Is it worth getting a massage? Massage parlor at home as a business. What a massage therapist should be able to do and know

Description: exist different types massage (relaxing, wellness, therapeutic, cosmetic, etc.), so you can develop in different directions. But you can’t just go and start working as a massage therapist at home; before that you need to undergo training.
Payment: from 100 to 3000 rubles per session, depending on the type and your experience
Requirements: necessary knowledge and skills, place for sessions, couch, developed arm muscles (especially fingers and hands).

How to work as a massage therapist at home

1. First, you need to take special courses, obtain the knowledge and certificate/diploma necessary for this work.

The duration of the course is on average about 1-2 months, the cost is about 20,000 rubles. But you need to take your choice of school seriously, because there are many charlatans who will only tell you theory, but you will never have practical skills. Choose schools wisely:

find out the course program;
read reviews;
is there a specialist in this field among the teachers;
how many people are in the group? (less is better);
Is there equipment for practical classes?
how many hours of practice will there be?
Will they be issued a state diploma upon completion?

Only with such a “piece of paper” will you be able to officially provide services and conduct business legally.

Read information about types of massage to immediately determine the direction of development. It’s better not to take on everything at once, master this area gradually.

Attention! Therapeutic massage can only be performed by a medical professional.

2. Decide on the type of work:

Work from home– you need to allocate a separate place or even a room for conducting sessions. Set up a couch, buy everything necessary materials.

Possible problems:

If there is a small child at home, he will cry and interfere with the session;
Neighbors won't like strangers as neighbors and will complain about you;
There may be claims from the SES and fire services against your “office”.

Home-based work– you arrive at the specified address with your massage table and material, conduct a session and return home.

Possible problems:

It is dangerous for women to travel alone to other people's apartments;
Irregular schedule – sessions are usually scheduled in the evening after work, so you will be returning home late.

Your own salon – a good option, but not all massage therapists earn enough to make it worthwhile.

Get a job at a company. You should immediately understand that prestigious and well-known companies may not hire you, because they require medical education, work experience and good knowledge of the profession.

Costs of the profession as a whole: problems with the joints of the hands, due to constant tension, and varicose veins of the legs. Sometimes other health problems arise, so immediately assess your strength and do not overdo it. Alternate between intense and relaxing treatments.

How to find clients

Try to get it from the very beginning regular customers– this is what your main income will be based on.

You can start with a free massage for family and friends, ask them to tell their friends about your service. Gradually word of mouth will work and people will be drawn to you. The main thing is to do your job well, and then you can achieve success.

Use standard promotion methods:

Advertisements in newspapers and the Internet
Social media
City forums
Hand out business cards to friends and clients.

Be attentive to your clients and provide a high-quality massage, then they will bring you their friends.

The Village continues to talk about how people in different professions build their budgets. In the new issue - a masseuse specializing in back problems in children. In order to become a massage therapist, medical education is not always necessary; for some, specialized courses are enough. Training in them can cost from 3 to 40 thousand rubles - it all depends on the number of techniques taught and the level of certificates. Recently, even online massage courses have appeared - with videos and lectures. We learned from a masseuse with twenty years of experience from St. Petersburg why children are afraid of her, how to get to a good specialist, and why you can’t massage all your friends and relatives for free.

Profession

Masseur

Income

on average 60,000 rubles

Expenses

Rent

3 000–5 000

Products

1 000–2 000

Household chemicals

Transport

1 000–2 000

15 000–20 000

Help for relatives

5 000–10 000

Charity

1000–2 000

Medicines

10 000–11 000

Recreation and entertainment

Medical education and online courses

To become a massage therapist, you need to get a medical education: in principle, an average is enough. With a diploma of a nurse or paramedic and a certificate of completion of massage courses, you can even go to work in a government institution - a hospital, clinic, sanatorium. According to my observations, many doctors complete massage courses, but not all begin to practice it professionally. Some people need it purely for themselves - to stroke their husband or wife's back, to stretch their grandmother's neck. I also noticed that massage therapists very often become those who had problems with posture in childhood and went for massages themselves. People still have good impression, and they come to the profession after many years.

For those who take massage seriously, there are licensed training centers. Private medical institutions or spas can also train massage therapists and then hire them. Now there are many massage courses, you can even get some training on the Internet. This is not prohibited by law, everyone can go and learn what they want. Another thing is that the course costs three thousand rubles - can you then trust such a massage therapist? In addition, a person with poor professional knowledge will not be able to assess the reliability of the information in the courses. True, they usually take such courses not for work, but for themselves, for example, they want to undergo training in anti-cellulite massage with a girlfriend in order to squish each other’s sides.

Fortunately, now control is becoming stricter and there are fewer and fewer places where you can get a job without a normal certificate. In addition, the client himself always has the right to inquire about the education of the massage therapist and ask for the relevant documents. But the client must be literate enough to evaluate the quality and reliability of the certificates. Our people are gullible, and if you listen well and promise something, then they will accept the offers of such a massage therapist without any documents.

First patients

I've been in massage for over twenty years. My first patients were friends and relatives, and so it went on: friends of friends, acquaintances of acquaintances, neighbors. Only in 2001 did I get my first outside client. I had official work a nurse in a hospital, and I perceived massage only as Additional income. We had an elderly patient in our department, we got to talking, and after discharge he invited me to give him a massage. Word of mouth worked, he told his friends, and patients came to me.

At the beginning of the 2000s, paper advertisements worked well. I decided that I would not accept patients at my place, but would go from house to house. In order not to travel all over the city to see people, I walked around the area and posted notices on the entrances of nearby houses. There were, of course, a lot of calls with offers of sex and other inappropriate things, but mostly the calls were from ordinary people over 50 with aching necks. I also did children’s massage, and against the backdrop of the baby boom of the late 2000s and early 1900s, I got a lot of clients, and massage began to generate enough income to do it only.

Legal, but not profitable

In clinics, the average massage therapist, for example, a nurse of the second category, receives about 20 thousand for 36 working hours a week. Usually they also take on private clients after work or try to entice clinic patients to come to them. Some even say: “Here’s 15 minutes of light stroking, but if you want a real massage, come to me for an additional fee.”

Working in a beauty salon or sports club usually does not offer a high salary either. As a rule, income is divided: the massage therapist receives 40% of the cost of the procedure, and 60% goes to the employer. If the massage therapist himself attracts clients, then 40/60 works in the opposite direction: the massage therapist gets the majority.

You can work on your own: equip a room in your apartment as an office, or throw a massage table in your car and drive to clients. Since I am a convinced pedestrian, I don’t take a table with me. I bought three folding tables, but children usually don’t need them. Of course, if I worked only with adults, I would have to change something, buy a car and travel with my table to patients, but I mostly have children, and they need a small surface.

I receive someone at home, but these are not strangers, not strangers, but those who have known me for a long time and well. They understand that, despite the surroundings, the massage will be great. I am forced to see patients in the kitchen behind a disposable sheet in the doorway.

I had two impulses to come out of the shadows into the light of the tax sphere. The first time this happened was in 2011. I made a TIN, came to the tax office and said that I want to register, register and pay taxes honestly. To which I was told that there is simply no such thing as a “massage therapist who goes door to door.” You need an office designed accordingly, with all permissions. I thought it was too expensive and I didn’t earn that much. Last year, I again contacted the tax office with a similar question in the hope that something had changed in the law. It turned out that now I am considered a self-employed citizen. But tax specialists refused to advise me and answer my questions. They told me to write an official statement or request and provide all my information. But no, thank you, I only came for a consultation, maybe I don’t want the tax office to know about me.

Internet advertising

It seems to me that now the birth rate has decreased, there are fewer children. Pediatricians do not recommend massage for children. They are not saying that this is evil, just that the effectiveness has not been proven, and if there is nothing critical, then you don’t have to do it. Parents are happy that they can save money. But mostly pediatricians do this because the clinics are already fully booked for massages, they simply don’t have the resources to take on more patients.

Children and adults

I do a course of procedures until the effect is achieved. Some people manage to get results in 10 sessions; This is probably the minimum amount. But to see the effect and consolidate it, you usually need at least 12–15 procedures, and in difficult cases it can be even more.

I love children, but I will keep them around until I get my health in order, despite all the protests and tears. Children are the most unmotivated patients. The child wants to be held in his arms, to be played with and allowed to lie quietly further. If muscle tone is impaired, the massage will be associated with unpleasant sensations. In addition, I force the children to work - to do gymnastics. Usually, the attitude towards massage changes only after five to seven sessions. Children are often influenced by anxious parents and grandparents who live with them. These are Soviet people for whom the main word is “should.” They psychologically put pressure on children, they become fearful and tense, and the arrival of a new person is far from the most joyful event for them. What should I do? I’ll take it in my arms and regret it.

Sometimes I also do anti-cellulite programs. For them I need cosmetics, sheets, napkins, and these are additional expenses. Moreover, the effect will only come from a set of measures. If the client is also ready to follow a diet and drinking regime, and do physical exercises, then, as a rule, I take it on.

I refuse to work only with very unnecessary people who themselves have not understood what they need. They constantly endure it, they can go for a couple of procedures and give up. I myself have a significant disadvantage: I am an undisciplined person and am often late. There was a precedent when clients refused my services because it was inconvenient to work with me. Mom said that I was disrupting the entire routine for her and the children.

Income

I have an average of four patients a day. A massage for a child costs 1,200 rubles. In the same price I include gymnastics. I could charge separate money for exercise therapy, but purely out of love for humanity, I don’t do this. I know that one massage will not give a big effect, and the average person is lazy: he will not go to the clinic for exercise therapy, and even more so he will not exercise himself at home. The whole procedure lasts one and a half to two hours. If there are about five people a day, I can work from nine o’clock in the morning until nine in the evening, but I still need to get from one patient to another. It happens that parents sign up too. For an adult back I charge the same 1,200–1,500. Anti-cellulite programs are more expensive - from 1,500 rubles.

Since I live without any social package, if I get sick, I earn almost nothing. Few patients come before the New Year holidays - they spent everything on gifts and then they come to their senses for another month, and only at the end of January active work begins. Before the first of September, everyone spends money on school, then the child needs to get into a routine, and at this time I also have few patients. My minimum income is about 40 thousand rubles a month, and the maximum is 100 thousand. Then there were 6-7 people a day, signing up for expensive cosmetic programs.

Usually no one gets impudent and asks for a free massage. But once I was at a holiday with friends, one woman found out that I was a massage therapist, told everyone present, and a line lined up to see me: “I have pain here, I have a tightness there.” I had to say that I, in fact, also came for the holiday to relax and did not want to work now. They once explained to me that this is my job, my bread, and it’s quite normal that I get paid for the massage. I can do it for free only in one case: I know that financial position family does not allow me to complete the course, but I understand that the child needs it.

Expenses

The rent is 5 thousand rubles. I spend little on groceries. My mother and I live alone, and she takes care of the table. Sometimes I buy something occasionally and spend no more than 3–5 thousand rubles on it. I buy household products and cosmetics, but with the crisis I switched to the most budget brands - “Clean Line”, “Black Pearl”. Maybe I spend 1–2 thousand a month on this.

I have unlimited tariff on the phone and Mobile Internet, that's 2.5 thousand. I treat technology very carefully, and I have plenty of everything that has served me for many years. Four and a half years ago I bought my fifth iPhone, which I still use. Since I have only one, no laptop or tablet, there is a lot of load on it. This killed the battery and also squeezed out the screen. Two years ago I changed both, and recently the situation repeated itself again. I had to spend 3.5 thousand. The only technical problem I have is with teapots, which constantly burn out.

I usually don’t take patients who live in remote areas, but I still have to spend money on public transport. The maximum I got was 500 rubles a day, but usually it’s about a thousand a week and 4 thousand a month.

I rarely buy clothes for myself. I get a lot from my patients. It happens that a woman gives birth to a child, gains weight, cannot fit into her clothes and gives them away. Once a year I buy myself a backpack for 3 thousand, once every five years I buy good boots for 16 thousand and wear them until they die. Maybe a thousand a month on average is spent on clothes.

I am a believer, and I often give money to charity; I consider this my income tax. I can give about 5-10 thousand, depending on how much I earn. My main expenses are relatives. They often find themselves in unpleasant situations, and we have to help them. Sometimes your own son also contributes to these expenses. I have already given out loans for almost 200 thousand. From time to time I send money to relatives or buy something. I can’t even calculate how much I spent on it. Probably 15–20 thousand per month.

I have practically no entertainment. Sometimes I go on walking tours and concerts. These are all budget options. I get sick about three times a year, and I only buy vitamins all the time. In the last two years I have gone on vacation. Moreover, if the year before last it was quite budgetary, then in the past a vacation in a sanatorium cost me 100 thousand rubles. A sanatorium in Russia, in the Novgorod region, I spent three weeks there, taking additional procedures. If you divide everything by a year, then a month comes out to 10–12 thousand.

Hello, dear readers! Coolest article today! The idea to highlight the issues and problems of micro-businesses in the field of massage services came to me a long time ago. Not knowing the intricacies of this issue, I turned for professional advice to one of our readers, who has been engaged in professional massage for many years and at the same time is the owner of several massage parlors. I prepared questions for him and based on them an interesting article turned out. We present to your attention our material.

Important Preface

A massage business is a type of activity in which the business entrepreneurial qualities and organizational skills of the business owner, combined with the fairly high professionalism of the massage service provider, are important.

If we talk about the massage business from ZERO, then it is immediately necessary to identify a number of points.

What should be understood by the initial condition “from scratch”?

If you are an absolute zero in the profession and decide to start your own business, then leave this idea. Burn out. The best thing to do in such a situation is to focus on professional growth and qualifications. Stuff your hand as employee, form your client base. This requires some time and, possibly, money to complete additional training programs. In a word, invest in yourself first, and then think about business.

A young ambitious businessman for whom massage services are his first business project, in my opinion, will most likely be disappointed. This type of business has its own characteristics related to the field of application (medicine, sports, cosmetology, spa, etc.), features legal regulation, seasonality of demand, etc. In addition, the project of a separate massage room is unlikely to be promising. In a starting business project, you need to focus on a network of several offices, or on a separate salon. This requires quite serious investments. The second problem is personnel selection. The opening salon should have enough professional staff and a competent manager. Good specialists cost the appropriate money. In short, you can’t get away with minimum wage here. So, we won’t talk about this in our article.

A possible option is investing in an account, for example, on the p2p principle. But this is a different business.

Taking into account the above, I believe that the massage business from scratch (with minimum investment) can only be opened by a person who is potentially competitive. He must not only produce the service itself with high quality, but be able to adequately present it on the market and sell it profitably. In this case, it is more correct to talk about “self-employment”. With certain aspirations, you can develop into a full-fledged business.

So, the decision has been made. Where to begin

Take a piece of paper and formulate the IDEA of your business in the form of a drawing or summary text. Reflect on the following questions:

office location.
what massage services will be provided, will there be a specialization (for example, therapeutic massage, cosmetology, SPA, etc.), or is more expected? wide range services (then which?);
potential consumer of the service (age, gender, social group, income level, etc.)
proposed organizational and legal form of business.

It is better to open an office in existing specialized institutions: medical centers, sports clubs, bath complexes, beauty salons, etc.

Firstly, these organizations already have a sanitary and fire certificate, and also a medical license, and you only need to draw up a lease agreement correctly.

Secondly, these institutions have good traffic, and some visitors will definitely be interested in your services.

On initial stage You can do without an office at all if you provide massage services to clients at their home or office. Some of my friends do exactly this. True, more often this is not a business, but rather a part-time job.

However, this option has existed for a long time and has its advantages, especially when working with corporate and “family” client groups. Disadvantages include instability of income at the start without a good client base and loss of time on travel.

Substantial shipping costs may apply. They are sometimes associated not only with the operation of the car, but also with the possible need to purchase it.

Then write a DESCRIPTION.

Draw approximate diagram office and auxiliary premises (if any), determine the set of inventory and equipment, the need for preparatory work. Here, indicate the corporate style and features of the interior.

Marketing research

Competition assessment.

Having decided to open a business, you probably said to yourself - So what? Why not me! Not bad, but not enough.
Identify your closest competitors, their strengths and weak sides. After this, honestly answer yourself the question of why you are better than your rivals. Find at least 3-4 objective advantages. If you cannot do this, then postpone your idea until better times.

Advertising strategy.

Massage services are classified as personal services for a reason. Best advertising will be yours professional reputation. It will spread by word of mouth. Anyway, this is one of the effective ways advertising, especially for small cities.

Don’t forget to notify your regular customers, loved ones, friends, colleagues, especially those who regularly refer clients to you that you are opening your own business. Please provide communication methods and contacts, as well as the address of the new reception location.

Purchase handout flyers and invitation business cards in advance. This tool is especially effective in the hands of your grateful patients. We have many wonderful people who, inspired by the results of your work, will ask permission to give your contact number to relatives and friends. If you not only allow, but also provide such a client with business cards or flyers, he will begin distribution with greater initiative.

Various branded little things with a logo and contacts are quite attractive to customers: pocket calendars, key rings, pens, notepads, magnets. Give them to your clients as gifts. Customers often take them and keep them for a long time. At the right time, these souvenirs will remind you of you.

The Internet helps a lot. Especially if you are young and active on social media. networks and on various forums. Availability of at least a simple business card website, page on social networks, etc. will become a mandatory attribute in a situation where you plan to start or specialize in field services.

Feel free to provide information about yourself. It is clear that we love with our ears, but if real evidence is presented to support the words, then this is only a plus. Place copies of educational documents, diplomas of achievement, awards, and photographs in your office. On the website, create a resume about yourself, your experience and competence. Make an album there for photo and video materials. It’s good if the site has a reviews page.
This is your professional pride.

Near your office, if possible, set up a small information stand for your potential visitors. Indicate your full name, work schedule (days and hours of reception), contacts for pre-registration. It is advisable to place several business cards there. At the stand it is possible to place a short summary about your professional competence, provide information about the types of massage services and their costs.

Almost every specialist has creative or socially active people among his clients. Many of them will definitely invite you to their concert, creative meeting, exhibition, meeting of the club of mothers or vigorous athletes. Don't hesitate, be sure to go. Most likely, your client will introduce you to guests in public, or at a cocktail party. You will leave this meeting with several new clients.

Sales promotion methods.

In this component, there is no need to rush and organize loud promotions, such as “We are open, the first session is free, the rest are 50% discount.” However, a correct and well-thought-out sales promotion strategy creates conditions for the formation and expansion of a customer base.

When starting your business, incentivize those who work for your business. First of all, these are “propagandists” from among colleagues, related staff and grateful clients. At the start, reasonable family and corporate discounts pay off. Later, connect a bonus program for regular customers. Bonuses for repeat clients for pre-registration and for prepayment of half or the entire course work well.

At the same time, do not try to give discounts and bonuses to everyone. First, determine for yourself who should be considered a regular customer, who should be a repeat customer, who should be given a “family discount,” and in what situation we can talk about corporate service. It would be better if all this was attached to your price list, placed in a visible place in your office, reflected on the website, in handouts.

Immediately stop those who start talking about discounts right away. Charity is a necessary thing. But do it of your own free will, and not under the coercion of others.

Organizational planning

Having started independent practice, you need to clearly understand the entire scope of work, duties and responsibilities. At the start, it is very important to decide on the work schedule, support and support of the business.

Work schedule.

Set appointment days and hours. Try to stick to your chosen schedule from the very beginning. Remember that maintaining a work-rest schedule is the key to longevity in the massage profession.

Organization of recording.

Divide the record into the current one (within the current working week) and preliminary (for subsequent periods). Determine recording methods and means of fixing it. To make an appointment in advance, be sure to set up a feedback form with the client to clarify the necessary information.

At the initial stage, to organize this work, it is enough to make a file cabinet, get a diary and a cell phone. The card index allows you to record clients, analyze the structure of applications (gender, age, problem, etc.), distribute clients into categories: primary, repeat, permanent, etc. Analysis of the file cabinet gives grounds for reflection on the prospects for business development. Keep a small registration card for each patient. Please indicate your full name. h.m.g. birth, contacts, date and reason for initial treatment, technique used, number of procedures and results. Record all subsequent requests on the same card. Place the cards in alphabetical order in binders.

Security.

Make a list of necessary consumables and establish the procedure for purchasing them. Make purchases with a small margin.
If the office is rented, then immediately clarify the cleaning procedure. Cleaning is usually included in the terms of the rental. Do not forget that general cleaning should be carried out weekly. Most likely you will need to pay extra for the cleaning lady, or do it yourself.

Business support.

Your business may need consulting on tax reporting, finance, legal issues. The market for these services is replete with offers. All you have to do is choose the option that suits you.

An important digression.

It is necessary to point out the ethical aspects of business, namely issues in relationships with clients.

Develop a strategy for behavior and communication with clients.
Be neat, friendly, friendly.
Do not establish familiar relations.
Do not give reasons for flirting, resolutely stop all such attempts.
Do not allow your dignity and professional reputation to be humiliated.
Don’t be shy about turning the insolent person out the door.

Business registration

The tax base depends on many factors. In our business, not all expenses can be reported, even the rental of premises. I think this is the optimal tax regime. In general, there is an excellent article about the choice of taxation.

Initial Investment

To open a massage parlor, capital costs (initial investment) are required. These include: the purchase of equipment, furniture, inventory, start-up expenses for advertising and other start-up expenses.

There is no point in dwelling on the list of necessary inventory and equipment. It is covered in almost every massage textbook. However, the main attribute of the office will be the massage table. There is a great variety of them. To begin with, it is better to purchase a folding table. It will be indispensable if you are planning on-site or corporate services. Prices for such tables vary widely. A fairly high-quality folding table can be bought for 12-15 thousand rubles. About the same amount will need to be spent on the rest of the furniture: a desk, a couple of chairs, a screen, a wardrobe, a rack for creams, towels, sheets, a treatment clock.

Other start-up costs include purchasing a worker cell phone(the option is a recommendation), a diary for recording clients, production of account cards, purchasing a convenient work clothes and shoes. You can budget about 5 thousand rubles for this.

Thus, we summarize and we get that to open your own account you will need from 30-35 thousand rubles.

This is not entirely from scratch, but it is quite an affordable amount. At the same time, there is always the possibility of maneuver and savings. Even with a not very successful start and a stable minimum attendance, it will be possible to return the invested funds in 3-4 months.

Financial and production planning

Based on the chosen work schedule and type of massage services, determine the approximate number of visitors and the monthly revenue of the office.

Different types of massage require different procedure times - from 20-30 minutes. up to 1.5 – 2 hours. When planning, it is wise to set an average duration of 60 minutes.

Divide the number of working hours by the average procedure duration to obtain the average number of patients per day at maximum load.

Calculate the average check.

This indicator can be determined in two ways:

take the average value from your price list;
take the average value of the 2-3 most popular services according to your observation.

The second option is more preferable.

Now we can determine revenue at 100% load by multiplying the average number of visitors per day by the average check and the number of working days in the month.

For a more accurate forecast, seasonality must be taken into account. The peak in demand occurs in the spring, when people begin to prepare for the beach season. In summer there is a decline. In autumn, demand increases (the gardening season ends), and in winter, the demand for massage is at average levels.

In the first month of work you can count on 3-4 clients per day, in the second and third months – on 5-6 clients. The total time to reach the planned indicators directly depends on the contractor. Reaching a stable figure of 7-9 people per day can be considered quite successful.

Determine your monthly costs.

The cost structure can be divided into four main groups:

costs of renting premises and utilities;
costs of providing and maintaining business;
mandatory payments (taxes, Pension Fund, etc.);
other costs.

Rent and utilities will be the main monthly expense. There are a great variety of rental options. This could be a fixed monthly payment, a certain percentage from each client, etc. When concluding a rental agreement, pay attention to the payment procedure utilities, provision of cleaning services, compliance with sanitary and epidemiological regulations. regime and fire safety. It will be good if the terms of the contract take into account your business start and provide for reduced rates in the first 2-3 months. Don't hesitate to talk to your potential landlord about this. If you have a choice of several options, also do not hesitate to say so during negotiations.

Avoid the conditions of “let’s start like this and then we’ll see.” They might look at you later and make you regret opening an office. The result of the negotiations should be clear terms and prospects for you, as well as a fixed, transparent rent amount, without hidden additional payments.

The costs of providing and maintaining a business will include expenses on advertising, the purchase of consumables (creams and oils, consumable soft equipment). When planning field work, consider travel costs.

If there is a need to attract additional personnel or consultants, then plan funds to pay for their labor.

Obligatory payments.

This includes paying taxes and...

Other operating expenses.

Here you need to take into account both planned expenses (for example, delivery drinking water to the office) and unexpected expenses. They are therefore unforeseen because it is difficult to predict them in advance. In general, when planning, it is best to allocate a certain percentage of revenue to this expense item, say 5-10%.

So now we have three main indicators:

start-up investments;
planned revenue;
monthly costs.

Now you can assess the prospects of your independent business by calculating your net profit.
In our case, it will be determined by the difference between income and expenses. Compare the data you receive with your current financial situation. If you see prospects and feel confident in yourself, then you can start.

I'm deliberately avoiding specific numbers., because starting conditions depend on a variety of factors, features of the local market for massage services, demand, client solvency, specialist qualifications, etc. Indicated only general schemes and calculation methods.

Personnel control

Now let's talk about how to monitor the masters so that they do not steal clients into their pockets.

Yes, indeed, such a problem exists. It is connected, in my opinion, with the lack of normal organization of labor and production control, unformed traditions corporate ethics, the lack of progressive labor incentive programs.

Sometimes they work personal qualities both employee and employer. When hiring an employee, it is necessary to explain it from the first day job responsibilities, working hours and regulations, corporate style and ethics standards, procedures for recording your work, filing reports, financial discipline. For each type there must be forms of control. Complex methods can be used when several components are checked at once labor activity. For example, you can simply go in and check your presence at the workplace. Or you can invite an employee with a log of procedures performed per shift, client registration cards, BSO forms (if the massage therapist himself accepts payment) or invite an administrator for financial reconciliation. Such procedures should be fairly regular, then they are not perceived as something extraordinary.

At the same time, excessive control and unreasonably harsh punishments for violations create nervousness among conscientious workers. On the contrary, this situation encourages “leftist” lovers to search for even more sophisticated ways of putting your money into their pockets.

Analyzing my activities, I can confidently say that “leftism” cannot be eliminated at all. But it can be reduced to an acceptable size through legalization, calling it new forms of material interest and bonuses for the employee. For example, allow an employee, upon achieving certain indicators, to take one step “for himself”, allocate him exact time. He will still drag one of his own even without your permission. Don't prohibit employees from accepting gifts and money from grateful clients and don't impose your "local taxes" on them.

The second way is to develop partnerships with employees. Only equal and mutual focus on results gives the desired result.

The combination of these two methods can form a good team and lead your business to success.

Minor possible changes

Talking about massage business, it should be said about possible future “prospects”.

Today, massage can be provided as a medical service (medical massage), as well as a physical education and health service (OKVED code 93.04) and a beauty salon service (OKVED code 93.02)

Should come into effect from January 2016 new OKVED 2.

The wording of physical education and health services will change.

Code 96.04. Physical education and health activities.

This grouping includes: activities of Turkish baths, saunas and steam baths, solariums, weight loss and weight loss salons, etc.

This group does not include:

activity massage parlors, see 86.90;
activities of health centers, fitness clubs, bodybuilding clubs and gymnasiums, see 93.13

Code 86.90. Other activities in the field of medicine.

This grouping includes:

human health activities not performed by hospitals, doctors or dentists;
activities of nurses, midwives, physiotherapists or other paraprofessionals medical personnel in the field of optometry, hydrotherapy, massage, occupational therapy, speech therapy, foot care, homeopathy, manual reflexology, acupuncture, etc.

These types of activities can be carried out in medical organizations operating in enterprises, schools, nursing homes, and other organizations, as well as in private consulting rooms, in patients' homes and in other places

This group also includes:

activities of auxiliary dental personnel, for example dental therapists, nurses in school dental offices, dental hygienists who may work separately or under the supervision of dentists;
activities of medical laboratories, such as x-ray laboratories and other diagnostic centers; blood research laboratories;
activities of blood banks, sperm banks, organs for transplantation, etc.;
activities for transporting patients by any medical vehicles, including airplanes.

These transportation services are provided in case of a serious patient condition.

86.90.1 Activities of sanitary and epidemiological service organizations
86.90.2 Activities of forensic medical examination organizations
86.90.3 Activities of massage parlors
86.90.4 Activities of sanatorium and resort organizations

This grouping includes: medical care provided medical organizations(sanatorium-resort organizations) for preventive, therapeutic and rehabilitation purposes based on the use of natural healing resources in conditions of stay in health-improving areas and resorts.

86.90.9 Other activities in the field of medicine, not included in other groups.

So, it is now assumed that massage in our country is exclusively a medical service. Accordingly, everyone will need to obtain a medical license. This is quite difficult and expensive.

It is noteworthy that the Introduction of the OKVED Code coming into force contains the phrase:

OKVED 2 is built on the basis of harmonization with the official version in Russian of the Statistical Classification of Species economic activity in the European Economic Community (revision 2) - Statistical classification of economic activities in the European Community (NACE Rev.2) by maintaining in OKVED 2 (from NACE Rev.2) codes (up to four characters inclusive) and names of the corresponding groupings without changing the volumes concepts.

I wasn’t too lazy and looked at the official translation.

869 Other activities to protect human health. See subgroup 8690.

8690 Other human health activities.

This subgroup includes: human health activities not carried out by hospitals or physicians or dentists, activities of nurses, midwives, physiotherapists and other paramedical personnel in the fields of optometry, hydrotherapy, massage therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, foot care, homeopathy, manual therapy, acupuncture, etc.

These services may be provided in health centers such as those operated by companies, schools, nursing homes, labor organizations and societies, in residential health care facilities other than hospitals, as well as on-site premises at the point of service, in patients' homes or in other places. These services do not provide medical treatment.

This subgroup also includes:

the activities of dental auxiliary personnel, such as dental therapists, school-based dental nurses, and dental hygienists, who may work separately from, but under the periodic supervision of, the dentist.
activities of medical laboratories, such as:
x-ray laboratories and other diagnostic imaging centers
blood analysis laboratory.
activities of blood banks, sperm banks, organ banks for transplantation, etc.
urgent transportation of patients by any type of ambulance transport, including air. These services are often provided within ambulance services.

This subgroup does not include:

manufacture of artificial teeth, bridges and removable dentures by dental laboratories, see 3250
transportation of patients without the use of equipment and personnel to provide emergency care, see subsections 49,50,51
non-medical laboratory testing, see 7120
carrying out food hygiene inspections, see 7120
hospital activities, see 8610
medical and dental practice activities, see 8620
activities of institutions providing nursing care, see 8710

As you can see, the text is quite different, so it is incorrect to talk about “...without changing the scope of concepts.” The original text talks specifically about therapeutic massage and says nothing about massage parlors.

In addition, it should be taken into account that in Europe, physiotherapists, reflexotherapists, manual therapists belong to the category of paramedics, for the most part they are trained in physical education and sports educational institutions, or in courses like VTCT Level 3 – 5.

The original contains one key phrase: “These services do not provide medical treatment” (c).

In practice this means that this type activities are not licensed. Anyone wishing to engage in such practice, in addition to solving tax issues, must take out civil liability insurance. When applying for such insurance, the level of education, documented qualifications, progression in CPD (continuous professional development program), work experience in the specialty, and membership in a professional community are taken into account.

In NACE Rev.2, where can you find massage parlors that do not provide therapeutic massage services?

Here it is: 9609 Provision of other personal services not included in others
categories.

This subgroup includes: activities of Turkish baths, saunas and steam baths, solariums, weight loss and weight loss salons, massage parlors, etc.

Thus, the proposed innovations do not correspond to the existing international practice. On the contrary, they contradict it.

In general, I agree that order should be established in the field of massage services. But instead of finally deciding on the profession of a massage therapist (not to be confused with nurse massage), to create competitive conditions and a transparent market, we are following the path of prohibitions through classifying massage as an exclusively medical service.

Where it leads?

Nothing good will happen!

Many massage specialists simply will not be able to officially practice their profession, especially in conditions private practice. A medical license requires a secondary medical degree. education and experience in the specialty “medical massage”. Specialists with physical education education who are much better prepared for similar work than doctors, will not be able to obtain the license required under the new rules.

As a result, many will have to change the sign, become “traditional healers”, and be cunning in terminology and wording. This will confuse the situation even more. Both professionals and consumers of the service will lose.

Conclusion

But these amendments are only possible and it is not a fact that everything will be so bad. In any case, the business is interesting, profitable and there is room for development. If you have questions, ask in the comments. We will not leave anyone unanswered.

One day I came across an interview. In it, a girl who moved from Russia to some Scandinavian country told how cool it was for her to work there as a masseuse. The minimum income, according to her, was equivalent to 5 thousand US dollars per month, she worked a lot, but without overexerting herself. Most importantly, I thoroughly enjoyed my profession.

At that time, I was, as they say, in a “creative search” for my dream business, so I was very interested in this information. “Five thousand bucks!”: I began to reason.

“Well, okay, let’s make a discount on Russia... how much can you earn here... well, fifty, well, a hundred thousand rubles”...

Immediately my eyes misted over the picture with half-naked girls of appetizing shapes standing in line in front of the door of my massage parlor...

The decision was made with lightning speed. I want to be a massage therapist! This is my dream job!

To master the profession of a massage therapist you must:

- or go to study at medical institution(University, college) to the department where they teach the subject “medical massage”,

– or graduate from a physical education academy, where the discipline “Massage and physical therapy” is required,

– or study at one of the many paid courses with the qualification “Massage Therapist”.

One clarification: medical education gives more advantages over others, since such a professional can get a job in any medical institution (clinic, hospital, sanatorium), providing treatment with the help of massage procedures, while without it you have no right to treat.

Relax, tone, heal, but do not treat!

In principle, therapeutic massage makes up a small proportion of the “total mass”, so most massage therapists live well without medical education.

I don’t have a medical education, but I do have a physical education degree, received ten years ago. While studying at the academy, there was only one subject that I constantly missed, so I received a pass in it only “for a present.”

Unfortunately, this subject was massage... And in the specialty I received, I have never worked a day in my life...

Well, there was a third option: take a course. Fortunately, there are quite a lot of them in this specialty.

Massage courses are the easiest and fastest option to gain a profession. The duration of training is most often one and a half to two months.

An educational institution must have a license for educational activities. Therefore, when choosing a place of study, make sure that it is licensed, otherwise you will receive a “filkin’s certificate” instead of a document.

The standard course program includes the subject “Basic (health) massage.” This is the minimum that allows a specialist to start his activity.

The cost of the basic course is approximately from 8 to 15 thousand rubles. But there are also periods of discounts. Usually before major holidays or during the summer off-season. At this time, the cost may decrease to 4-5 thousand rubles for the basic course.

In addition to wellness, for an additional fee you will be offered other massage specialties, for example, anti-cellulite, cupping, sports, honey massages and so on. This is also recorded in the certificate.

If finances allow, be sure to study two or three of these specialties. Firstly, more high qualification, naturally, will be a big plus in the future.

Secondly, a future employer or a fastidious patient will definitely ask you to show the document. The trust is higher according to the one who knows more.

It is clear that different training centers offer different quality of training. Here I can only advise based on real reviews about them.

After calling five or six companies in my city, I chose the one that best suited my needs and signed up. The training lasted approximately a month and a half. The result was a certificate with the qualifications “wellness, anti-cellulite, cupping and honey massages.”

Yes, by the way, the opportunity to take courses remotely has appeared on the Internet. If you are tempted to learn from a distance, I will say that massage is, first of all, a practice.

Moreover, one of the most important tasks of the teacher is to “position” your hands: to teach you competent manipulation of the hands, taking into account the nature of the movement, the force of pressure, and so on, as well as the correct position of the body during the procedure (back pain is one of the professional diseases of massage therapists with incorrect posture) .

Therefore, learning massage at a distance is the same as making, say, love on Skype...

Once you have received your certificate, you can do the following:

– start your own business right away,

– get a hired job at first,

– combine both options.

I started with the first, however, I soon switched to the second, and then to the third method. But first things first.

Starting a business

Having become a qualified specialist, I immediately bought the following equipment:

– portable massage table with roller and pillow – 4500 rubles,

– a set of massage oils: base oils (peach, coconut, grape seed), essential oils: lemon, grapefruit, orange, juniper – 600 rubles,

– anti-cellulite gel – 400 rubles,

– Consumables(disposable sheets, towels, a set of plastic jars, medical gloves, chlorhexidine) – 350 rubles.

If you decide to work both at home and away, take a portable folding table. When folded, it looks like a hefty diplomat. It can be more or less conveniently transported. The cost of such a table is from 3,500 rubles and above. I don’t recommend taking the cheapest one - their design is very unreliable and will break quite quickly.

Whether to massage with oils or creams, or in some other way is up to you. I initially liked oils. They have different effects on the body, they can be combined, or you can get by with one base.

If you intend to do “anti-cellulite”, choose anti-cellulite products according to the circumstances. The most common criterion for their selection is a warming or cooling or neutral effect.

Always have disposable supplies on hand.

Clients, promotion features

To promote his services, he created accounts on Instagram and Vkontakte, began posting interesting posts about massage, inviting people with the “First massage is free” campaign.

I also posted an ad on Avito, which was blocked half an hour later. Yes, according to the Avito rules, you cannot place ads offering massage therapist services, you just have to come to terms with it.

There are, of course, workarounds, but they are ineffective. One way is to submit an ad in the “Job Search - Resume” section.

I posted an ad on Yulia. Moderation there is less strict. “Yule” is still far from “Avito” in terms of the number of users, this can be seen almost immediately, but the first client came from there.

I was called to give a hand massage to my bedridden grandfather. For my first order, I didn’t need a table, oil, or consumables. The asking price is 300 rubles. The customer did not agree to more, but I was simply happy with the first order.

The guys are beginner massage therapists!

If you're dreaming of crowds of half-naked girls who only dream of lying on your table, exposing their buttocks, cool down!

90% of specialists spend most of their time working with bodies aged 50+ who are far from model in appearance and, moreover, not always cleanly washed.

Girls who have just received their diploma and think that they will only meet decent, intelligent patients!

I will warn you: you are unlikely to be able to avoid periodic male advances and questions about intimacy. You need to mentally prepare for this in advance. Naturally, try not to visit complete strangers.

Understand one more thing: a massage therapist does not just deal with a person, he works with the body, and with the naked one. It is not always elastic and pleasant to the touch; most often, it is senile, flabby, and has many consequences of ailments (fat, psoriasis, scars, scars...).

Each patient has his own specific smell. To be honest, after some you have to literally run out Fresh air catch my breath. And with all this, you must be smiling and courteous.

This business is akin to self-sacrifice.

But how nice it is to see the results of your labors! Smooth, tight-free backs and shoulders! Girls who got rid of excess folds on the sides or “orange peel”! They are simply ready to carry you in their arms!..

Two weeks passed and still no orders. By the way, there were plenty of views on Yulia, and the account was gaining popularity on Instagram. People actively liked the posts, but were in no hurry to buy.

In general, a massage service is based on trust. Well, tell me, can you calmly undress next to a person unknown to you and lie down on his couch? Does the fact that someone else's hands will touch you make you think about relaxation?..

It follows from this that for novice professionals, looking for clients remotely is the most ineffective activity.

Of course, if you're a pretty girl posting pictures of your body on social media, men will line up. The only question is for what services.

But how can you get these very satisfied ones, if no one is in a hurry to sign up with you even for free?!

The answer came naturally: you need to go where this client lives. That is, get a job either in a salon or in a clinic.

Successful business strategy

In the beauty salon where I came to get a job, they looked at my documents, asked a couple of questions and nodded approvingly. A massage therapist is not a vacancy where there are “two hundred people per place.”

The salary was a daily payment of 1000 rubles at the end of the working day.

For visitors to the salon, who mostly came for a haircut or manicure, the administrator offered a free 15-minute massage session. If the client liked it, he bought the next one.

On the first day I did almost a dozen free procedures. Over the next month, he “plowed like hell.”

But for that I received invaluable practical experience, took several dozen contacts potential clients, and also realized that a good massage therapist must also be a good salesman.

In addition to performing their direct duties, it is critically important for a specialist to learn how to sell their services: make self-presentations during procedures, give favorable answers to patients’ questions, make upsells (upsells), and persuade people to buy long-term courses.

If a massage therapist does not learn this, then his work will be reduced only to finding new customers. Your goal is regular customers who come to you year after year, bringing their relatives, friends and acquaintances.

A month later, “enlightened,” I rented a massage room in another beauty salon. Yes, many salons rent out their offices.

Rental prices are completely different, sometimes beyond any logic. In my case, rent cost 5 thousand rubles per month.

I started working with the list of clients I had collected over the course of a month. I continued to work for hire for some time until the rented place began to bring in money.

Over the next three months, patients slowly filled the office. My prices were approximately average for the city.

The portable couch also came in handy: many visitors to the salon asked to come to their home, which I did, serving, in addition to themselves, their relatives. For an additional fee, of course.

In general, when setting the price for their services, a novice massage therapist usually sets a price below average. This is understandable: the lower the authority, the lower the price tag.

I can only advise you to immediately make a note in your price list that low price– a temporary phenomenon. It is valid, for example, for a month. An interesting “trick” with crossed out numbers is when the price for the service you are striving for is crossed out in the price list, and the low, current cost is written next to it.

All this will help you increase your income by more in the future. high level, simply removing smaller numbers from the price list.

As for my profit, I earned, on average, about 60 thousand rubles a month. This is approximately 2-4 patients per day.

Now I don’t rent a salon and don’t conduct active massage activities. Switched to others interesting activities. However, I still accept regular clients. They make up some of my passive income.

Conclusions:

Massage is quite advantageous view business, but on one condition: if you understand that this is not entertainment with half-naked guys and girls, but serious, sometimes not very pleasant work related to helping people.

A profitable massage therapist is a combination of professional skills, psychological stability, sales ability and lack of disgust towards someone else’s body.

The main source of income is satisfied customers who come again and again. The main capital is real positive recommendations of you as a great specialist.

Constantly learn new things and improve! There are a great many types and subtypes of massage. Fashion trends appear and disappear, which, if you want to increase your income, you must catch, adapt and sell.

Good luck to you in this difficult but very noble business!

P.S.: Several of my colleagues are massage therapists in summer season leaving for the Black Sea coast. To earn money. They give massages to vacationers on the beaches. On average, they earn, according to them, about one hundred thousand rubles a month.

They combine, so to speak, business with pleasure.

home » Useful » Is it worth getting a massage? Massage parlor at home as a business. What a massage therapist should be able to do and know