine’s Day Treat (90 Minutes)
Foot Soak with Chocolates & Sparkling Cider (10 Minutes)
Chocolate Massage (80 Minutes)
Couples Retreat (for 2 People – 60 Minutes)
2 Foot Soaks with Chocolates & Sparkling Cider (10 Minutes)
Side-by-Side Chocolate Couples Massage (50 Minutes)
Royal Couples Retreat (for 2 People – 90 Minutes)
2 Foot Soaks with Chocolates & Sparkling Cider (10 Minutes)
Side-by-Side Chocolate Couples Massage (80 Minutes)
Mini Valentine’s Day Treat (30 Minutes)
Foot Soak with Chocolates & Sparkling Cider (10 Minutes)
Mini Foot Reflexology (20 Minutes)
Couples Mini Valentine’s Day Retreat (for 2 People – 30 Minutes)
Foot Soak with Chocolates & Sparkling Cider (10 Minutes)
Mini Foot Reflexology (20 Minutes)
Valentine’s Day Queen/King (90 Minutes)
Foot Soak with Chocolates & Sparkling Cider (10 Minutes)
Chocolate Body Scrub (30 Minutes)
Chocolate Massage (50 Minutes)
Royal Valentine’s Day Queen/King (2 Hours)
Foot Soak with Chocolates & Sparkling Cider (10 Minutes)
Chocolate Body Scrub (30 Minutes)
Chocolate Massage (80 Minutes)
Your Majesty Couples Retreat (for 2 People – 2 Hours)
2 Foot Soaks with Chocolates & Sparkling Cider (10 Minutes)
Side-by-Side Chocolate Body Scrubs (30 Minutes)
Side-by-Side Chocolate Couples Massage (80 Minutes)
Tips for a Luxury Experience
Here are some extra tips on providing your Valentine’s Day service menu:
- There are many foot soak powders and liquids you can add to turn your foot soak into an aromatic luxury experience. You can also simply add a squirt of hand soap to your foot bath prior to adding warm water for some pleasant, bubbly fun.
- Ask the client how the temperature is once the client is in their foot soak. Add hot or cold water as needed to create a comfortable temperature. Use a water kettle to quickly heat water, but be careful not to burn or freeze your client when adding this temperature adjustment to their soak.
- During the foot soak service, place the chocolates and sparkly cider nearby. If they are by themselves, provide a variety of magazines for their enjoyment. Provide drinking water with their treats and check in with them during their soak to see if they need refills.
- Toward the end of the foot soak, enter the room and dry off their feet with a towel. Then place this towel on the floor between the foot soak and massage table so they can walk on it to keep their feet clean and dry.
- Keep some unscented massage oil, lotion and/or cream in your Valentine’s Day treatment room. Chocolate-scented massage mediums can be extremely fragrant, and some customers may want to switch to an unscented product mid-service. (Changing the massage medium would not change the price or service—it’s just good to be prepared for all client wishes and needs.)
Plan Ahead
There are many ways you can expand a massage therapy practice, including learning new modalities such as reflexology, hot stone massage, lymphatic drainage and other bodywork that can appeal to a larger customer base. But you can also alter your existing basic massage and spa services with products, which is an inexpensive, economical way to expand your income and customer appeal, especially during holidays or events.
If you like this easy, business-building concept, please check out MASSAGE Magazine’s past articles on “Proven Steps to Building a Mobile Spa for Weddings” and “Create a Holiday Promotion for Your Spa Practice.”
Happy Valentine’s Day—and cheers to the many spa products available today that can keep your massage therapy practice interesting and alluring.
About the Author:
Selena Belisle is a three-time World Arm Wrestling Federation champion who holds other minor athletic titles in a variety of sports. She has been practicing massage for 30 years and is the owner of ceinstitute.com in Miami, Florida. Belisle teaches several massage-related subjects in both live and online classes. She specializes in advanced massage techniques and spa education as well as many other bodywork modalities.