Whether you own a spa or another type of large-scale massage practice, or if you’re a solo practitioner with one session room and a table, it’s important to think like a business person and as a bodyworker to keep your practice on track. You probably have all sorts of good ideas for marketing the work you do and bringing new clients through the door; however, there’s a big difference between having an idea and effectively putting it into action.
This is where continuing education can come in quite handy. These classes can give you the tools to grow and run your business. After all, you have the formal education when it comes to massage therapy and bodywork, but most people in this field don’t possess a business degree. By picking and choosing continuing education courses that suit your specific needs as a business owner and as a bodyworker, you can receive some of that vital education.
For instance, you may solely handle the accounting department of your massage business but may not feel confident in this area. If this is the case, consider enrolling in a continuing education class that will teach you to use the latest accounting and even payroll software, if you have employees. Such a class should teach you how to best organize all of your important receipts and other paperwork, as well as what to do at tax time.
Another type of continuing education class that may be of benefit to massage therapists and bodyworkers is one that focuses specifically on marketing touch therapy. If you’re looking to garner new clients but aren’t sure how to accomplish this, then such a class may be right for you. There’s no sense spending big money on brochures or advertisements until you know you’re doing it right. A continuing education class on marketing should give you plenty of tools for getting your name out in the community as a massage therapist or bodyworker.
Of course, before you enroll in any continuing education class, you might want to check whether that course will count toward your credits in continuing education. This applies to those massage therapists and bodyworkers who live in states or regions where the field is regulated by a governing board. In such areas, touch practitioners typically are required to earn a certain number of continuing education credits each renewal period in order to keep their massage credentials current.
If you live in a region where massage and bodywork are regulated, be sure to find out how many hours of continuing education you need and whether there are specific types of continuing education you must take.
However, even if you don’t live in a place where the field of massage and bodywork is governed, or even if the continuing education classes you want to take aren’t approved by that governing board, you may still wish to enroll in business-focused classes to keep improving your bottom line.