Massage and bodywork therapists often find themselves in a position where we’re doing everything we can think of to grow our business – we’re checking all of the marketing tasks off the list – but it’s just not delivering enough paying clients.

After years of working with skilled, big-hearted therapists (and having my own Wait List status practice) I know that 99% of the time, there’s likely a missing piece of the puzzle. It’s not just about networking and posting on social media and hoping that people find you…

In order to fill your practice, you’ve got to be both a Pro and a CEO. And you’ve got to work on the business side of your practice, just as much as the therapeutic side (if not more, when you’re starting out!)

But how EXACTLY do you do that?

Start by taking a look at a framework I’ve developed to help you to see clearly the different phases that need to be in place for your business to flourish:

There are 5 areas you need to have in place to have a successful, sustainable bodywork biz — these are the key areas that we all have to look at in our business.

To be a PRO, you need to Work toward Mastery in your modality, and you must Create a Safe Container for your clients. Then you become a CEO by diving into the business side of your practice. This is where you Reflect, Build, and Sustain a practice that is perfect for you.

Often, the piece that is missing for practitioners struggling with their businesses is Creating a Safe Container.

In my experience, bodyworkers are wonderful at creating a safe therapeutic environment for their clients — you let your clients know what to expect, practice proper draping techniques, and are careful not to go beyond your scope of practice.

But it’s just as important to create a safe container with the business side of your practice.

This includes things like having strong timing boundaries in place, communicating like a Pro, having a clear vision for your practice, and a solid plan to move you toward that vision.

How do you know if you need to shore up your Business Safe Container? Here are a few questions to ask:

• How often do you go overtime with your clients, maybe just adding an extra couple of minutes at the end of the session?

• What is your policy in case someone is late? Is this policy in writing? Do your clients know about it?

• Are you charging different amounts for different clients?

• Do you know what you want your practice to look like, including the number of Ideal Clients you want to see, when you want to work with them, and how much revenue you need to generate?

• Do you have a clear 30-60-90 day plan for moving your practice in the direction of your vision?

I want you to be gentle with yourself if the answers to these questions are not what you had hoped. They don’t teach you this stuff in massage or bodywork school. You’ve been doing the best that you can, and now that you know better, you can do better.

(And if you’ve got all these things in place, then Go Get It, Girl! You’re on your way!)

Either way, you can reach out to a mentor or coach who has done what you want to do, and can help you fill in the missing pieces.

Creating a safe container for your business will put the foundation in place for your practice to thrive.

For the next few weeks, we’ll dive even deeper into some specific things you can do to create a Business Safe Container.