July 24th, 2006 Julie Onofrio
One of the things you can do with your website to create additional income is to sell
things through affiliate programs or sell your own ebook that you write about a specific topic.
Affiliate programs are programs with companies that pay you when you refer someone to the other website and a person makes a purchase there. Like I sell books through Amazon.com and I also am an affiliate of Sitebuildit! so when I talk about a book and refer people to amazon.com or talk about building a website with Sitebuildit! I get paid.
The way to sell affiliate programs is to learn to write about them from your own perspective - what have they done for you and what can they do for others. You should own or use the affiliate programs you promote as you need to know if they are reliable to send people to. You could lose clients or readers if the company has bad customer service or slow service.
To learn more about how to add affiliate programs to your website for additional income see the free Affiliate Masters Manual from Sitebuildit.
Posted in Websites for Massage therapists | No Comments »
July 23rd, 2006 Julie Onofrio
I am setting up a new website for my clinic using the Sitebuildit! system to compare to my website at www.citycentermassage.com
My current site has generated some new clients each month but mainly insurance clients looking for more information on me.
I am intending to get away from taking insurance for payment as they don’t pay as well and they take to long to pay.
My new site will be www.massageseattle.net and I am strictly following the SBI way which is to build pages with keyword focused topics. If you take a look at the website you will see the title of pages and how the page content directly reflects the file name and description. This is what the search engines will read when they are scanning your site for information and it is what will come up in the listing of your site.
The first part of building a website that works is about creating keyword focused topics for the search engines and people who are searching for such topics - getting your page to the top of google results. The next part is getting the person who just searched for “massage seattle” to click on my page and call!
The SBI system (take the quick slide show on SBI) tells you everything you need to do to make this happen. They are in the business of overdelivering everything to assist you in being successful.
If you have any questions about building a website for your massage practice or starting an online business for a second income, just let me know…
Posted in Websites for Massage therapists | No Comments »
July 22nd, 2006 Julie Onofrio
My code of the caretaker theory states that what we often try or want to do for others is often what we need to do for ourselves. I am starting to see it in all aspects of the massage profession - in how we try to “fix” our clients, how we give and give and feel like we get little in return and how many massage therapists are constantly struggling to make ends meet.
Mikelann Valterra in her book “Why Women Earn Le$$ - How to make what you are really worth talks about it too but she calls it “waiting to be rescued” from having to step up and create a successful business ourselves. I think it applies to the massage profession in general and not just women.
It shows up when we try to market ourselves or promote ourselves. What stops massage therapists from asking for what they need? You need clients and a reasonable fee so that you can continue to be in business.
I have heard many massage therapists say things like “I shouldn’t have to advertise - doctors don’t advertise” or they think just because they open an office that people will come magically into their space. You don’t have to be like a used car salesman. What you do need is a purpose and passion for what you do and the ability to be unstoppable.
What are you willing to do and learn about yourself in order to be successful”
Posted in Peer Supervision, Recommended Reading, The Code of the Caretaker, The Wealthy Massage Therapist | 1 Comment »
July 21st, 2006 Julie Onofrio
Is your massage practice a hobby or a business?
A hobby is something that drains money from your account rather than adding to it.
A hobby is something that brings you lots of joy, but little money.
Many massage therapists treat their business as a hobby - they don’t take it seriously. I have had so many people say how they can’t get enough clients but yet when I ask them what they are doing to market themselves, they say nothing…I have to get on that one.
A business requires a passion and purpose for doing things like a hobby does, but it also requires that you have a plan for making money.
Many massage therapists say that they are not in this for the money. This is the biggest part of the shadow side of the profession - not wanting to make money helping others.
Mikeann Valterra in her book “Why Women Earn Less: How to Make What You’re Really Worth” calls it Noble Poverty. We sacrifice ourselves for others thinking it will provide more meaning or that it is for the good of the world.
We somewhere along the way start to think that in order to have money we will have to sacrifice or give up something of ourselves. We start living a simple lifestyle saying that we don’t want to be a part of the corporate hustle. We start to think that having money is somehow wrong.
Our belief that not having money is noble is what keeps us stuck not having any money. We think that not having to work so hard will allow us to have more freedom.
But when you don’t have money you don’t have freedom.
How is not being able to pay your taxes and bills or retire doing a service for the world?
The root of money issues is really a self-esteem issue. How do we keep ourselves stuck by choosing the massage profession itself.
The more people start discussing their thoughts and beliefs about money, the sooner we can help change the struggling massage profession into one where money just flows.
Posted in Building Your Practice, Peer Supervision, Recommended Reading, Starting Your Practice, The Wealthy Massage Therapist | 3 Comments »
July 19th, 2006 Julie Onofrio
Raising your rates is always one of these controversial things.
We think that by having lower rates we are serving someone who is unable to
afford our services.
Everyone should raise their rates every two years by 10% to stay in business.
Everytime I raised my rates I would have some that left but I would also have some new clients who were willing to pay my going rate. It just feels better making more- I know that may sound shallow to some, but it is true. When I work on people who are using their insurance companies benefits and those benefits pay me waaayyy less than my going rate - I can’t help but to put them last on the list to get appointments and I keep to my 50 minute session and never go extra. I might go a few minutes over with someone paying cash who is not yet a regular client.
I think things like this go on in most massage therapists heads…but they are just afraid to admit these things as it will make them appear “bad people”.
What thoughts do you have about your rates and your clients who ask to pay you less?
What thoughts do you have about raising your rates? What do you think will happen if you raise your rates? Will you lose clients?
massage therapy
Posted in Building Your Practice, Peer Supervision, Starting Your Practice, The Wealthy Massage Therapist | 1 Comment »
