Do You Have What It Takes to Run a Massage Business?

In these weekly posts I usually focus on business tips and such for those who are already in business for themselves, although I do know a lot of y’all aren’t quite there yet but are prepping to be. And so today’s post is for the latter…those of you who are considering opening your own massage practice and taking the plunge into business ownership. For y’all, there’s all kinds of advice and tips I want to give you, just take a look around at all the posts and videos I’ve got for those things, but today I want to share with you 3 qualities that I think are absolutely necessary to starting and running a small business.

Let me preface all this…while today’s lesson might come across a bit harsh, I don’t mean for it to be a deterrent for those who want to start a business. I just want to shed some light on the reality of what it takes so you can go into this as prepared as possible. I mean, honestly, it’s kind of like having a kid. You’re never actually prepared. I mean, you’re relying on other people to give you insights and advice, but you’re really just winging it a whole lot as you go when you get this little tiny human that you’re suddenly responsible for. Business ownership is very much the same, but I still want to give you a good talk about what to expect because like kids, even though it can be a headache at times, there is a joy that comes with it quite unlike anything else.

So, let’s dive right into these 3 qualities I think are absolutely crucial to running a successful business…

#1 A willingness to sacrifice
Money, time, personal wants, a feeling of stability and comfort, a full social life, there’s all kinds of things that get put on the backburner when you’re a small business owner. And listen, I’m not saying it’s forever…if you’ve check out much of my other content, you know I’m a huge advocate for designing your business to give you the life you want so you don’t have to sacrifice all those things long-term. BUT, and this is a big but, unless you just hit the freakin’ lottery and luck out on all kinds of things, business ownership takes sacrifice, most especially in those early building days. So you have to have a willingness to sacrifice for the sake of growing this incredible business that you dream of. If you approach this all willy nilly, like “oh I’ll just try it and see how it works out”….honestly, I don’t have any hope that it would pan out for more than a few months tops. And that brings me to….

#2 Self-motivation and drive
Because real life is undoubtedly going to take you down a peg or two here and there. And if you can’t deal with the discomfort and keep pushing, maintaining that drive and motivation, it’s hard, like really hard to get up and keep eating punches while you’re hitting back. There’s not going to be a boss standing over you to make sure you do the stuff that needs to be done when you really don’t feel up to doing it. There’s no reprimand, no short-term consequences. I mean, there’s all kinds of freedom that can come with being a business owner, don’t get me wrong, but in the end you have to hold yourself accountable. And if you’re not able to do that, you’re going to seriously struggle. I’m not saying you have to be one of those people who are 100% motivated all day every day….no. You’re going to need breaks, you’re going to have to take a step back now and then and regroup, but it’s that drive, that vision of the end goal that has to keep pushing you forward.

#3 Optimism
If you’re constantly focused on the negative in life, you’re going to be pretty miserable as a business owner. You have to be able to set high goals for yourself, expect more from yourself and know you can achieve those things. You have to be able to see the good, especially when things get tough. Yeah, your bank account may be stressing you out, but you had 20% more clients this month than last, and that’s an improvement. And it’s that type of optimism that I think can really separate successful business owners from others; because what’s the point of all that sacrifice and work if you can’t look to the future with hope?

Last little note here, notice how I didn’t say you have to be some extroverted bubbly ray of sunshine. A lot of people think that’s necessary, and nope. Not at all. Yours truly doesn’t exactly fit any of that. If you need help starting or running your massage practice, that’s what I’m here for. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you ever have questions.