Category Archives: Competitors

Feb 11 NO comments
Competitors, Ideas

Getting More Massage Therapy Clients, Without Expensive Advertising – Part 1

Corporate MassageMany times a Massage Therapist will feel as if, in order to get clients, they need to do expensive advertising in the newspaper. When I first stated, I had no money to do advertising with, so I had to find another way to market myself. It took longer, but the clients I got as a result stayed with me for years, and they in turn referred me their friends.

You see marketing yourself to other sources, that’s not newspaper advertising, does take a little longer, and you will need a bit more patience, but if you market yourself to the right areas you’ll get more solid and lasting results. Its not how ‘big’ you advertise, in fact it’s the opposite.

Not having any money to do expensive advertising when I first started was good in this way. It taught me to be creative and as a result I learnt something no college or massage school could ever teach me. I learnt that it was not about exposure to ‘everyone’ it was about exposure to certain groups of people who were looking for massage specifically. And after time, I found out how to find exactly how was looking for massage and how I could market myself to those people. As a result I was busier than I had ever been, had more clients than I imagined I would in one go, and worked more than I had in months, in just one month….that is, after I knew what to do.

You see marketing your practice is not just about ‘getting your message out there’. It’s about getting your message out there to people who want massage. And you can even take it one step further; getting your message out there to people who want your particular type of massage. And the secret of finding this is in your own practise. How fantastic is that!

So the best thing to remember is that it’s not about general advertising, it’s about specific advertising to people who want massage therapy as a treatment/maintenance/prevention/solution. The key is to get into this mindset and work it from there. On part two, I’ll explain more!

Good luck!

Amy Roberts

www.massagetherapysuccess.com

Feb 09 NO comments
Competitors, Ideas, Loans, finance

Getting More Massage Therapy Clients, Without Expensive Advertising – Part 2

MT mindbdy expIn Part 1 I discussed how you can get more clients without expensive advertising by what not to do. And that is not doing general advertising to ‘everyone’, I was talking about getting specific to marketing to people who want massage, and that the secret lies in your own practice.

It’s easy to see what groups of people want massage therapy by looking at your own business, and by looking at complimentary practices in the community apart from yours.

To get more clients without spending hundreds of dollars have a look at who else in your community might treat people a similar way to you. This means people who are serving others to help with muscle soreness, fatigue and other reasons.

You see it’s not about who you think needs massage, its more about looking at who is looking for massage. So if you make a list of all the practitioners in your local area who treat people to alleviate their muscle problems, then you are onto a good start.

Or, perhaps you do massage that focuses more on stress reduction. So ask yourself who else in my community helps people relax? There might be people such as Yoga Teachers, Hypnotherapists, health products, Naturopaths etc. You must ask yourself if these people have the people who will seek massage therapy. If the answer is yes, then you are more likely to have successful results than if you stuck an ad in the paper and hoped for the best.

Success never, ever comes from hoping. It comes through specific action with good solid planning.

Start today to write down a list of all the people that have the people who also seek massage to help them and their health issues, whether mental or physical. You are seeking the same group of people, and yes, it must be specific.

Good luck to you.

Amy Roberts

www.massagetherapymarketingsuccess.com

Sep 12 NO comments
Competitors, Entrepreneur, Investors, finance

Customer Satisfaction Surveys – The Insider Secrets For Increasing Your Sales Exposed

My fellow Entrepreneurs:

Customer Satisfaction Surveys – Are you using them? Well, you’d better start today if you want to retain your customers and keep them coming back.

Small business owners don’t have to look too far to come up with ways to increase their sales because their current database is being neglected and dying a slow death. Sooner or later, a major competitor will come into town and lure them all away.

If you are the owner of a business and care to make money, then you’ll want to sit up and listen to this. It’s better than a pint of your favorite Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream.

Find out what your customers want. I know you were expecting something truly revolutionary but let me tell you a little secret: most of your competitors are not doing this.

If you take heed to what I’m about to say…then you will find that it is one of the easiest ways of increasing sales of your products and/or services. Go and ask your customers what is that they want and then give it to ‘em.

You can put together a survey asking your customers to let you know what it is that you are doing well and what needs improvement. Believe me, they will be happy you asked.

There are people everywhere who live to fill out those little survey cards and they take it very seriously. This is what you want. This kind of thing will make your customers feel that you appreciate them and the value that they bring to your place of business.

Oh, I can hear some of you moaning already: “I don’t know how to conduct a survey. I wouldn’t know where to even start.”

Okay, that’s why you’ve got me leaning over your shoulder giving you instructions on how to get this thing up and rolling. Turn off your instant message box and lean forward, my friend. Get the whole story »

Aug 16 NO comments
Business Plan, Competition, Competitors, Entrepreneur, Partnering, Successful Franchisee

Tools Needed to Become a Successful Franchisee

With any business you do need tools that will help you become a successful business. In this article, I will go over some example of tools that help you become successful.

Scenario 1 – Construction Company. If you own your own construction company there are quite a few items that you need. For example, you will need your tools, such as the basics like hammers, nails, screwdrivers, and much more. You would also need a truck for your company to haul your tools. Depending on what type of construction that you are doing, you may also need a ladder, or other large tools like a power washer. You also need “office” type items, such as a computer with billing/invoice/proposal type software, a business phone number, a fax machine may be needed, and a cellular phone so you can contact your clients on the go.

Scenario 2 – Tanning Salon. If you are running a tanning salon, there are also quite a few items that you need. Obviously you will need office space, and tanning beds. Depending on how large your office space is, you may need about 5 or 6 tanning beds. Also, tanning salons usually sell tanning lotions and bathing suits as well. Next, you will need a cash register, or possibly two cash registers, a business phone line, possibly a fax machine, and a waiting room area with some chairs. Some tanning salons offer the tanning beds where you stand in them, and get sprayed with the fake tan. This is becoming very popular, and you would probably want to offer this service as well with yours. Get the whole story »

Aug 10 NO comments
Business Plan, Competitors, Entrepreneur, Investors, Loans, Set Up

Establishing Your Business

Owning you own business is not just about being you own boss or being able to boast at dinner tables that you are self-employed, in fact the first few years of operating and running your own business are an absolute nightmare. The reality is that you should be prepared to go on your first real holiday only after 5 years of starting your own business. Of course there are those who can go on an extended holiday in their first year of business but, believe me, they are few and far between. Being an entrepreneur is hard, but it can be very rewarding

The art of entrepreneurship is as old as mankind itself, people have always traded since time immemorial and there have always been people who are far much better than the rest at aggregating supplies and/or services and selling them at a profit, while at the same time employing people to do various tasks for them.

These types of people have, in the modern world become known as entrepreneurs. I remember at school at age 12, we had a fellow schoolmate who used to bring fizz-pops to school and sell them to us at a ridiculous price and as much as we would complain and call him all sorts of nasty names, he would have absolutely no stock by lunch time. In those days, he had figured out that even though fizz-pops were very popular amongst school children, most of us could never remember to buy the cheaper fizz-pops at the shops on our way to school.

Therefore his success in this little venture was mainly due to the following reasons: Get the whole story »

Aug 08 NO comments
Business Plan, Competition, Competitors, Entrepreneur, Ideas, Investors, Spa, finance

Adding Services and Diversification – Add Services, Extend Your Hours and Diversify

Adding cosmetic procedures is a great way to add services to your existing salon or spa. The only way for any salon or spa to stay in business is to constantly evolve. Adding services that are extensions of the services you currently offer is a good way to get started.

Like any plan to expand, start-up or remain competitive, it should be put to paper. Adding services and otherwise adding diversity to your salon or spa requires a proper business plan, not just a discussion and some notes on a napkin.

The economy can challenge any business that depends on revenue derived from discretionary income. Some existing and prospective salon and spa clients will make the decision to spend less or stop visiting the salon or spa altogether. Adding bundled services that cost a little less, keeps the client’s appearance up, and keeps the client coming back should be developed.

Adding additional salon or spa services can mean bringing in additional equipment that will deliver advanced results without adding an additional staff member.

Every salon and spa should have the resources to afford an expansion. Expanding to add additional services and diversification may not mean you need more square footage. If necessary bring in a space planner to make sure you are using your space efficiently. Consider a campaign to reallocate space for the purpose of bringing in additional services. Get the whole story »

Aug 06 NO comments
Competitors, Entrepreneur, Ideas, Investors, Partnering, Set Up, finance

How Owning Your Own Business Can Change Your Life

If you are like most people today, you are running around in circles looking for more ways to make money.

With having two jobs out of the question, and how can you afford going to school with gas prices so high?

Lets face it, with the cost of living so high today can you afford not to have your own home based business?

You should not have to wake up and rush out of the house to get the kids to school then scurry off to your job, only to listen to your boss complain everyday.

Just imagine all of the money you could save in gas by working at home.

How much stress could you release each day by being your own boss?

Don’t you want to spend more time with your family? You deserve time for you.

When you work at home you do not have to be a slave to money.

That is not what life is about. You should always be able to spend more time doing what makes you happy.

A home based business is easier than you may think. You may not even know anything about how the internet works. You also may not know the first thing about running your own business.

None of that really matters.

There are so many more people willing to share their advice for making money online.

Regular people are becoming millionaires everyday online. Get the whole story »

Jul 15 1 comments
Competition, Competitors, Entrepreneur, Partnering, Set Up

Beat Your Competition With A Strong Personal Brand

AishwaryaAbout 75% of the 22 million small businesses in the U.S. are owned and managed by a single individual. The typical business reflects the solo owner’s values, tastes and personality. Most importantly, the business and its owner are inseparable in the eyes of customers and prospects.

You can turn personal involvement into marketplace advantage by creating a strong, distinct Personal Brand identity.

What is a Personal Brand?

Personal branding represents a powerful personal self promotion and small business strategy. You create a Personal Brand based on your talents, skills and values. This Personal Brand identity becomes the foundation for all your marketing efforts. With a clear marketing identity, you can intentionally shape positive perceptions about you – as the symbol for your company.

Think about brands you use and recognize. Your perceptions about those brands have been shaped by consistent and persistent marketing messages. When your personal experience as a customer confirms those messages, the brand perception becomes reality.

Do you know any small businesses with a strong brand identity?

One of the most powerful small business owners tools is personal branding. Examples of individuals who created strong Personal Brands and developed them into multi-million-dollar enterprises include Oprah Winfrey, Martha Stewart, Nora Roberts, Stephen Covey, Tiger Woods and Tommy Hilfiger.

However, very few small business owners will use branding to be distinctive from their competitors. You are likely to be aware of a business owner with a strong Personal Brand ONLY if they are active in your market space or network. Most small business owners just don’t know how — and won’t make the effort — to use personal brand reputation building as an effective marketing strategy.

Personal Branding represents one of the most powerful — and under used — small business owners tools!

How can you create a strong Personal Brand?

Follow the five steps to create your Personal Brand identity. The process is adapted from Brand Me, Inc: How To Be Distinctive And Remarkable In What You Do And How You Do It, a guide for small business owners.

Step 1: Define Your Target: Everybody is NOT a potential buyer for what you have to offer. The biggest mistake you can make is being unclear about your target customer. Write a detailed description of the person who is your ideal buyer. Get the whole story »

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