Many individuals enter a massage therapy career with a sincere intent to contribute to the natural health care field. However, many massage therapists do not invest in small business practice management or marketing courses and leave the field of massage therapy within the first few years. Massage therapy must be viewed as a small business opportunity.

Like similar small businesses, a massage therapy practice must be viewed with a practical day-to-day business mind and perspective. Massage therapists must be able to:

• Build a clientele and recognize the type of client they are targeting.


• Identify client sources and referral opportunities.


• Develop marketing materials tailored to client sources.


• Join professional associations. These associations often offer members use of logos and other marketing collateral to assist in building a massage practice.


• Invest time in marketing their business weekly, especially important for massage therapists who intend to develop their part-time practice into a full-time practice.


• Network with local allopathic health care practitioners, such as doctors and physiotherapists.


• Network at health care conventions and fairs.


• Promote their massage business through public speaking.


• Keep clients as repeat clients.


• Participate in Massage Therapy Awareness Week, an event tailored to introduce the public and potential clients to the benefits of massage therapy. Also an opportunity for networking with other massage therapists.


• Stay informed by taking continual education classes in massage therapy.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, massage therapy employment is expected to grow faster than average over the 2006-16 period as more people learn about the benefits of massage therapy.

The beginning of the year is a great time to enroll in Acupuncture & Massage College´s Massage Therapy program. AMC´s Massage Therapy Certificate program offers a comprehensive curriculum of massage techniques. The program is designed for students seeking a career in the field of bodywork as well as practitioners who want to offer additional modalities to their patients. The program enrolls applicants on a monthly basis.

For information about Acupuncture & Massage College´s Oriental Medicine and Massage Therapy programs call Joe Calareso, Admissions Director, at (305) 595-9500.